It’s Ok to Not be OK Devotion

Have someone pray and eat.

You guys probably greeted each other when you came in. You know when someone asks you how are you? What do we normally say? We’re doing good, or doing fine, or we are great. But are we always doing great? We are broken people, living in a fallen world. It’s ok, to not be ok all the time. You probably shouldn’t wallow in your pity, but we are not always ok and that’s ok.

Maybe you watched the news, that will depress you, or maybe someone recently died in your family, or you’re just not feeling good, or you’re sick of being sick. Or you’re having a bad day at work, or your home life just isn’t that great.

Men, lean on your brothers when you are having a hard time, we are here for each other. Simon Sinek is a motivational speaker. Simon says “Do you have 8 minutes to spend with a friend? In his video Simon says that his friend stated, you didn’t respond to my message when I needed you and Simon says, well your message didn’t indicate you needed me, or needed help, it started out like every other message. If you need help, let someone know, hey I really need you today. I’m having a hard day, or a tough time.

He goes on to say it just takes 8 minutes to make someone feel better, listen to their problems, pray with them and pray for them.

Ask Eddy to say Ecclesiastes

Turn to Ecc. 3:1 (Take turns reading)

1: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2: a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace. (Bible Gateway ESV 2025)

There is a time for everything, sometimes we are on the mountain, and sometimes we are in the valley.

But what is our hope in? Jesus Christ. Our hope is in Jesus Christ. If you believe in the good news, or the gospel of Jesus Christ, in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul lays it out for us, 15:1 “Now I would remind you, brothers,^[^a^] of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, ²and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.³For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (Bible Gateway ESV 2025)

If you believe in that, if Jesus is your Lord and Savior, we are going to spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord.

How long is eternity? When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sign God’s praise than when we first begun.

It’s ok, to not be ok, down here on this earth, but Jesus is coming back! And we are going to spend eternity with Him.

Steven share with the group how you get someone to open up and share what’s troubling them. So, let’s practice saying that we are not doing that good. Break into groups and ask each other how you are doing, and I want you to say I’m not doing that good today.

Now, I want you to ask how I can pray for you, and I want you to take turns praying for each other.

Does anyone have anything else on your heart?

Next month’s meeting, outside at a campfire? Watch a movie: The Forge? And if you want to give the next month’s devotion, let me know.

Brotherhood Covenant

Who knows what a Covenant is?

A covenant is a relationship between two partners who make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal. They’re often accompanied by oaths, signs, and ceremonies. Covenants define obligations and commitments, but they are different from a contract because they are relational and personal. Think of a marriage—a husband and wife choose to enter into a formal relationship, binding themselves to one another in lifelong faithfulness and devotion. They then work as partners to reach a common goal, like building a life or raising children together.

There are some men in this room that have been married a long time. Who has been married the longest? Who has been married the least amount of time? Maybe we can learn from each other the importance of a marriage covenant. And maybe I just needed to hear this and research this. Maybe this is for me?

A few weeks ago, I was away for a class for three nights. I wasn’t gone long, but it reminded me how important a covenant is with God, and I was able to be still and reflect how important the covenant is between me and my Manuela. And how important it is to not break that covenant.

Jason Soroski writes “For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish… We have heard these words repeated in many wedding ceremonies, and if you are married you have likely said them yourself! What does it mean to be in a covenant marriage, and how does it enrich our lives and fulfill God’s purpose?

At the heart of biblical marriage is a covenant before God to cherish one another and continue to grow as one. At the heart of a covenant marriage is a desire to not just ‘get through’ life together but to thrive together. It means to love, encourage, and cherish one another while constantly seeking Christ in our relationship.

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Covenant Marriage as presented in Scripture is not something to be taken lightly, but makes up the foundation for the family, the community, and the bedrock of a strong and healthy society.

