Angels

Good morning!

Angels are the dispensers and administrators of the divine beneficence towards us. ---- John Calvin.

Of the angels He says, "He makes His angels winds, and His ministers a flame of fire."  Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?  (Hebrews 1:7, 14)

A hymn to read aloud, and/or sing aloud, and to offer to God in worship: YOU HOLY ANGELS BRIGHT.

Union with Christ

Good morning!

The more a soul is conformed to Christ, the more confident it will be of its interest in [union with] Christ. -- Thomas Brooks.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God (Psalm 42:11).

But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me (II Timothy 1:12).

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is . And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure (I John 3:1-3).

A hymn to be read aloud and/or sung aloud, and offered in worship to God: IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL and/or BLESSED ASSURANCE .

Cross

Good morning!

The cross of Jesus Christ is a two-way street; we have been brought to God and God has been brought to us. Donald Grey Barnhouse.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hositility. And He came and preached peace to those who were far off and those who were near. For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:13--18).

A hymn to be read or sung aloud in worship to God: MAN OF SORROWS! WHAT A NAME. -----

Awe

Good morning!

Awe is the primary religious emotion. Anonymous.

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with revereance and awe, for our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:28-29).

A hymn to be read aloud or sung aloud and offered in worship to God: MY GOD, HOW WONDERFUL THOU ART (Trinity hymnal 35).

Watchfulness

Good morning!

We are all constantly backsliding but for the grace of God. ---- Dick Lucas.

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (I Corinthians 10:12-13).

A hymn to be read aloud or sung aloud and offered in worship to God: COME HOLY SPIRIT, HEAVENLY DOVE.

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In God's good providence there is "a time to laugh" (Ecclesiastes 1:1,4b). Two wrongs don't make a right, but they make a good excuse. Thomas Szang.

Seeking

Good morning!

God did not promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but He did promise His children strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. --- pgs 

I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD  delivers him out of them all (Psalm 34:4, 19).

A hymn to be read aloud, or sung aloud, and offered in worship to God: JESUS, I AM RESTING, RESTING.

Truth and Life

Good morning!

May you live all the days of the rest of your life.  -- pgs

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). 

 I am the way, the truth and the life. -- Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

A hymn to be read or sung aloud and offered to God in worship: JESUS IS ALL THE WORLD TO ME

Happiness

Good morning!

What happiness is, the Bible alone shows clearly and certainly, and points out the way that leads to the attainment of it --- "In Cicero and Plato, and other such writers," says Augustine, "I meet with many things acutely said, and things that excite a certain warmth of emotions, but in none of them do I find these words, 'Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'" --- Coleridge

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and "you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-29).

A hymn to be read or sung aloud, and offered to God in worship: CAST YOUR BURDENS ON THE LORD.

Righteousness

Good morning!

Set happiness before you as an end, no matter in what guise of wealth, or fame, or oblivion even, and you will not attain it. -- But renounce it and seek the pleasure of God, and that instant is the birth of your own. -- A. S. Hardy.

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you ---- Matthew 6:31-33.

A hymn to be read or sung aloud and offered to God in worship: GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU.

Kindness

Good morning!

 

The milk of human kindness never curdles. -- Anonymous.

 

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone... (II Timothy 2:24).

 

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you(Ephesians 4:32).

 

A hymn to be read or sung aloud and offered to God in worship: THE BEATITUDES (8 stanzas).

Humility

Good morning!

True humility is not an abject, groveling, self-despising spirit; it is but a right estimate of ourselves as God sees us ---- Tryon Edwards.

Woe is me; for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts (Isaiah 6:5).

A hymn to read aloud or sing aloud as an offering to God: HAVE THINE OWN WAY, LORD.

Dependency

Good morning!

We should not try to hold on to this life as though our very lives depended on it --- pgs.

Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21-22)

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A hymn to read aloud or to sing aloud and offer to God in worship: JESUS LIVES, AND SO SHALL I.   

Stumbling Blocks

Good morning!

