Into the Shadows

1 Kings 17:2-6 2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there. 5 So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; …

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Psalm 57

57 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. 2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. 3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. 4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of …

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Beloved

“Who am I? Sometimes you forget. You get rejected and deeply wounded. You stumble. You lose your way. You fall into trouble. You sit in isolation- invisible-you wonder if you matter. You feel trapped with no hope. You get confused. You wonder if you are enough and become a slave to the approval of others. Have you forgotten whose you are? No matter how far you’ve run. No matter what you’ve done. No matter how lost or confused your journey has become. No matter how dark it seems right now. No matter where you’ve been. You are God’s beloved. Over …

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The Non-Canonical Jewish writings Spoke of a Mother of Messiah and His Suffering

What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit [is there] of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.        Romans 3:1-2; Paul of Tarsus Cir. A.D. 57 God chose to bring His message to the world through the Jews. As the apostle Paul so aptly stated, “to them God entrusted His oracles.” These oracles are God’s infallible authority and guide for life and revelation of His program for all of creation.    Even though God gave it to them they took it for granted and turned aside from the Holy One who had chosen them …

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Implicit Trust

“For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in Me, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 39:18). Behold the protecting power of trust in God. The great men of Jerusalem fell by the sword, but poor Ebed-melech was secure, for his confidence was in Jehovah. Where else should a man trust but in his Maker? We are foolish when we prefer the creature to the Creator. Oh, that we could in all things live by faith, then should we be delivered …

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When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.” Psalm 56:9

It is impossible for any human speech to express the full meaning of this delightful phrase, “God is for me.” He was “for us” before the worlds were made; he was “for us,” or he would not have given his well-beloved son; he was “for us” when he smote the Only-begotten, and laid the full weight of his wrath upon him –he was “for us,” though he was against him; he was “for us,” when we were ruined in the fall–he loved us notwithstanding all; he was “for us,” when we were rebels against him, and with a high hand …

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Reflecting on God’s Faithfulness

Sometimes the best way to strengthen trust in God is remembering times He’s been faithful in the past. Lamentations 3:22-23 22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Our heavenly Father is always faithful to keep His promises. We can be certain of this because He made them based upon His unchanging character and His Son Jesus Christ. (See Heb. 6:13-14.) Many times over the years, I have been the beneficiary of God’s faithfulness to His Word. For example, Romans 10:13 …

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From Hurt to Usefulness

1 Kings 17:2-6 2 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 3 “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. 4 Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.” 5 So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. As we read those words and try to imagine the original setting, we begin to see …

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Crowder – Come As You Are (Music Video)

“Hey you, the one wondering if you’re enough, if you’d be loved if anyone really knew you?   Turn your heart this way for a moment, then lean in and listen close: Acceptance? You’ve got it. You don’t have to look any further than the hands of the One who made you, the heart of the One who loves you. You’re welcomed, held, cherished just as you are and encouraged to grow into all you’ll become. So hold your heart and head high; look the world in the eyes and say ‘I’m His. I am loved. I’m already accepted today.’” …

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False Shepherds In Israel and The Church

The Role of The shepherd In chapter 34 of the book of Ezekiel God is using a familiar illustration of the “shepherd” and his “sheep” to describe the leaders and the people of the Nation Israel. The Bible frequently uses this terminology to refer to the spiritual leaders with responsibility over a group of people (Psalm 78:70-72; Isaiah 44:28; 63:11; Jeremiah 23:1-4; 25:34-38). Their primary role was to guard the nation like a shepherd would guard his flock. Every society needs a recognized and well-ordered leadership for its own safeguard and prosperity. God chose elders, priests, kings and prophets to …

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Cut Down to Size

Cut Down to Size 1 Kings 17:2-6 2 And the word of the Lord came to him: 3 “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, …

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The Trap of Discouragement

The circumstances that trigger despair may be unavoidable, but how we respond is a choice Habakkuk 1:2 2 O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Do you ever feel stuck in discouragement? If so, you are not alone. At some point, everyone experiences dashed hopes. Disappointment—an emotional response to a failed expectation—is the normal initial reaction. But allowed to linger, it can turn into discouragement, which hovers like a dense cloud. When that’s the case, there is no sense of joy or contentment, …

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His Word Is Final

1 Kings 17:1 17 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. God keeps His promises. It’s a major part of His immutable nature. He doesn’t hold out hope with nice-sounding words, then renege on what He said He would do. God is neither fickle nor moody. And He never lies. As my own father used to say of people with integrity, “His word is His bond.” When you …

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AT THE HEART OF THE MATTER How the Crucifixion Saves Us

The crucifixion was an event that can never be duplicated and will never need to be repeated   By Charles F Stanley The cross is the heart of the Christian life. The crucifixion is the divine transaction that saves us. Only the blood of Christ can cleanse us from sin and reconcile us to the Father. Although the Jews and the Romans viewed the crucifixion as the execution of a criminal, God saw it as the perfect atoning sacrifice that allowed Him to justify sinful mankind. Christ’s sacrifice surpassed all the previous sacrifices (Heb. 9:24-26). The Old Testament priests entered …

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