The Bible declares marriage as the most important relationship one can enter into aside from their relationship with God, and Ephesians 5 gives us perhaps the most detailed explanation of how this plays out.

There is a full, beautiful meaning in the full context of these verses that reveals the beauty of what covenant marriage truly is: “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior”.

”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” In this passage, it is reiterated that in a covenant marriage the husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her.

This is a picture of two people in mutual submission to Christ, and a wife submitting to a godly man who leads the home spiritually and who loves his wife more than he loves himself. As Christ was crucified for the sake of his ‘bride’ the Church, the covenant husband is willing to endure the same for his wife he has given himself to in marriage. This is the most beautiful of love stories. A story of mutual love and submission, of two individuals ever-growing more and more into one, entwined within the love of Christ and for one another.

Marriage continues to be the most beautiful ceremony we engage in. This is because within marriage we find deep and wonderful meaning. We see the beginning of a new life and an adventure of two people joining their lives together, entwining their hearts as one in the presence of God, friends, and family. It is the highest of vows. Near the end of a traditional marriage ceremony, we often hear the phrase, “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” This phrase, drawn from the words of Jesus in Matthew 19:6, reminds us that marriage is a covenant initiated by God, which we agree to join into. When we commit to a covenant marriage, we are joining our hearts together in a supernatural way that only God can orchestrate.” (Jason Soroski 2021)

I came home to a couple that we know where the husband broke that covenant with his wife and with God. He cheated on his wife, and I got to hear about that and how it tears a family apart and how sad it is. They’ve got three kids together. I got to reflect on that when I got home.

I said all of this to remind us how important our covenant is not only between our wives, but how important it is to God. And to remind us men, that our wives are special and our marriages are special and that we should cherish our wives. We should strive to love our wives like Jesus loves us. Do we take that covenant serious enough?

We just had Valentines Day, so I got a good deal on these cards, grab a card and write your wife a special note, telling how much she means to you and your family. Or maybe you want to write your sister, or Mom or that certain special woman in your life a card.

So go home, give your wife a hug and a kiss and tell her you love her.

Do You Follow Jesus This Close?

I got behind a vehicle the other day and I wasn’t tailgating them, but I did want to get close enough to read the sticker on their back glass. It said, “Do You Follow Jesus This Close?” I love that.

It’s true we are in such a hurry that you can’t even drive the speed limit without getting ran over. The sticker not only gets everyone’s attention and asks if they have a relationship with Jesus, but also says stop following so close to me. It’s true though are you as close as you and your vehicle are to me as you are with Jesus?

The other day we had a snowstorm in Arkansas. I say snowstorm. We got 13 inches of snow in my little town, and we are not used to that kind of snow. And it reminded me of Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2025) The snow really slowed us down for a few days. It would melt and then freeze again, leaving ice on the road. I think God was saying slow down and read my Word, meditate on it, spend time with family, and know that I am God. I think God was saying draw closer to Me, get to know Me better.

I Wonder

Our church recently upgraded from old-timey bench style pews to more comfortable chairs with cushions and gave the old pews away.

My wife and I were fortune it enough to get one of the pews and we placed it on our back deck. We occasionally sit in it and marvel at God’s beautiful creation.

I sometimes wonder how many people gave their life to Jesus sitting in that very same pew that we use to gaze upon God’s creation, with a command of His voice, that I am in awe of. I wonder how many people sat there and cried during a sermon that pricked their hearts. I wonder how many couples, male and female, sat there holding hands being preached to about God’s design in marriage covenant between man and wife. Or how many young men and women sat in the very same pew and marveled at how God, Himself, took on flesh and died on the Cross for our sins, defeating sin and death through His descension into hell and resurrection and ascension into heaven for you and me.

Paul writes in Ephesians 4:6 “One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”[a] 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?[b] 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)

I wonder how many sermons have been preached in that church with that old church pew. And how many people sat on that old-fashioned church pew. And now my wife and I and children get to sit on the same pew that saw people give their lives to Jesus, the most important decision you will ever make, to spend eternity with Jesus.

