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.