Stumbling blocks are often stepping stones to glory. --- pgs

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear (Philippians 1:12-14).

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A hymn to read or sing aloud, and to offer to God in worship: ALL THE WAY MY SAVIOR LEADS ME.

Teaching

Good morning!

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. --- unknown

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me (II Corinthians 12:9).

The things you have heard me say....entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others (II Timothy 2:2).  

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A hymn to read or sing aloud, and to offer to God in worship: LORD, SPEAK TO ME THAT I MAY SPEAK.

Goodness

Good morning!

God's goodness has been great to thee.---- Let never day nor night unhallowed pass but still remember what the Lord hath done.---- William Shakespeare. 

O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people. Remember His marvelous works that He has done.... Praise ye the LORD! (Psalm 105:1, 5, 45b). 

Hymns to be read or sung aloud to the glory of God: PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW. PRAISE THE LORD, YE HEAVENS ADORE HIM.

Depravity

Good morning!

Man's understanding is so darkened that he can see nothing of God in God, nothing of holiness in holiness, nothing of good in good, nothing of evil in evil, nor anything of sinfulness in sin. Nay, it is so darkened that he fancies himself to see good in evil, and evil in good, happiness in sin, and misery in holiness. ---- Bishop Beveridge

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God,or give thanks to Him, but they became fuitile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images...  Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.  

They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them (Romans 1:18a, 21-23a, 24-25, 29-32). 

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A hymn to be read or sung aloud and offered to God in worship: LORD I WAS BLIND, I COULD NOT SEE.  

Covenant Promises

Good morning!

It is never too soon to strive and pray for the salvation of the souls of [our] children --- never too soon to speak to them as moral beings, and tell them of God, and Christ, and right, and wrong. ---- J. C. Ryle.

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable, I will utter dark sayings from of old...we will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and His might, and the wonders that He has done (Psalm 78:1a, 2-4).

The promise is for you and your children (Acts 2:39).

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A hymn to be read or sung aloud and offered to God in worship: AROUND THE THRONE OF GOD IN HEAVEN.

Mediator

Good morning!

 

A Christ supplemented is a Christ supplanted. ---- William Hendriksen

 

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.... (I Timothy 2:5).

 

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

 

Because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them(Hebrews 7:24-25).

Work

Good Morning!

Throw your soul into the work as if your one employer were the Lord! ---- R. C. H. Lenski

Slaves, obey your earthly masters [employers?]with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does this he will receive back from the Lord... (Ephesians 6:5-8; see also II Thessalonians 3:6-12). 

A hymn to be read or sung aloud and offered in worship to God: JESUS, MASTER WHOSE I AM. 

Godliness

Good morning!

Godliness...is devotion to God which results in a life that is pleasing to Him ---- Jerry Bridges.

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty" (II Corinthians 6:16-19).

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God (II Corinthians 7:1).   

A hymn to be read or sung aloud and offered to God in worship: TAKE TIME TO BE HOLY.

Heavenmindedness

Good morning!

This world is our passage not our portion -- Matthew Henry.

If you then have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4).

Do not love the world or the things in the world...for all that is in the world -- is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever (I John 2:15-16a, 17).

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A hymn to read or sing aloud and offer in worship to God: COME YE DISCONSOLATE, WHERE'ER YE LANGUISH.

God's Wrath against Sexual Deviance

Good morning!

Homosexual practices are against nature and against revealed truth... Homosexual indulgence is something which God condemns as the ultimate sign of decadence and degradation in any culture -- O. R. Johnston.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by thier unrighteousness suppress the truth.  ....Therefore, God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with lust for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done (Romans 1:18, 24-28).

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A hymn to read or sing in worship to the Triune God:  FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT. 

Death

Good morning!

Death. We picture death as coming to destroy; let us rather picture Christ as coming to save. We think of death as ending; let us rather think of life as beginning, and that more abundantly. We think of losing; let us think of gaining. We think of parting, let us think of meeting. We think of going away; let us thing of arriving. And as the voice of death whispers "You must go from earth," let us hear the voice of Christ saying, "You are but coming to Me." ---- Norman MacLeod. 