But there is still something about sitting in an old uncomfortable traditional pew that can’t be replaced. I wouldn’t trade that memory for anything.

Like There is No God (in Israel)

Do you give yourself too much credit? I know I do. I think I can take care of problems without God’s help, like there is no God (in Israel). Our pastor was preaching a sermon the other day and he said the same thing. We often take God for granted and think we can do it, anything from small issues to big issues, without Him.

We should pray over everything and worry about nothing. Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Bible gateway ESV 2024) Our church is hosting a blood drive, that I signed the church up for and I am stressing out that we don’t have enough people signed up. When you host a blood drive, the Arkansas Blood Institute goal is 12 and I have six signed up seven days before the blood drive. What I need to do, is pray about it and I have been, but we have a tendency to put God in a box, like He can’t do anything! This is such a great opportunity for God to show up and show out, when this blood drive is a success, and we get way over the goal of 12. And of-course we can’t forget to give God all the glory for the successes in our lives.

I have been posting on Facebook, I have been talking to people at work and sending messages on my phone. We have been announcing it at church. I’ve hung up signs and left small brochures with QR codes to make appointments everywhere. I’m to the point that I don’t know what else I can do, except pray and give it to God.

The point is we should be praying over everything, from the time we wake up till the time we go to bed.

And when this succeeds because I have faith, that it will, give All the glory to God. Because there is a God and He is good, all the time.

The Days of Noah (Devotional)

I’ve got a question for you: Doesn’t it feel like we are living in the Days of Noah? What’s going on out there? Are you paying attention to what’s going on in the world?

On Friday, there was a shooting at a grocery store in Fordyce, Arkansas, and on Thursday you probably received an Amber alert on your phone about someone that allegedly killed multiple people was found in Morrilton, Arkansas. That’s too close to home. it’s getting dangerous out there.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 ^“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,^[^d^] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

1 Corinthians 15: 50:^“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. ⁵³For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
⁵⁵“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

The other day I was leaving work. I walked out of the building to where our parking lot is and this strange feeling came over me, that I have never experienced before. I felt a strong feeling that Jesus could come back at any time, or I could die at any second. I thought, I might not make it across the parking lot to the truck. So, I walked across the parking lot and got in the truck and here I am. No-one knows when Jesus will return except the Father, but it sure feels like it could be any second. It feels like we are living in the time of Noah.

Matthew 24:36“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,^[^b^] but the Father only. ³⁷For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. ⁴²Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

Men, I don’t know when Jesus is coming back, and I don’t know when I am going to die, but I know one thing for sure. I’m either going to die or Jesus is going to come back. One of those two things are going to happen, and that goes for all of us and I know we are running out of time.

Genesis 6: 11 “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. ¹²And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. ¹³And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh,^[^c^] for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

^17 “For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. ¹⁸But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

This is from Got questions .org 2024 I searched what was it like in the days of Noah:

“The biblical account of Noah begins in Genesis 6. Approximately 1,600 years had passed since the creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:26–27). As the earth’s population exploded in number, it also exploded with evil. Long forgotten was the righteous sacrifice of Abel (Genesis 4:4) as “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Verses 11 and 12 say, “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” However, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (verse 8).

When Jesus described the events that will surround His second coming, He said, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26–27). Jesus was pointing out that, although the people of Noah’s day were totally depraved, they were not the least bit concerned about it. They were carrying on the events of their lives without a single thought of the judgment of God. Noah is described as a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), meaning he had spent years warning his friends and neighbors what the Holy God was about to do. No one listened.

The depravity and ungodly lifestyles of the entire world at that time were enough to cause the Lord to “regret that He had made man” (Genesis 6:6). Many scholars believe that part of the need to destroy every human being except Noah and his family was the sin mentioned in Genesis 6:1–4, when “the Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.” As evil reproduced and overtook the world, the most merciful act God could perform was to start over.

