amallory54

Forgive

Colossians 2:6-7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

I hope that all of you had a good Thanksgiving holiday. There were, as always, those who didn’t have Thursday past off, thinking nurses, doctors, law enforcement officers, paramedics, EMT’s, firefighters, our military personnel, especially those serving overseas, dispatchers, those that serve as someone to help others that might call to a suicide hotline for help.

This is an especially difficult time of the year for many people. Reflection into our past starts at this time, and usually, our adversary brings out only the difficult times. The devil would have us remember the arguments and disagreements we have had, especially with family members. Many of those still an open wound. Forgiveness can be a huge struggle!

Studies on forgiveness show that practicing forgiveness can improve our mental and physical health. When we feel we have been lied to, betrayed, and just been used by someone we want revenge. And revenge is a choice! We choose to take that road, it leads to greater problems with anger and thoughts of when and how we will “get even”. It is a vicious circle, and the devil is only too pleased to remind us as to how we have been abused!

Please remember, forgiveness is also a choice! We find that, even as Christians, forgiveness is not easy, yet we are told in Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I (Jesus) say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

It is not in our DNA to forgive. It is not in our hearts to pray for people that spitefully use us and persecute us. But we MUST forgive others if we want to be forgiven by the Lord. Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. We have the choice of forgiving and being forgiven or continuing down the same road into bitterness and revenge. Choose life! Choose forgiveness!

The following verses found in Proverbs 25:21-22 have always been puzzling to me. If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you. So far this has been the best interpretation I have found: ‘As metals are melted by placing fiery coals on the metal, so is the heart of an enemy softened by such kindness.’

As this Christmas season is at hand seek the Lord and He will meet you at your point of need!

Contrast these two verses found in Proverbs 25:28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls. Spiritually speaking broken walls to our heart are open to evil thoughts and temptations. Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

I pray this week that you will choose to forgive and in turn, maybe for the first time feel the release as God forgives you! 2 Corinthians 3:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Have a blessed Sunday and make it a great week!

Matthew 5:21-26 You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” Will be liable to the hell of fire.

Remembering 9/11

Psalm 27:11 Teach me how to live. O Lord, lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.

Tuesday 8:45 AM September 11, 2001 a clear fall morning in NYC. Prior to that time everyone was going about their daily jobs, office workers, police officers, paramedics, pilots, passengers and firefighters, seemingly just another day.

Then disaster struck as nineteen hijackers flew two planes into the twin towers, a third plane into the Pentagon and a fourth crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In a short time almost 3,000 people were killed. Psalm 35:15 But they are glad now that I am in trouble; they gleefully join together against me. I am attacked by people I don’t even know; they slander me constantly. 

These attacks targeted our civilian population, our financial markets and our military. 

Psalm 17:11 Evil people are eager for rebellion, but they will be severely punished.

At World Trade Center 343 firefighters and paramedics died. NYC police department lost 23 officers and the Port Authority lost 37 officers.

At the Pentagon 125 military and civilians died along with all 64 passengers on the plane.

Flight 93 crashed killing all 44 people on board. It is believed the hijackers were attacked by the passengers, probably keeping the plane from its intended target. People from 78 countries died in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. 

Almost 2,000 more first responders and other people have died since 2001 from cancer and other diseases caused by the smoke, dust and other contaminants. It is estimated that by 2021 that more people will have died from cancer than died directly in the attacks. The number of people that are still living with horrific burns and PTSD are difficult to determine. I read that a single persons death directly affects 40 other people. Countless kids without their mothers or fathers, brothers or sisters. Kids that were born  in that time frame are now 18 years old. 

The above are more than just numbers on a page, they represent real people who had families and plans for their lives. What kind of people were lost? Future doctors, firefighters, police officers, military minds, in other words people we needed, people their families needed.

As you head out to work or school in the morning remember how fragile life is. Take time to say I love you and linger a little longer in that embrace! Psalm 112:6 Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will long be remembered.

