Category: Hebrews

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Sincere Prayer

Yesterday a friend reminded me that I need to write a short blurb about the prayer meeting nights we will have this season.

I’ve been thinking about that, even composing some thoughts in my sleep. When I woke this morning, I still hadn’t completely decided on what to share but after my Bible reading the Lord prompted me to focus on sincere prayer.

So, before I share it with them, I will share it with you.

“Everything the Lord does is good. Everything he does shows how loyal he is.
18 The Lord is near to everyone who sincerely calls to him for help. 19 He listens to his followers and does what they want. He answers their prayers and saves them.” Psalm 145:17-19 ERV

Prayer doesn’t need to be lengthy, and it certainly doesn’t need to be filled with Thee’s and Thou’s, but it does need to come from the heart. Our Father does appreciate honestly and sincerity.

“ Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him.” Hebrews 11:6 ERV

God has given us an open door. His desire is that we come to Him in time of need. He wants us to know that we will find the help we need when we come to His presence.

“We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. 15 He listens to us every time we ask him. So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from him.” I John 5:14-15 ERV

Prayer is more than just asking for things. Prayer is talking to the Father, getting to know His heart. Sharing our joys and our sorrows. Learning what He wants for us and who He wants us to become. He wants us to know His will.

How do we know His will? Good question. Glad you asked. His will is His word. Every time God made a promise that was His will and He does not lie. I love what Jesus said on the sermon on the Mount. (Remember, we studied that whole sermon verse by verse about a month back.)

“Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. 8 Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them.

9 “Do any of you have a son? If he asked for bread, would you give him a rock? 10 Or if he asked for a fish, would you give him a snake? Of course not! 11 You people are so bad, but you still know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.‘ Matthew 7:7-11 ERV

Our heavenly Father desires the very best for us. He knows better than we do, what we need. We can be confident that when we pray and ask for something He will never give us something that will be detrimental to our lives. His gifts are good.

And, to close, prayer must have an element of gratitude. We don’t just come asking but we must come with a grateful heart knowing we will receive.

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have.” Philippians 4:6 ERV

Sincere prayer is a child (us), coming to the Father, asking for help. Thanking Him for all He’s given us and leaving our request in His hands, knowing He will work everything out for our good.

May all our prayers be sincere!

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Followers, Friends, Family

I wish you could sit with me in the mornings and hear the words that the Lord drops into my heart. Although they can’t be heard audibly, they thunder in my soul.

“‘Wash yourselves clean! I hate your filthy deeds. Stop doing wrong 17 and learn to live right.
See that justice is done. Defend widows and orphans and help the oppressed.’

An Invitation from the Lord

18 I, the Lord, invite you to come and talk it over. Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool. 19 If you willingly obey me, the best crops in the land will be yours.” Isaiah 1:16-19 CEV

When the Israelites were delivered from Egypt they had God’s promise, “I will be your God and you will be my people”. (Exodus 6:7, Leviticus 26:12)

But they forgot to serve God and went their own way and served other gods and also their own selfish ambitions. However, God did not forget them. He invited them to come, sit with Him, talk things over and He would forgive their sins and make them clean again. They were followers.

Jesus also had a group of people who were faithful followers and before He died Jesus elevated their relationship to one of friendship.

“14 And you are my friends, if you obey me. 15 Servants don’t know what their master is doing, and so I don’t speak to you as my servants. I speak to you as my friends, and I have told you everything my Father has told me.

16 You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. 17 So I command you to love each other.” John 15:14-17 CEV

For three years they had followed Jesus. They had their up’s and down’s; Jesus taught them how to honor the Father. They had seen many miracles. Their time on earth together was coming to an end. Jesus reminded them that they had been chosen, we too have been chosen. He also reminded them that the Father would be attentive to their prayers.

Followers become friends. Friends become family.

“Only those people who are led by God’s Spirit are his children. 15  God’s Spirit doesn’t make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. 16 God’s Spirit makes us sure that we are his children. 17 His Spirit lets us know that together with Christ we will be given what God has promised. We will also share in the glory of Christ, because we have suffered with him.” Romans 8:14-17 CEV

Family.

We have been invited to become family. Our heavenly Father is just, kind, and good. He is faithful, all-knowing, all-powerful, unconditionally loving. Nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:35)

Christ suffered persecution and rejection. His words were misunderstood, and He was ridiculed for saying that God was His Father. We will experience some of the same because we are His family.

Since we will share some of the same challenges and hardships, we have His promise of help.

“ Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:15-16 CEV

We are family and God, our Father, is always there for us.

Followers, friends, family. I was a follower who became a friend but then I was adopted and now I’m family. Family is the best!

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Are You Able?

God, our heavenly Father, is able!

Able means He has the ability to do or complete the task set before Him. He is able to work on our behalf, but He needs us to work with Him.

