Daniel 7:13-14 “As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.”

Deuteronomy 32:39” Look now; I myself am he! There is no other god but me! I am the one who kills and gives life;  I am the one who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from my powerful hand!”

Genesis 50:19-20 “But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you?  You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

Job 1:10-11 “You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is!  But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

What God has protected Satan cannot touch

Lamentations 3:37-42 + 55-57“Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, “We have sinned and rebelled, and you have not forgiven us.” “But I called on your name, Lord, from deep within the pit. You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading! Hear my cry for help!” Yes, you came when I called; you told me, “Do not fear.”

Psalm 33:4-7 “For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. He loves whatever is just and good;  the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth.  The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created.  He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.”

Psalm 89:7-8 “The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God.  He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne. O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord?  You are entirely faithful.”

Psalm 89:11 “The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is yours—you created it all.”

Psalm 104:13-14 “O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!  In wisdom you have made them all.  The earth is full of your creatures. Here is the ocean, vast and wide,  teeming with life of every kind,  both large and small. See the ships sailing along,  and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea.  They all depend on you to give them food as they need it.  When you supply it, they gather it.  You open your hand to feed them,  and they are richly satisfied. But if you turn away from them, they panic.  When you take away their breath,  they die and turn again to dust.”

Psalm 105:37 “The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled.”

1 Corinthians1:22-25

The Message“While Jews clamour for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tiny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can’t begin to compete with God’s “weakness.”

NLT  “It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.  But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.  This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.”

The Father’s Love Letter

https://www.fathersloveletter.com/

Deuteronomy 30:19  “Today I have given you the choice between life and death,between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”

Hebrews 8:8-12  “But when God found fault with the people, he said:  “The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the Lord. But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

Hebrews 12:18-24 “You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai.  For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking.  They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death. ”Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.” No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.  You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect.  You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.”

Ezekiel 18:30-32 ““Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel?  I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!”

Ezekiel 33:10-11 “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: You are saying, ‘Our sins are heavy upon us; we are wasting away! How can we survive?’  As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?”

Hebrews 12:5-12 “And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,    “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”[ As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?  If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.  Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.  No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.  So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.”

Isaiah 25:7-8 “There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth.  He will swallow up death forever!  The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord has spoken!”

Jeremiah 26:2-3 “This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard in front of the Temple of the Lord, and make an announcement to the people who have come there to worship from all over Judah. Give them my entire message; include every word.  Perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways. Then I will change my mind about the disaster I am ready to pour out on them because of their sins.”

Jeremiah 31:20  “Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?” says the Lord. “I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him.

Jeremiah 46:28 “Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, for I am with you,” says the Lord. “I will completely destroy the nations to which I have exiled you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you, but with justice; I cannot let you go unpunished.”

Jeremiah 42:10-12”‘Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you. For I am sorry about all the punishment I have had to bring upon you.  Do not fear the king of Babylon anymore,’ says the Lord. ‘For I am with you and will save you and rescue you from his power.  I will be merciful to you by making him kind, so he will let you stay here in your land.’”

Jeremiah 44:13 “I will punish** them in Egypt just as I punished them in Jerusalem, by war, famine, and disease.”

**Concordance H6485 paqad paw-kad’ a primitive root; to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc.:–appoint, X at all, avenge, bestow, (appoint to have the, give a) charge, commit, count, deliver to keep, be empty, enjoin, go see, hurt, do judgment, lack, lay up, look, make, X by any means, miss, number, officer, (make) overseer, have (the) oversight, punish, reckon, (call to) remember(-brance), set (over), sum, X surely, visit, want.

Joel 2:11-13 “That is why the Lord says,“Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts.  Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.”  Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.”

Lamentations 3:31-33 “For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.”

Psalm 116:15 “The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die.”

Romans 10:21 “But regarding Israel, God said,  “All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious.”

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Daniel 4:37 “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honour the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”

Deuteronomy 10:17 ““For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.”

Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.  Everything he does is just and fair.  He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!”

Psalm 96:10 “Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!” The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly.”

1Peter 2:23 “He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered.  He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.”

Ephesians 1:5 “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. “

Ephesians 3:8 “Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.”

Galatians 3:29 “And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.”

Genesis 17:7 ““I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”

Galatians 4:7 “Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.”

Deep fine tuning in my faith. I share for those who may be blessed but do not be discouraged if you don’t relate. I would call this a very deep work in my own heart, I share in case it speaks to someone else as well.

As I was doing my devotionals this morning, I was particularly blessed and challenged. I love that about the Word, He blesses me and challenges me on most days.

1 Peter 1 starts with “To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ² according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”

Did you catch the conditionals of this verse? This letter is directed to those who are submitted to the sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit, living in the knowledge and revelation as their identity of those sprinkled clean by the blood of Christ and not their own good works and in obedience to Christ. All that to say, when I catch distinct glimpses of the Lord sanctifying my thinking, my actions, my life, I am so thankful for His faithfulness and dedication to washing me cleaning and purifying my life.

I received your typical social media post yesterday. A picture of a person smiling, holding up something they were particularly pleased about… and today I find myself still feeling grieved by this very common, every normal event. So I have been asking God what about this image has been troubling me for 24 hours. LOL. Then I had the image of some photos I personally took and shared 2 days ago. I took some photos of the gardens I have been working on up here. Then I realized God was wanting to talk to me about something I had done this week.

Here is the thing. God doesn’t like boasting.

“²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.” Romans 1:29-31English Standard Version

“³⁰ And because of him^[a] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, ³¹ so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

^“I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers,^[a] that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. ⁷ For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” 1 Corinthians 4:6-8

These verses started coming to my mind. I encourage you to do a word study by typing in “brag” “boast” etc in a search engine like Biblegateway.com and seek out the many verses that speak to this topic.

Here is what I had running through my mind, why do I take pride in the works of my hands etc when every talent, every gift, every ability I have is a gift from God. How foolish would it be for the paint brush to take credit for the masterpiece instead of merely being delighted to partake of expression the master creator? The answer is, I musn’t and must ask for His help His help in discerning it when I start to follow this well established, broad path, so easy to walk down way of the world.

I am always thinking of how to impart these things to my kids, and how deeply it must impact them and how quickly and easily they will “follow” in the foolish ways of this world so when I catch a glimpse of these sneaky snares, barely perceived traps of the enemy to note them down, meditated on them and repent and set up a guard against their appearance in my life.

Practically speaking, what could this look like.

I realized my delight in the garden is a true and genuine God given gift. If I zoom in and take a picture of a single plant, and meditate on the marvel and amazing detail that embellishes every part of His glorious creation. I have the privilege of walking through the most extraordinary art gallery, science and technology museum, innovation center every day. All of creation is a testament to Our God.

Here is what I love about being in the garden. I love to ponder the mystery of a seed, especially the ones that are so tiny and yet the finished plant is just so big, so complex, so lovely and often times delights my other sense like smell, taste and touch. I take deep satisfaction in a well watered, well tended garden. This brings me back to meditating on the biblical imagery of God being the master gardener of my life, this encourages me to submit to His hand of pruning, his care in weeding out the profane and worldly things that would crowd out the glorious and abundant fruit of the Kingdom to come out of my life. It reminds me that there was not a single weed in His original design, not a blemish, just beauty and provision. Every time I water a plant, I marvel that in the beginning the ground itself watered the everything perfectly. I can direct every thought to praise and worship and thanksgiving…. I pray that someday, all my thoughts will go there normally, supernaturally and consistently without my needing to direct them there so intentionally.