David and…………..Joseph

Acts 13:22 “After removing Saul, He made David their king. He testified concerning him; I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.”

You and I, all who care to may read about the life, trials and triumphs of king David. Many of the trials he brought upon himself. Our lives are no different than David’s in many ways. Many of the trials in life we bring upon ourselves. Trials, struggles, disappointments and suffering were part of David’s life and ours as well. Do not take this wrong as there are good things to be taken from most  who bring a message to people, such as television/radio evangelists, however the Lord does not promise us a life of riches, nor does He promise that there will not be trials and suffering. What He does promise is that He will never leave us nor forsake us if we are His. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The accomplishments of David were many, I will list some of those here, not in any particular order.

2 Samuel 5:3-5 So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of 

Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. He reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years. 2 Samuel 5:17-25  David conquers the Philistines We read in these scriptures that the Philistines arrived and were ready to battle David. He asks the Lord, “Should I go out and fight the Philistines? Will You deliver them to me?” The Lord told him to go ahead, He will deliver them to David. After David had defeated them he gave the Lord all the glory! Later the Philistines returned to the same valley and were ready to fight David again. 

The Philistines spread out across the valley of Rephaim ( giants,Rephaim) . David asked the Lord what to do. This could have been the Lord testing David, to see if he really was a man after God’s own heart. The Lord told David to not attack them straight on but to circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. David did as he was told. The result was God moved ahead of David to strike down the Philistines. 

David moved the ark to Jerusalem after he captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites, he called it the City of David.

David, beside these accomplishments, had sin in his life. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband Uriah killed in battle. The Lord told David, thru Nathan the prophet, that because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. The child died after seven days. Psalm 51:4 David tells the Lord: Against You, You only have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight, that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. 

We must understand that not only does God see the result of our sin, He knows the sin in our hearts that caused the sin. Even though He forgives we still must face the consequences of our sin. In Psalm 51:10 David asks the Lord to create in him a clean heart, O God, and renew a right (firmly established, enduring) spirit within him. We should also ask our God for a renewed spirit and a constant, firmly established spirit as well. It is up to us to read and study His word, the Bible. We are not to go back to the things we have been delivered from. Galatians 2:18 For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. We are not to be double-minded. James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. 

I hope you have learned as much as I have about David and Joseph these several weeks! One last bit of information, the only one the Bible talks more about than David was Jesus!

Psalm 9:1-2 I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High!

Have a blessed Sunday and make it a great week!

Romans 1:28 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.

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Good read

Proverbs 14:2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is devious in his ways despises Him.

https://townhall-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/townhall.com/columnists/johnrlottjr/2019/04/15/the-second-amendment-stories-the-national-media-fail-to-reportor-get-completely-wrong-n2544777?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&amp=true#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Ftownhall.com%2Fcolumnists%2Fjohnrlottjr%2F2019%2F04%2F15%2Fthe-second-amendment-stories-the-national-media-fail-to-reportor-get-completely-wrong-n2544777

https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/politicians-just-planned-a-major-attack-on-the-2nd-amendment/

Well its Sunday morning, I thought I would give myself a sermon. You can follow along if you like.
Sowing and reaping, most of us know the scripture that says if we sow bountifully we will reap bountifully and if we reap sparingly we will reap sparingly. If we sow wheat we will reap wheat, if we sow a lot of wheat we reap a lot of wheat. If we sow little we will reap a little. If we sow weeds we will reap weeds. Now, lets look at this from a spiritual view. If we sow confusion we will reap confusion (lets remember, God is not a God of confusion) If we sow discord in other peoples lives we will reap discord in ours. Need to be forgiven? Sow some forgiveness. If we sow love we will receive love. The whole world is in turmoil, why should we add to that turmoil? We need to live up to Gods word if we call Him our Savior. This week I’m going to to try my best to filter everything thru the Bible! Sow some kindness this week!