“…So work with fear and trembling to discover what it really means to be saved. 13 God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.” Philippians 2:12-13 CEV

Because He is a loving Father he won’t force Himself on us and He won’t force us to take the benefits He has for us. But if we will allow Him to work in our lives we will see His ability working on our behalf.

“Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.

20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:19-21 ERV

When we know God’s love, His power can work within us to bring Him glory.

“18 Because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted, He is able to help and provide immediate assistance to those who are being tempted and exposed to suffering.” Hebrews 2:18 AMP

He is able to help us immediately when we are being tempted because He was also tempted and suffered.

“God is strong and can (is able to) keep you from falling. He can bring you before his glory without any wrong in you and give you great joy. 25 He is the only God, the one who saves us. To him be glory, greatness, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord for all time past, now, and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25 CEV

God is able to keep us! He is able to save us!

“But Jesus will never die, and so he will be a priest forever! 25 He is forever able to save the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them.” Hebrews 7:24-25 CEV

When we give God permission to work in our lives, He is able to fulfill His plan which is for our benefit and ultimate good.

“ I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. 12 You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. 13  You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you” Jeremiah 29:11-13 CEV

Father, today I give you my availability so that Your abilities may work in me, through me and for me!

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It’s Today

Dave and I spent the afternoon with our 5 year-old granddaughter yesterday. Her birthday is tomorrow but we celebrated a little early.

Out to lunch and then to the pumpkin patch. Playing in the corn pit, feeding the animals, picking out a pumpkin and just being together. A time of celebrating and enjoying “today”.

Life is filled with today moments. Living, trusting, celebrating what God has done and who He has brought into our lives. Making memories.

Living in the present can be a real struggle; the past is always calling us back – back to better times or the opposite, trying to hold us in bondage to our failures. Then there’s the future and its promises and hopes but it too is filled with what if’s.

Living in the present. I know you’ve heard it said before, but it bears repeating. The “present” is a gift from God so we need to unwrap it and cherish it.

We need to make each day count. Not with the spectacular but with the simplicity. Being thankful for the small things, for the ordinary, for the sunrises and sunsets, for hugs and kisses, for sounds of joy and expressions of love.

“Let the name of the Lord be praised now and forever. 3 From dawn until sunset the name of the Lord deserves to be praised. 4 The Lord is far above all of the nations; he is more glorious than the heavens. 5 No one can compare with the Lord our God.” Psalm 113:2-5 CEV

The sun will rise this morning, and it will set again this evening. Those two events are a continual example of God’s faithfulness. He is always faithful even when we take things for granted. He never changes.

“Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 CEV

His love, mercy, forgiveness, truth, faithfulness, and holiness remain the same. As long as we have a today, those attributes of God continue.

Enjoy today – God’s grace and strength are yours!!

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Cleansed

The definition I found of this word is simple and succinct.

“make (something, especially the skin) thoroughly clean”

Thoroughly clean. What an amazing thought!

“So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. 2 That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death. 3 The law was without power because it was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do: He sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that everyone else uses for sin. God sent him to be an offering to pay for sin. So God used a human life to destroy sin. 4 He did this so that we could be right just as the law said we must be. Now we don’t live following our sinful selves. We live following the Spirit.

5 People who live following their sinful selves think only about what they want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about what the Spirit wants them to do. 6 If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace.” Romans 8:1-6 ERV

When we were in Greece last year, we spent a lot of time walking on the beach. The waves would roll in and when they receded our footprints had been completely removed. The seashore was once again cleansed of our trespass.

That’s what God’s love and provision of salvation does for our lives. It cleanses us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

“ But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done.” I John 1:9 ERV

“ He died to make the church holy. He used the telling of the Good News to make the church clean by washing it with water. 27 Christ died so that he could give the church to himself like a bride in all her beauty. He died so that the church could be holy and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other thing wrong in it.” Ephesians 5:26-27 ERV

When we come to the Father, confessing our sin, He cleanses us. Washes us clean. His word says that He not only forgives our sin but He forgets it as well. God will never remind us of our past transgression. He removes it from us.

“I, the Lord, am the one speaking to you. Come, let’s discuss this. Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow.” Isaiah 1:18 ERV

God forgives and forgets however; we often dwell on the things we’ve done wrong. We need to have our guilty conscience cleansed so that we can live in the freedom Christ died to bring us.

“Jesus Christ did the things God wanted him to do. And because of that, we are made holy through the sacrifice of Christ’s body. Christ made that sacrifice one time—enough for all time...22 Sprinkled with the blood of Christ, our hearts have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. So come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence because of our faith in Christ.” Hebrews 10:10 & 22 ERV

Because of Christ we can have a clear conscience and confidence in our relationship with God.