Precious in the sight of our LORD is the death of His saints (Psalm 116:15). 

Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God (Psalm 31:5). 

A hymn to be read, sung, or hummed to the glory of God: ABIDE WITH ME: FAST FALLS THE EVENTIDE. 

Blessing

Good morning!

Learn to put your hand on all spiritual blessings in Christ and say, 'Mine' -- F. B. Meyer.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

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A hymn to read or sing to the glory of God: A CHILD OF THE KING.

Thankfulness

Good Morning! 

From David learn to give thanks for everything. Every furrow in the Book of Psalms is sown with the seeds of thanksgiving.----Jeremy Taylor.

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most High: To show forth Thy loving kindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night. (Psalm 92:1, 2).

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; my soul also, which You have redeemed(Psalm 71:23). A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: HOW GOOD IT IS TO THANK THE LORD. 

Heaven

Good morning!

 

I would not give one moment of heaven for all the joy and riches of the world, even if it lasted for thousands and thousands of years. ---- Martin Luther

 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

 

A hymn to be read or sung in worship to God: TEACH ME, O LORD, THY HOLY WAY.

Meditation

Good morning!

MEDITATION.  Meditation is to Bible knowledge what digestion is to food ---- the way to get life out of it. pgs. 

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in it season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does he prospers (Psalm 1:1-3). 

A hymn to be read or sung or hummed to the glory of God: BREAK THOU THE BREAD OF LIFE.

Thoughtfulness

Good morning!

Malice is mental murder. ---- Thomas Watson.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:31-32).

A hymn to be read or sung in worship to God: BLEST BE THE TIE THAT BINDS.

Readiness

Good morning!

It is your duty and glory to do that every day that you would willingly do on a dying day. ---- Thomas Brooks

Therefore, be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh(Matthew 24:44).

A hymn to be read or sung aloud to the glory of God: Rejoice, All Ye Believers

Faithfulness

Good morning!

God is always like Himself. ---- John Calvin

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17; ).

For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob (Malachi 3:6).

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A hymn to be read or sung aloud to the glory of God: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS 

Light

Good morning!

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE. Be such a person, and live such a life, that if everyone were as you are, and every life a life like yours, this earth would be God's Paradise. ---- pgs (after Phillips Brooks).

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).

A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: LORD, SPEAK TO ME THAT I MAY SPEAK

Joy

Good morning!

JOY. We are meant to enjoy our salvation, not endure it.  John Blanchard

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices (Psalm 16:5-6, 8-9). 

A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD IS COME.  

Wisdom

Good morning!

WISDOM.  Knowledge is the foundation of wisdom. Stephen Charnock

My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding(Proverbs 2:1-6).

A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: MAY THE MIND OF CHRIST MY SAVIOR. 

Refuge

Good morning!

God is great, and therefore He will be sought: He is good, and therefore He will be found. ---- John Jay.

There is none like Thee, O LORD; Thou are great, and Thy name is great in might. Who would not fear Thee, O King of the nations? For this is Thy due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like Thee. Thou art the true God; the living God and the everlasting King.  (Jeremiah 10:10).

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon(Isaiah 55:7).

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A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND OUR STRENGTH.

Life

Good morning!

LIFE. We must not live only to live.  Richard Sibbes

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36).

And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (John 17:3).

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31). 

A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: I Am Thine, O Lord, I Have Heard Thy Voice.

(Theological) Liberalism

Good morning!

Liberalism. Liberalism is a miscarriage of truth. ---- John Blanchard.

I appeal to you, brothers, to mark carefully those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:17-20).

A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: Teach Me, O Lord, Thy Holy Way.

Generosity

GENEROSITY. A man there was, and they called him mad; the more he gave the more he had. ---- John Bunyan.

Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse(Proverbs 28:27).