It is interesting that God allowed Noah nearly one hundred years to complete the building of the ark. Through all that time, God patiently waited (1 Peter 3:20). Scripture seems to imply that Noah preached to the people of that time about what was coming (Hebrews 11:7). They did not believe Noah and were content with their wickedness and idolatry. Their hearts were hard and their ears dull. No one repented, and no one cared to seek God.

Jesus said that the world will be much the same before He returns to set up His earthly kingdom (Matthew 25:31–33). He warned us to “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Second Timothy 3:1–4 gives us a clear picture of the state of the world before Jesus comes and most likely also describes the world in the days of Noah. That verse says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” It is becoming increasingly obvious that, to understand what the world was like in the days of Noah, we only need to watch the evening news.” (Got questions. Org 2024)

2 Peter 3:8“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,^[^a^] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies^[^b^] will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.^[^c^]

¹¹Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, ¹²waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! ¹³But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

¹⁴Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. ¹⁵And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, ¹⁶as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. ¹⁷You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. ¹⁸But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

This is something that is on my heart is that only eight people made it on the Ark, eight people! When God destroyed the earth, he could only find eight people that were called righteous! There’s more people in this room right now. (Hopefully) And like I said before, it feels like we are living in the times of Noah.

But it doesn’t have to be that way Salvation is being saved or rescued from the penalty of sin. We are all sinners, and the consequence of sin is death—not just physical death, but eternal separation from God. To be saved from your sin, you must do three things: Ask forgiveness for your sins; be willing to turn from your sins; and believe that Jesus Christ—our Lord and Savior—died for your sins and rose again. If you have done these things, you are saved! You have salvation, which means you have accepted God’s love and forgiveness, are adopted into His family and have fellowship with His people—your fellow Christians. You are free from the power of sin—a child of God! The Bible promises you eternity in heaven (Romans 10:9-10). How Are We Saved? John 3:16-17 and John 10:10 tell of the great love God has for us. Because of His love, He wants us to come to Him just as we are. He wants to have a personal relationship with us and longs for us to talk to Him freely about our sins and our needs. God revealed His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins more than 2,000 years ago. Jesus understands us because He lived as a man on earth for 33 years. He lived a sinless life and paid the price for our sins by offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice on the cross. He rose from the dead three days later and went up into heaven, where He intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).

Guys I don’t know all your hearts, but God does. I don’t know your walk with Christ. But if you need to talk to someone about that. There are people in this room that you can talk to.

Do Something (Devotion)

Have you heard the song by Matthew West called Do Something? I just happen to have the words to the song, let me read them to you:

“I woke up this morning
Saw a world full of trouble now
Thought, how’d we ever get so far down
How’s it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to heaven

I thought, God, why don’t You do something?
Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me

So, I shook my fist at heaven
Said, God, why don’t You do something?
He said, I did, I created you
Now listen

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now
It’s time for us to do something

If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
Oh, it’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

Na-na, na
Na-na, na
Na-na, na
Na-na, na

I’m so tired of talking
About how we are God’s hands and feet
But it’s easier to say than to be
Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves
It’s alright, somebody else will do something

Well, I don’t know about you
But I’m sick and tired of life with no desire
I don’t want a flame, I want a fire
I wanna be the one who stands up and says
I’m gonna do something

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now
It’s time for us to do something
Yes, it is, c’mon

If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

We are the salt of the earth
We are a city on a hill
We’re never gonna change the world
By standing still
No we won’t stand still
No we won’t stand still
No we won’t stand still

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now
It’s time for us to do something

If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something (na-na, na)

It’s time for us to do something
It’s time for us to do something (na-na, na)”

Songwriters: Matthew West. For non-commercial use only.