I am encouraged in all things to give all the glory, all the praise, all the credit to my Lord and marvel especially at the immense mercy, grace, wisdom, ability to look at the diamond in the rough and see the gleeming jewel of His finished work, to see past the goopey mess of the sin that entered in at my conception and see only the pure and glorious beauty of His design. Every gift and talent I have is a gift from My creator. May I live every every day in praise and wonder at His Goodness towards me. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray with my whole being.

http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/brag

“BRAG, verb intransitive [Eng. to brag ]

To boast; to display one’s actions, merits or advantages ostentatiously; to tell boastful stories; followed by of; as, to brag of a good horse, or of a feat.

To brag on is vulgar; indeed the word itself is become low, and is not to be used in elegant composition.

BRAG, noun A boast, or boasting; ostentatious verbal display of one’s deeds, or advantages; the thing boasted.

Spenser has used this word as an adverb for proudly.

Boast

---

“BOAST, verb intransitive [Gr. to inflate; Latin fastus.]

1. To brag, or vaunt one’s self; to make an ostentatious display, in speech, of one’s own worth, property, or actions.

2. To glory; to speak with laudable pride and ostentation of meritorious persons or things.

I boast of you to them of Macedonia. St. Paul. 2. Cor.9.

Usually, it is followed by of; sometimes by in.

3. To exalt one’s self.

With your mouth you have boasted against me. Ezek.

BOAST, verb transitive To display in ostentatious language; to speak of with pride, vanity or exultation, with a view to self-commendation.

Lest men should boast their specious deeds.

1. Magnify or exalt.

They boast themselves in the multitude of their riches. Psalms 49:6.

2. To exult in confident expectation.

BOAST not thyself of tomorrow. Proverbs 27:1.

BOAST, noun Expression of ostentation, pride or vanity; a vaunting.

Thou makest thy boast of the law. Romans 2:17

1. The cause of boasting; occasion of pride, vanity, or laudable exultation.

Trial by peers is the boast of the British nation.”

15.God Protects and Rescues Us from Evil and our Enemies

1 John 3:8  “But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.”

(Jesus came to destroy Satan’s work),

Colossians 1:12-14 “always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.  For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,  who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” 

Deuteronomy 33:29 “How blessed you are, O Israel! Who else is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your protecting shield and your triumphant sword! Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will stomp on their backs!”

Hosea 1:7 “But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the Lord their God.”

Isaiah 49:25 “The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children.”

Joshua 21:43-45 “So the Lord gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies. Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.”

Matthew 15:13 “But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.”

Psalm 3:5-6 “I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me. I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.”

Psalm7:10-11 “You who love the Lord, hate evil!  He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.”

Psalm 34:15-20 “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.  The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!”

Psalm 50:14-15 “Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

Psalm 54:1-7 “Come with great power, O God, and rescue me! Defend me with your might. Listen to my prayer, O God. Pay attention to my plea. For strangers are attacking me; violent people are trying to kill me.  They care nothing for God. But God is my helper.  The Lord keeps me alive! May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them.  I will sacrifice a voluntary offering to you; I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good. For you have rescued me from my troubles and helped me to triumph over my enemies.”

Psalm 56:9 “My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!”

Psalm 86:12-13 “With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death.”

Psalm 91:3 “Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.”

Psalm 91:9-10 “Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,  No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;”

Psalm 94:12-15 “Joyful are those you discipline, Lord, those you teach with your instructions. You give them relief from troubled times until a pit is dug to capture the wicked. The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession. Judgment will again be founded on justice, and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.”

Psalm 102:19-20 “For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;  From heaven the LORD viewed the earth,  To hear the groaning of the prisoner,  To release those appointed to death,”

Psalm 103:4 “He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.”

Psalm 116:3-8 “Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me.  I saw only trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Please, Lord, save me!” How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me. Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.”

Romans 8:31 “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?  If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

Reminder:  God is supreme over all

Zechariah 10:11  “They will pass safely through the sea of distress, for the waves of the sea will be held back, and the waters of the Nile will dry up. The pride of Assyria will be crushed, and the rule of Egypt will end.”

2 Samuel 14:5-17 “What’s the trouble?” the king asked. “Alas, I am a widow!” she replied. “My husband is dead.  My two sons had a fight out in the field. And since no one was there to stop it, one of them was killed.  Now the rest of the family is demanding, ‘Let us have your son. We will execute him for murdering his brother. He doesn’t deserve to inherit his family’s property.’ They want to extinguish the only coal I have left, and my husband’s name and family will disappear from the face of the earth.”  “Leave it to me,” the king told her. “Go home, and I’ll see to it that no one touches him.” “Oh, thank you, my lord the king,” the woman from Tekoa replied. “If you are criticized for helping me, let the blame fall on me and on my father’s house, and let the king and his throne be innocent.” “If anyone objects,” the king said, “bring him to me. I can assure you he will never complain again!” Then she said, “Please swear to me by the Lord your God that you won’t let anyone take vengeance against my son. I want no more bloodshed.” “As surely as the Lord lives,” he replied, “not a hair on your son’s head will be disturbed!”  “Please allow me to ask one more thing of my lord the king,” she said.“Go ahead and speak,” he responded. She replied, “Why don’t you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me? You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused to bring home your own banished son.  All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.  “I have come to plead with my lord the king because people have threatened me. I said to myself, ‘Perhaps the king will listen to me and rescue us from those who would cut us off from the inheritance God has given us.  Yes, my lord the king will give us peace of mind again.’ I know that you are like an angel of God in discerning good from evil.  May the Lord your God be with you.”

2 Samuel 22:17-20 “He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.”

2 Samuel 22:30-31 “In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.  “God’s way is perfect.  All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.”

2 Thessalonians 3:16”Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.”

2 Timothy 4:18 “Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.”

Hebrews 11:35-40 “But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.  Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons.  Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.  All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.  For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.”

Hebrews 6:19-19 “So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.  This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.”

Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”

Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.  Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.   I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” 

Isaiah 50:7 “For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed. “

James 1:17-18 “Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”

Jeremiah 1:12 “And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans.”

Lamentations 3:23 “Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

Proverbs 10:24 “The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled; the hopes of the godly will be granted.”

Psalm 18:30-36 “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.  He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is God except the Lord?  Who but our God is a solid rock? God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow. You have given me your shield of victory.  Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.”

Psalm 25:3 “No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.”

Psalm 72:12-14 “For He delivers the needy when he calls out, the poor also and him who has no helper. He will have pity on the poor and weak and needy and will save the lives of the needy. He will redeem their lives from oppression and fraud and violence, and precious and costly shall their blood be in His sight.” [Amplified Bible]

Psalm 89:35 “I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness I cannot lie:”

Romans 3:4 “Of course not! Though everyone else is a liar, God is true.”

Titus 1:2 “This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began. “

2 Kings 8:19 “But the Lord did not want to destroy Judah, for he had made a covenant with David and promised that his descendants would continue to rule, shining like a lamp forever.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honour.  Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.  God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.”

2 Timothy 2:13

NLT “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.”

Amplified “If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.”

6. Sin can prevent healing

Hosea 7:1 “I want to heal Israel, but its sins are too great.  Samaria is filled with liars. Thieves are on the inside and bandits on the outside!”

7.________________________________________________________________________

Eyes to See and Ears to Hear and the Ability to understand

Verses about the circumcision of the flesh (ears, heart )

Galatians 5:19-22

What causes spiritual blindness

Traditions of man

Fear of man

Believing the witness of our physical senses over the Word of God

Take Home Suggestions:

• Meditate on and read Psalm 139 or Ephesians 3:17-19 often

Romans 2:14-16Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. ¹⁵ They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. ¹⁶ And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

John 1:16 “From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.”

Matthew 5:45 “In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”

Psalm 145:9 “The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.”

Ephesians 1:5 “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. “

Ephesians 3:8 “Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.”

Galatians 3:29 “And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.”

Genesis 17:7 ““I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”

Galatians 4:7 “Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.”