“And when our hearts make us feel guilty, we can still have peace before God, because God is greater than our hearts. He knows everything.” I John 3:20 ERV

My dear friend this is the good news of the gospel – we are not condemned. We are cleansed – made thoroughly clean!

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The End of a Message

I have really enjoyed going through Jesus’ message, the Sermon on the Mount, with you. It has shown us the foundation for His ministry here on earth.

He ends this message with these powerful verses.

“ Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it was built on solid rock, and so it did not fall.

26 Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn’t obey them is like a foolish person who built a house on sand. 27 Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Finally, it fell with a crash.

28  When Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were surprised at his teaching. 29 He taught them like someone with authority, and not like their teachers of the Law of Moses.” Matthew 7:24-29 CEV

Jesus was addressing everyone who was there listening to this message. They were either a wise anyone or a foolish anyone, but they could not deny that they were an anyone. Neither can we.

Anyone who hears God’s word has two choices – to obey or not. To be wise or foolish. To stand strong during the storm or to be destroyed by it.

The storms come – they most certainly do; the choice of how to handle them is up to us. What foundation have we built on? Solid rock or sandy beach.

“Anyone who comes and listens to me and obeys me 48 is like someone who dug down deep and built a house on solid rock. When a flood came and the river rushed against the house, it was built so well that it didn’t even shake. 49 But anyone who hears what I say and doesn’t obey me is like someone whose house wasn’t built on solid rock. As soon as the river rushed against that house, it was smashed to pieces!” Luke 6:47-49 CEV

When we build our lives on God’s word we are building on a firm foundation. His words of “do not fear, do not judge, ask to receive, be salt and light” are what we take to heart and give us the confidence to stand.

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT

Don’t throw away your confidence. Keep standing on the rock of His word. God didn’t remove Goliath from the battle, He empowered David in it. He didn’t take the lions’ out of the den, He closed their mouths when Daniel showed up. Jesus wasn’t discouraged by a little boy’s lunch with so many mouths to feed; instead, He was thankful, blessed it and multiplied it.

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” Ephesians 6:10-11 NLT

When faced with a storm remember to stand on God’s word. Be like those in the crowd who said, “He speaks with authority”. The authority of God’s word IS our final authority.

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Just A Little Talk

One of my favorite memories of Sunday night church services was the men’s quartet who would sing in wonderful four-part harmony. The songs were so upbeat. One of my favorite songs was “Just A Little Talk With Jesus”.

“I once was lost in sin but Jesus took me in
And then a little light from Heaven filled my soul
He bathed my heart in love and wrote my name above
And just a little talk with Jesus made me whole

Now let us have a little talk with Jesus
Let us tell Him all about our troubles
He will hear our faintest cry and He will answer by and by
Now when you feel a little prayer wheel turning
You’ll know a little fire is burning
You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right”

Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right – all right!

You know it does.

Believe it or not, we’re still with Jesus and his teaching on the mountain. You know the teaching that started with the be-attitudes. The one that told us to love as God, Himself, loves. The teaching that instructed us not to be show-offs, now gives us instruction on prayer.

“When you pray, don’t talk on and on as people do who don’t know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. 8 Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask.

9 You should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
help us to honor
    your name.
10 Come and set up
    your kingdom,
so that everyone on earth
    will obey you,
as you are obeyed
    in heaven.
11 Give us our food for today.
12 Forgive us for doing wrong,
    as we forgive others.
13 Keep us from being tempted
    and protect us from evil. The kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours forever. Amen.

14  If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:7-15 CEV

I love that Jesus starts with our Father. He was a man of prayer. Often, He would stay up late or rise early to go to a quiet place just to talk to His Father. He knew His Father had the answers and the strength that He needed to live life as a human.

This prayer is short, sweet and to the point. The one praying it doesn’t need to be a seminary graduate, an ordained minister or priest. Prayer is a child talking to their parent, telling Him all their troubles and having confidence that “Dad” has heard and is there to help.

“ We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. This is why we must hold on to what we have said about him. 15 Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:14-16 CEV

Prayer doesn’t need a lot of thee’s and thou’s; it’s us talking to our Father. Just conversation.

Just a little talk, leaving our burdens and cares with Him, makes things right, all right!

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Someone’s Missing

This morning I’ve been sitting here thanking the Father for His faithfulness. He has promised to never leave us or abandon us. Never, no, never.

“Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” Hebrews 13:5 AMPC

This verse is from the Amplified Bible. I love studying from the Amplified text. It expands the text more than English and gives us the intensity of the Greek language.

I will not, I will not, I will not, I will not let you down or leave you helpless. God is definitely making a point. He WON’T abandon us!

Tie that in with the first part of that verse. We are told to avoid greed and the lust for money. We have no need to be servant to lack of moral character because…I will not, I will not, I will not let you down.

That promise of God goes further than our financial dealings. It is our assurance that we are His and as His children He is always looking out for our best.