Men, we can’t sit on our hands, we need to be the leaders of the church. Let’s see what the Bible says about Men in the church:

As leaders of the church, men have a great responsibility. Paul told the elders at Ephesus “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28 Bible Gateway NKJV 2024)

And elder must hold “fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict: (Titus 1:9 Bible Gateway NKJV 2024)

Peter said, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by constraint but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; not as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2, 3 Bible Gateway NKJV 2024)

“Younger Christians are to submit to their elders: “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5 Bible Gateway NKJV 2024)

Can we change the world? We may not be able to singlehandedly change the world, but we can change someone’s world.

The floor is open to any suggestions on how we can serve the church and the community?

The Woman Who Fears The Lord (Devotion)

You may know that Manuela and the girls are out of town visiting family in Germany. And I already knew how much she did for the family but, you really do realize how much of a contribution your wife makes when she is gone.

Yesterday, I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the heels of the bread. And I normally go around the heels of the bread. That is where I am at right now.

Men cherish your wives. They are a gift from God. They certainly do a lot for us and others.

Proverbs 12:4: “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

Psalm 128:3: “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

Proverbs 31 The Woman Who Fears the Lord 10-31 21 virtues of a God-Fearing Woman. I am not going to read that one to you. When you have time read Proverbs 31 10-31.

And there may be some men in here that the Lord has gifted with singleness. You can use that to your advantage by having more time to serve.

Proverbs 31 10-31 The Woman Who Fears the Lord

¹⁰^[^d^] “An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
¹²She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³She seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
¹⁴She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from afar.
¹⁵She rises while it is yet night
    and provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.
¹⁶She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷She dresses herself^[^e^] with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
²⁰She opens her hand to the poor
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.
²¹She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in scarlet.^[^f^]
²²She makes bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³Her husband is known in the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹“Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands,
    and let her works praise her in the gates.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

God Chose Us

God Chose us first! Let that sink in. We didn’t choose God. God came running after us. John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2023) What! God Chose me, and I didn’t choose him? Why is this blowing my mind? It shouldn’t blow my mind. God knows everything!

Revelation 13:8 says “And all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. ⁹If anyone has an ear, let him hear (Bible Gateway ESV 2023)

Our names were written in the book of life of the Lamb before the foundation of the world.

That is mind boggling to me.

This begs the question what about the people that were not chosen by God. Why were they not chosen by God? The only way I can answer this question is that God chose us because He knew we would choose Him.

My wife is from Germany. We moved from Germany to my hometown in Arkansas. And I had strayed from God. A prodigal child if you will. My wife started working for someone at a homestead farm and thank God she did! She was constantly being invited to church and I kept saying I am not ready to go back to church fighting it, knowing that attending church is a commitment. And finally, she convinced me to go. You can feel the love of the church when you walk in. I am so glad and blessed to be back to worshipping and following Jesus Christ.

Most of my wife’s family doesn’t understand why we go to church so much and worship God and why it takes up so much of our time. We are supposed to put God first in everything we do. Her family says we are in a cult and we have some of her family visiting us, they hope the returning family members don’t come back in a cult like we are in. (we know we will be ridiculed and made fun of for our beliefs). So, my point is, God knows who will choose Him, and who will not. If we are not going to choose God, then we are already not chosen, and He already knows who will choose Him.

That doesn’t mean God doesn’t want everyone to come to the saving grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ as 2 Peter 9 says “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,^[^a^] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2023)

The only sin that can’t be forgiven is denying God. Luke 12:10 says “And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2023)

Q“ How many sins can you list that God won’t ever forgive? I worry about this, because I know I’ve not been a very good person, and some of the things I’ve done are probably on that list.

A: Only one sin that can’t be forgiven is on God’s list—and that is the sin of rejecting Him and refusing His offer of forgiveness and new life in Jesus Christ. This alone is the unforgivable sin, because it means we are saying that the Holy Spirit’s witness about Jesus is a lie (see Luke 12:10).