...give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you(Luke 6:38).

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (II Corinthians 9:6).

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A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: LORD, THOU LOV'ST THE CHEERFUL GIVER

Knowledge of God

Good morning!

Knowledge of God. Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life's problems fall into place of their own accord ---- J. I. Packer.

I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart  Jeremiah 24:8 (see also 9:23,24).

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowlege of God (Colossians 1:9-10).

A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: I Know Whom I Have Believed.

Testing

Good morning!

Testing is a blessing, for it  reveals that our faith is genuine and more valuable than gold -- it frees us from impurity and fits us for heaven. Paul Settle

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith ---- more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire ---- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (I Peter 1:6-7).

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A hymn to be read or sung aloud as an offering of thanks to our faithful and powerful God: PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY.

Increase My Faith

Good morning!

"Increase my faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel; give me repentance from dead works; pardon my wanderings, and direct my thoughts unto Thyself, the God of my salvation; teach me how to live in fear, labor in Thy service, and ever to run in the way of Thy commandments; make me always watchful over my heart, that neither the terror of conscience, the loathing of holy duties, the love of sin, nor an unwillingness to depart this life, may cast me into a slumber, but daily frame me more and more into the likeness of Thy Son Jesus Christ, that living in Thy fear, and dying in Thy favor, I may in Thy appointed time attain the resurrection of the just unto eternal life. Bless my family, friends, and kindred."  ---- George Washington, in an undated prayer from his prayer journal.                                                                                         ---- selected from Focus On the Family

It occurred to me that President Washington's prayer breathes the spirit of David's prayer in Psalm 69 (especially verses 6, 13, 16): Let not those who hope in Thee be ashamed because of me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek Thee be brought to dishonor because of me, O God of Israel. But as for me, my prayer is unto Thee, O LORD, at an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of Thy steadfast love hear me, in the truth of Thy salvation, for thy lovingkindness is good; turn unto me according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies.

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A hymn to read or sing aloud in reverent prayer to God: LORD, I LIFT MY SOUL TO THEE.

Winsomeness

Good morning!

Take care if the world does hate you that it hates you without cause. ---- C. H. Spurgeon

Beloved....if you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name (I Peter 4:12a, 14-16).

A hymn to read or sing loud to the glory of God:  FAITH OF OUR FATHERS.

The Christian and Law

Good morning!

THE CHRISTIAN AND THE LAW  God is only rightly served when His law is obeyed. It is not left to every man to frame a system of religion according to his own judgment, but the standard of godliness is to be taken from the Word of God. ---- John Calvin

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).

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A hymn to be read or sung aloud to the glory of God: TEACH ME, O LORD, YOUR WAY OF TRUTH.

Obedience

Good morning!

OBEDIENCE    Only in obedience can we discover the great joy of the will of God. ---- Sinclair Ferguson

You made known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).

A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: TRUST AND OBEY.

Poverty

Good morning!

At issue everywhere that poverty appears is God's test of man's soul. For the poor it is a question of patient endurance of God's yoke. For the rich it is a question of love working through material goods.

The mystery of poverty is that God uses the needy to stand in His stead among all the nations of the world. Because their yoke is burdensome, God lightens their plight with excess of faith, hope, and love. And through them God tests:

1. Those whose service to Him is in talk only, mere lip-service.

2. Those who cannot resist the temptation to take advantage of the weak.

3. Those who, in their eagerness to display their love, seek Him out in the needy where He may be found, and give of their goods, time, talents, and skills to them. ---- Berghoef and DeKoster

Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which He has promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called. If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin....  (See also. Leviticus 19:15-16; I Samuel 2:7-8; Psalm 35:10; Luke 10:29-37). 

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A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: WHEN THE WEARY, SEEKING REST.

Joy

Good morning!

If you have no joy in your religion, there's a leak in your Christianity somewhere ---- Billy Sunday.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in  the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice (Philippians 4:4).

A hymn to read or sing aloud to the glory of God: Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts.