Think Before You Speak

Think Before You Speak

‘Think before you speak.’ I have been saying this to myself a great deal lately. Not because I have been saying anything that is necessarily bad or wrong; I’ve just been talking too much and sometimes focused on the wrong thing. The Holy Spirit of God has been dealing with me about this.

I have found myself saying things to:

• Be witty; although I had the opportunity to share Godly wisdom
• Get people laughing; when I should have been shining as a light for God’s glory
• Entertain; rather than engaging the hearts and minds of others with the Good News of Jesus Christ

I have always used humor as a way to break down barriers and facilitate discussion. And to some degree, this has been effective and useful. Yet even as I grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I have found myself doing this more and more in social settings, at work, and even at church.

When my words and/or attempts at humor become excessive, I am bringing attention to myself rather than pointing others to the Lord. The Bible has a lot to say about talking too much. Here are few examples:

• Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.
• When you talk too much, pride, self-centeredness, ego, bragging, etc. are often at the center or your words. Withholding your words can be a sign of wisdom.
• Ecclesiastes 5:3 For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.
• Achieving a goal takes hard work; but some would rather talk than work.
• Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
• Even with God it is possible to talk before you think: prayers where you uselessly and/or endlessly repeat the same thing over and over without conviction or meaning; trying to make a ‘deal’ with God; hastily making a vow/commitment to God; praying for something that is inappropriate…
• Also see Proverbs 15:2, Psalm 37:30, James 1:19, James 1:26, and many other verses.

The Bible also provides examples of when the wrong focus caused someone to speak before they carefully considered what they were saying.

Peter

What was Peter focused on when Jesus spoke of His upcoming death and resurrection?

• Matthew 16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
• Peter had just proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:13-16).
• Could he have been more focused on his expectations of Jesus rather than what Jesus was saying to him.
• Jesus’ response reveals the danger of not stopping to think before you speak – Peter received a very sharp rebuke from Jesus.
• Matthew 16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Jephthah

What was Jephthah focused on when he rashly made a vow to God?

• Judges 11:30-31 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”
• Although years earlier Jephthah had been driven away by the elders of his people, now he was being promised the position of leadership over all the people of Gilead if he could lead them to victory in war (Judges 11:1-10).
• Could Jephthah have been more focused on his possible rise to power rather than honoring God in the battle to save the Gileadites?
• Because he spoke his vow without stopping to think, although he won the battle, Jephthah lost his only child.
• Judges 11:34-35 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot go back on it.”

Being overly focused on humor is just one of many possible contributors to not thinking before you speak. Are you prone to any of the following?

• Trying to sound smart?
• Wanting to come across as tough/indifferent?
• Focused more on making a point rather than listening?
• Trying to sound ‘religious’?
• Gossip/rumors?
• Attempting to make yourself look good by criticizing others?
• Other items not listed here?

What could these or similar tendencies indicate about who and what you are focused on?  Whoever you are talking to, Think Before You Speak!

• Ecclesiastes 5:2 Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.
• Proverbs 21:23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles.
• Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
• Matthew 12:36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

There is an appropriate time to every purpose under heaven. Let your words reflect a clear understanding of this truth.

• Ecclesiastes 3:4-5
• A time to weep,
  And a time to laugh;
  A time to mourn,
  And a time to dance;
  5 A time to cast away stones,
  And a time to gather stones;
  A time to embrace,
  And a time to refrain from embracing;

Prayer

Father, I confess that I am sometimes focused on the wrong thing and that I often talk before I think. Please Father, help me yield to the convicting work of Your Holy Spirit in my life. I long to bring honor to You. Whether it is a time for laughing or a time for crying, a time to be serious or a time to relax, help me and all who have surrendered to Jesus honor you with all we say and do. And please Lord, draw many to You for salvation in Jesus Christ. I pray all this in His precious name, Amen.

Overcomers

Overcomers

In verse 37 of Romans Chapter 8, Paul declares, ‘Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.’ Praise God! Christians are equipped and empowered to do, be and accomplish what God has ordained. In Jesus, no power, person or phenomenon can separate us from the love of God and all that His love means for our lives (Romans 8:38-39). In Christ, we are overcomers!

Being an overcomer is a reality we must embrace to experience. There are always doubts, hurdles and impossibilities that stand in the way of achieving what God has gifted and called us to do. But as overcomers, we must press on in obedience regardless of how and what we or others feel, observe or think. To live like the overcomers we are, we must move forward in faith; even when everything else is screaming at us to stop where we are.

We fulfill our call to be overcomers because of who lives in of us.

• John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
• Ephesians 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
• Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

But we can fall short of our call to be overcomers because of things external to us. Here are some common barriers to living as overcomers.

• Concerns raised can initiate invalid Opinions
• Constraints recognized can intensify impenetrable Obstacles
• Calculations rendered can imply impossible Odds

Diligent, obedient and faithful servants of God break through these barriers in His strength for His glory.

Opinions – Joseph

Is God glorified when concerns cause us to question what God has called us to do? No.

• Genesis 37:8 And his brothers said to him, “Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
• At seventeen years old, Joseph’s understanding of what His dreams foretold was limited at best. But his brothers had very strong opinions; to them, Joseph’s dreams validated their hate – not only was he their father’s favorite son, but now they viewed him as arrogant.
• Yet despite being sold into slavery by his brothers, and being thrown into prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Joseph honored and obeyed the Lord through his actions and decisions. Many years passed before Joseph’s family saw the fulfillment of God’s plan; Joseph ruled over Egypt, second only to Pharaoh, and not only saved his family, but also all the people of the land.
• Joseph was an Overcomer!

Obstacles – Moses

Is God glorified when constraints cause us to avoid what God has ordained? No.

• Exodus 14:11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt?
• Soon after being delivered from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites found themselves trapped – Pharaoh and his army approaching from one side and the Red Sea on the other. All the Israelites could see was the obstacle that blocked their escape – in horror they longed to return to Egypt and run from the destiny God had ordained for them.
• But God was faithful and Moses was obedient; the Lord miraculously parted the Red Sea and created a safe passage for His chosen people to escape. Moses led the people as they left behind hundreds of years of slavery and moved forward towards the fulfilment of God’s covenant with Abraham.
• Moses was an Overcomer!

Odds – Gideon

Is God glorified when calculations cause us to doubt what God can do? No.

• Judges 7:2 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
• 300 against 135,00; what chance could these Israelites have in a battle against the Midianites? Do the math – no matter how smart, no matter how strong, no matter how experienced in battle, the 300 soldiers of Israel could not win this battle.
• Well, that’s exactly the point. Using Gideon, the least in his father’s house, from the weakest clan in his tribe, as only He could do, God brought victory and freedom from oppression despite impossible odds.
• Gideon was an Overcomer!

When we believe God and obey Him,

we fulfill our call to be Overcomers!

Consider what happened when Moses sent men to spy out Canaan – ten of the twelve spies he sent did not overcome the barriers listed above. As a result, the Nation of Israel did not enter the Promised Land at that time and were made to wander in the desert for forty years

• Number 13:27-28 Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.
• Opinions – ‘the people who dwell in the land are strong’
• They felt that the people of the land were too strong to overcome. They did not trust and obey God.
• Obstacles – ‘the cities are fortified and very large’
• They observed that the fortified cities could not be breached. They did not trust and obey God.
• Odds – ‘moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there’
• They determined that they couldn’t win in a battle against giants. They did not trust and obey God.

But forty years later, Joshua, a faithful and obedient servant of God, led the Israelites into the Promised Land and on to victory.

• Joshua 1:8-9 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
• Joshua heeded God’s Word and embraced the instructions and encouragement he received from God. Joshua trusted and obeyed God.
• Joshua was an Overcomer!

Christians are Overcomers!

But do we live like it?

Prayer

Faithful Father, so often I fail to embrace the reality that in Christ Jesus I am an overcomer. I am guilty of letting doubts, fears and perceived impossibilities stand in the way of victory in the things You have called me to do. Please forgive me. Please help me to trust and obey. Bless Your people and help us all to live as the overcomers You made us in Jesus. May the truth of Your Word draw many lost to salvation in Jesus. For it is in His precious name that I pray. Amen.

LORD

LORD

LORD – Jehovah, Yahweh, YHWH, ‘He Is’, ‘I Am’; the formal name of God. The LORD is the eternal, self-existent, all knowing, all powerful, never changing, ever present creator and sovereign ruler of the universe; the author of the Holy Bible; the architect of our redemption and eternal life in Heaven with Him; the standard of what is good, right and just; the ultimate judge of every living soul; gracious; merciful; perfect…

Because He is infinite and immaculate, and we are finite and flawed, any attempt to fully describe or completely understand the LORD falls immeasurably short. We can’t fully know Him now, but we can know what He has revealed of Himself through His Creation, His Works and His Word; and we can have a personal relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ.

The LORD is my Lord (Jehovah is Adonai) – He is my master, owner, sovereign. I have surrendered all that I am to all that He Is. I recognize Him as the only true God and as the Savior of my soul. Because of His grace and the shed blood of His Son, Jesus, to pay my sin debt, I will spend eternity in Heaven praising, serving and learning about Him.

Jehovah is:

The LORD of Eternity

• Psalm 90:1-2 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
• Jehovah and Jesus have existed from eternity past and will exist forever!
• Colossians 1:15-17 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

The LORD of Truth

• Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
• Jesus is the personification of Jehovah’s truth!
• John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The LORD of Life

• Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
• Jesus gave His life to satisfy Jehovah’s wrath against our sin so that we can have eternal life.
• John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The LORD of Love

• Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
• Jesus is the perfect expression of God’s love.
• Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The LORD of Hope

• Jeremiah 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.
• The hope of Jehovah is in Jesus Christ.
• 1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,

The LORD of All

• Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
• There is no end to the reign of Jehovah and Jesus. They sovereignly rule over all things for all time.
• Acts 10:36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—

I also included verses about Jesus under the headings above because Jesus Christ is the human incarnation of the LORD God; He is God in the flesh.

• Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
• John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
• John 14:9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
• Colossians 2:9-10 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

If you don’t know Jehovah, there is only One way to Him, through Jesus Christ, Jehovah’s one of a kind/unique Son.

• Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Here are a few verses from the Book of Romans in the New Testament that explain the truth about sin, its consequences, and God’s means of dealing with it.

• Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
• Every person falls short of God’s standards (everybody sins).
• Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Sin results in separation from God (death). But God loves us so much, He made a way for us to be in right relationship with Him (which is eternal life).
• Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• God doesn’t ask us to clean ourselves up (He knows we can’t). He sent Christ (the human incarnation of God) to pay our sin debt by dying on a cross – shedding His precious blood to satisfy God’s wrath against sin. Now that is love in action.
• Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
• Accept the truth of this good news and surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Believe it, accept it, act on it – talk to God right now. Tell Him you believe the truth about Jesus. Ask Him to save you from the punishment of sin.

Without a right relationship

with Jehovah through Jesus,

You will be separated from God forever

in a place call Hell.

Search Your Heart. 

Ask God to reveal Himself to you now.

Today is the day of salvation!

Prayer

Loving Father – draw many of the lost to hear and respond to the truth about You, about Jesus, about sin, about Hell, about Heaven. Only you can bring life to those who are dead in their sin – please bring many to know You through Jesus. I pray in Your Son’s name. Amen.

Give Me Understanding

Give Me Understanding

Understanding God’s Word is a journey of discovery. As we travel with Him, we gain more and more insight into His character, truths, expectations, purposes and plans. And the more we understand about God, the more we understand about ourselves and others. But this journey of discovery is not a mental exercise – it is a process of transformation and application. As we learn and grow, we become and do.

Knowledge of God is a gift from God. Understanding of God is enabled by God. It is prideful to suggest or believe that our understanding of God is achieved through our own intelligence or ability. The realities of God are beyond our human nature. Without the Holy Spirit of God, we are incapable of grasping and applying the spiritual truths of God.

A Need

• 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
• Human effort alone will never lead to the uncovering of spiritual truth. The gift of understanding is enabled by the power and presence of God’s Holy Spirit. Don’t give into the lie that you are smart enough to figure out God. He reveals Himself to you as you diligently and humbly seek Him.

A Promise

• James 1:5-6 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
• Understanding and application of God’s truths are not limited to a select few. God has promised that He will generously and graciously grant wisdom to all those who love Him and ask Him for it; but this promise is conditional – you must truly believe and trust that God will grant what He has promised in order to receive it.

King Solomon is a great example of these truths.

• 1 Kings 3:9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
• After making a sacrifice to God, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked him, ‘What shall I give you?’ Solomon, recognizing his own limitations, asked in faith for God to give him understanding. And not only did he ask in faith, but he asked with the right motivation (because he wanted the ability to effectively serve God and lead God’s people).
• 1 Kings 3:11-12 Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.
• God was faithful and honored Solomon’s request; He gave him a wise and understanding heart.

There are five verses in Psalm 119 where the writer asks God for understanding. Examining the motives of these requests reveals some of the blessings and responsibilities that accompany God-given understanding.

Understanding Leads to Diligence

• Psalm 119:34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
• We pay attention to what we understand. We heed the warnings and believe the promises. We respect the boundaries and acknowledge the responsibilities. We fulfill the obligations, realize the benefits and honor the One who establishes the standards.

Understanding Leads to Ownership

• Psalm 119:73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
• Once you understand something, no one can take that from you – you own it! Ownership brings responsibility. Our Heavenly Father expects us to responsibly apply what we understand about Him – for His glory and the benefit of others.

Understanding Leads to Accountability

• Psalm 119:125 I am Your servant; Give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies.
• God knows our hearts and minds. There is no denying what we understand – we can’t claim ignorance. We are slaves to the truth whether we acknowledge that or not. We are all slaves of something – what better Master could we hope for? His gift of understanding makes us His servants.

Understanding Leads to Relationship

• Psalm 119:144 The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding, and I shall live.
• Everyone has a relationship with God, they are either serving Him or rebelling against Him. God longs to be in a right relationship with every person He has created. Understanding of God opens the door to right relationship with Him.

Understanding Leads to Perspective

• Psalm 119:169 Let my cry come before You, O Lord; Give me understanding according to Your word.
• There is no limit to the application of God’s eternal truths. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, understanding God helps us to see and appreciate the bigger picture of His love, desires and intentions.

I pray that these final verses will help stimulate your desire to understand and serve our loving, gracious, merciful Father.

• 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
• 1 Corinthians 12:7-8 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
• James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

Prayer

Father God, please give us understanding; Godly understanding that enables a life that honors You. Teach us, change us, mold us and guide us. Empty us of pride, grant us Your wisdom, open our eyes to Your ways. I pray that Godly understanding will transform lives. I pray to You Father in the name of Your Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Real Change

Real Change

I understand why Christians advocate for and participate in the processes of establishing laws and societal norms that honor our Heavenly Father; followers of Jesus long to live in a world that values, respects and conforms with Biblical principles and standards. But as noble as some of these efforts are, I believe many in the church of Jesus Christ are overly focused on these strategies to transform our culture.

Consider the following statements:

• You can’t change a person’s behavior by judging them.
• You can’t force another person to adopt your way of thinking.
• You can’t legislate what a person believes.

Are we, light bearers in a dark world, hoping to create a utopian society where everyone pretends to be something they aren’t. Certainly not. If that were true, the church would be nothing more than a hypocrite making machine.

Thankfully, we serve a wise and loving God. Jesus gave clear instructions regarding our primary purpose:

• Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

As tools in our Maker’s hands, we are to go throughout the world teaching (sharing and demonstrating) the truth and love of Jesus Christ and the gospel message. Some plant, some water, but only God can give life to that which is dead.

• 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
• Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Real Change starts on the inside. Externally motivated change, at its best is temporary, at its worst is insincere. The Bible contains many examples that demonstrate this reality. Here are just a few.

Rules without relationship breed rebellion.

• Judges 3:7 So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs.
• The Law in Israel was initiated and established by God through Moses; but the Jews still rebelled against it. The Jews didn’t have a sincere relationship with the Lord; it showed in their lifestyles and decisions.

A person’s thought life is determined by their spiritual condition.

• Romans 8:5-6 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
• What we think about is a reflection of who we are – children of God or enemies of God. Without the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, the desires of the flesh rule the mind and heart.

Public behavior doesn’t equate to personal belief.

• Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
• The religious leaders of Jesus’ time were as legalistically compliant with the Law as they could be; but many of them had hearts of stone. External compliance is not always a sign of internal conviction.

So, as much as I appreciate the valiant efforts of those engaged in the political, legal and social arenas to represent and advocate for Biblical values, I pray that as followers of Jesus, we never forget that Real Change can only be achieved when the individuals who make up our society experience new life and new thinking in Jesus Christ.

• Colossians 3:1-2 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
• Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
• Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?
• Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
• John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord,

my strength and my Redeemer.

Prayer

Father, may Psalm 19:14 become the prayer and desire of all who have and will believe on Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We look forward to the day we are free from sin and sorrow in Heaven with You. Have mercy on us all. In Jesus precious name I pray for the salvation of the lost. Amen.