The story of the prodigal son came to mind. The son had a free will; he wasn’t enslaved and so he made the choice to leave. The son had wanted a different life; one filled with all the things that riches could buy. But, He was never out of his father’s thoughts.

I began to see the story from the Father’s point of view. Each morning and evening there would be an empty place at the table. Each day he would watch the road, searching for his wayward son.

One day, walking up that dusty road the Father saw his son returning. The Father didn’t make him grovel; he didn’t even make him walk the long lane to home by himself. He ran to greet him. He embraced him, kissing him, welcoming him home again.

“So he got up and came to his [own] father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness [for him]; and he ran and embraced him and kissed him [fervently].” Luke 15:20 AMPC

His son was no longer missing. That night there was a feast fit for a much-loved son. No longer was there an empty plate at the table. The prodigal had returned.

I think at one time or another each of us live the life of the prodigal, wanting to live life on our own terms, driven by selfish ambition, thinking we know best.

God lets us go but He never abandons us. He’s always watching, always waiting, always ready to welcome us home.

“Get the best calf and prepare it, so we can eat and celebrate. 24 This son of mine was dead, but has now come back to life. He was lost and has now been found.” And they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:23-24 CEV

When we return our place at the table is no longer empty. The Father says it’s time for a party. It’s good to be home!

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Not Easily Broken

Those are the words I was given for today. However, the context they were applied to is a new concept for me.

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT

Most of the time this verse is taught on the message conveyed is one of friendship or marriage. Friend helping friend or husband, wife, and God forming a three-fold cord. I agree with both those teachings.

But this morning my thoughts went to I Corinthians 13.

” Love will never end. But all those gifts will come to an end—even the gift of prophecy, the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages, and the gift of knowledge. 9 These will all end because this knowledge and these prophecies we have are not complete. 10 But when perfection comes, the things that are not complete will end.

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. 12 It is the same with us. Now we see God as if we are looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then, in the future, we will see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me. 13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:8-13 ERV

The spiritual gifts we have been given will come to end one day. Their purpose will be complete. When we stand face to face with the Father there will no longer be any need for them because we will be complete in His presence.

Until then we need to continue to experience and share the gifts He has given us. These gifts aid us as we grow in our walk with Him from childhood to maturity. The more we learn of God the clearer we see Him and His wonderful love for us.

Three things should continually guide us in our walk; faith, hope and love.

In Christ we have hope, hope for a future and hope makes not ashamed. Then our faith gives life to what we hope for; faith gives hope substance. But without love faith doesn’t work.

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1 NLT

“ And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NLT

“Hope never makes us ashamed because the love of God has come into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who was given to us.” Romans 5:5 NLV

” I say this because our hope of being right with God comes through faith. And the Spirit helps us feel sure as we wait for that hope. 6 When someone belongs to Christ Jesus, it is not important if they are circumcised or not. The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love.” Galatians 5:5-6 ERV

Father, I desire to see your love working in me today as I grow in you and to see your love working through me today so that others may see you more clearly. In Jesus name.

The strength we have for today can be found in the three-fold cord of faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love!

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Be Brave

Yesterday we saw how we can pray confidently when we are praying God’s word, relying completely on His promises.

That’s where bravery comes from. It’s a confidence in God’s word and His presence. Bravery isn’t the lack of fear. No, not at all. Bravery is trusting God in every situation. It’s what the Apostle Paul taught the Christians in Rome.

“ What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32 God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? 33 If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them?” Romans 8:31-33 CEV

Many of our fears come from the “what if’s” in life. What if I’m not strong enough, not articulate enough, not accepted by the right people, not wise enough. When we trust in God and His love for us, knowing that He is on our side we can and will dispel each and every fear.

“Trust the Lord! Be brave and strong and trust the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 CEV

What do you face that is unnerving causing you to be anxious and even fearful? Take these Scriptures to heart. The Bible is a powerful weapon against fear.

“God’s word is alive and powerful! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts.” Hebrews 4:12 CEV

The Book of Joshua is a lesson in bravery. In fact, I have a book in my library, “Victorious Christian Living” written by Alan Redpath in 1955 that is such an amazing study in courage and trust.

Joshua was tasked with leading the Israelites, all million plus of them, into the Promised Land. They had physical armies to defeat, hostile land to work and weariness of mind to conquer. This is God’s command to Joshua.

“Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do. 9 Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9 ERV

The key to bravery and overcoming fear is remembering God’s promises, (He cannot lie), and trusting Him in every situation.

“The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 CEV

Peter and John were ordinary men, just like you and I, not well educated but they were brave when they faced the ruling officials, arrested and commanded not to speak the name of Jesus. Their faith was in God; faith grew and fear was abolished.

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

We are living in a time where bravery and courage are needed. As we trust the Lord we will be strong, brave and very courageous!

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