Why is it so serious to reject Christ? The reason, first of all, is because of who He was. He wasn’t just another religious teacher; He was God in human flesh—but when we deny this, we limit Him and assume He is unable to save us. But the Bible is clear: “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (John 1:18).

The main reason why it’s so serious to reject Christ, however, is because He is God’s appointed means of salvation. Our greatest need is to have our sins forgiven; if we don’t, we have no reason to expect God to welcome us into Heaven. But by His death and resurrection Christ provided the way for us to be forgiven and cleansed of all our sins.

The Love of Money

1 Timothy 6:10 says “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (Bible Gateway KJV 2023)

I went to see the movie Sound of Freedom and it has to be one of the best movies I have ever seen. Maybe because I was drawn into the movie. I have my own family and my heart aches knowing that every day 2300 children are missing just in the United States(safeatlast) And around 1 billion children are reported missing each year worldwide. (ICMEC) That is mind boggling. According to Sound of Freedom Human Trafficking is a 150 billion dollar a year industry soon to surpass the drug cartel, which is number one.

So, to see a movie made about a true story depicting the goings-on of innocent children being stolen and sold, well, it got my attention. (168) Sound of Freedom | Theatrical Trailer for July 4 | Angel Studios – YouTube

What I found disturbing though was when our theater played it. The other movie being played was Barbie and while I won’t be watching the woke Barbie movie. I found it disturbing that on one side of the theater were two totally different movies, one a Christian movie bringing awareness to the terrible problem of human trafficking and how we can take a stand and stop our children from being kidnapped and sold as sex slaves and the other movie promoting Disney’s woke agenda.

1 billion kids are being taken from their families a year because of greed, for the love of money. Because someone would steal children and take away their innocence and sell them over and over again so they can make more and more money. You can sell drugs once, but you can sell a child multiple times and it’s sickening.

Don’t get me wrong, we need money to survive. We all have bills to pay, rent, mortgages, gas in the car, electricity, and food to eat are just a few reasons we depend on money, but the Bible says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” What will people do for money and what will people do to get more and more money. When is it enough money? Greed comes into play.

Some of us are satisfied to just have ends meet and we don’t go to extremes to make more and more money. We are satisfied with what God gives us. You see everything good comes from God. All our blessings come from God. I’m thankful for the things God allows me to have and don’t forget to give back to God your tithes, at least 10%. God allowed you to have what you have, so remember to give back.

So what can we do to fight human trafficking? Hold your precious children closer and tighter and longer. When you are in public, stores, airports, anywhere don’t let your children out of your sight. 1 billion kids a year are disappearing. Don’t think for one second the people responsible for this aren’t looking for your kids and any opportunity to take them from you.

Pray to God that God will keep your children safe. Beg God for your children’s safety. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to my kids. And I don’t want to find out. FAST and PRAY for the poor innocent kids that are being abducted every single day and the kids that are already taken. Pray that the people responsible for this are found and put in prison forever. Mark 9:42 “And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.” (Bible Gateway KJV 2023)

Isaiah 5:20 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Bible Gateway KJV 2023)

It is sad that we live in such sickening times, but we have to get through these times before Jesus returns and takes the church home. 1 Thesalonians 4:14 “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

¹⁵For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

¹⁶For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

¹⁷Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

¹⁸Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (Bible Gateway KJV 2023)

Revelation 20:1 “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

²And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

³And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” (Bible Gateway KJV 2023)

One day the devil will be bound in chains and thrown in the bottomless pit, but until then we have to comfort each other with these words. And be very vigilant, always pay attention to your surroundings, how to escape a bad situation. And PRAY that God will have mercy on us and keep our families safe.

Go watch and support Sound of Freedom, it’s an excellent movie. You can go to Angel.com and give tickets to people that can’t afford them and guy their merchandise. The movie is an independent film that was made five years ago but ran into any obstacle you can imagine. Angel Studios: Stream Free, Original Shows for the Whole Family