Author: Pastor Howie

David had plans to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem that didn’t go as planned because he didn’t follow God’s instructions on how to transport it. Three months later he obeyed God’s instructions and was able to bring the Ark to rest in Jerusalem. It was a joyous occasion in which David gave a song to Israel to sing in thanks for all God had done for them and would continue to do. In the passage they were to give thanks for God’s character, they were to give thanks for God’s covenant, and they were to give thanks among God’s creation. It’s a reminder to us to give thanks to God because He is great and greatly to be praised.

What are you thankful for? Our text and message help us to see that a truly thankful heart begins with being Spirit-filled. A thankful heart blesses others. A thankful heart belongs to God Himself. Every day is a day in which to give thanks. Add psalms, hymns and spiritual songs and make melody in your heart to the Lord. You will see your mood change.

To some, the account of Jonah seems rather fishy. However, it is an historical event. The book shows us God’s ongoing compassion for all people as well as revealing how much we are like Jonah. We want to restrict God’s compassion, mercy and forgiveness to those we think are deserving and hope that God will pour out His wrath on those who are undeserving of His love. Yet God is the God of patience who eagerly desires and waits for all people to have the opportunity to hear His message of grace so that they can respond by repenting and seeking His forgiveness. God wants us to demonstrate His compassion to others regardless of who they are because He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

How often do you make plans that get altered in some way by some unforeseen event out of your control? My guess is that happens often no matter how much we may plan. God says He has a plan for us. It’s a plan that is flawless because it’s His plan. In our text we discover that God’s plan is perfect, His purpose is perfect, and His promises are perfect. Because of that, we can fully trust Him with whatever might happen, even if or when His plan for us includes some pain along the way. We can be assured that it’s for our good as we mature in our faith. If His plan is perfect and your plan is altered, whose plan ultimately is the best? Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to trust His plan. It will never lead us off course.

Have you ever faced a problem that left you in a position of not knowing what to do? Have you ever felt overwhelmed from events that cause dismay or fear? We learn from our passage that in those times when we don’t know what to do, we need to have our eyes on the Lord. We need to remember His promise that He is with us, that it is His battle and we are to look to Him in it and through; to walk by faith. And God says there is a reward waiting for those who walk by faith.

What are you going through today, friend, where you need to fix your eyes on the Lord?

In this prayer, we learn an important truth about God. He is in the business of restoration. We see time and again how Israel wandered away from God, yet when they repented He restored them to fellowship with Him. When they cried out for mercy, God’s compassion toward His people was evident. He is a faithful God. So, no matter how far you have run away from God, no matter what you have done in sinning against Him, He is faithful, just, and compassionate to forgive, to restore you.

It is important for us to understand and believe the authority of God’s Word. When it is read and our hearts are prepared to act on what it says, it will result in both confession and celebration as we see from the response of the Israelites who had returned to Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah. How is God’s Word impacting you?

What are spiritual gifts and why are they given? What is the benefit to the believer. Listen to Mr. Robert Berlin share reasons for the body of Christ and why we have been endowed with spiritual gift..

From Matthew 28:18-20, we are challenged to consider the authority which Jesus had in sending us out as His representatives in sharing the gospel. May we endeavor to proclaim His good news.

In the Old Testament we have the practice of giving laid out. In the New Testament, we have the principle of why we are to give. It also explains the purpose of our giving. It is to glorify the Lord. From what we read in the New Testament, giving is a matter of the heart. God gives us the ultimate example of what it means to give when He gave His Son as a gift to us so through Jesus, we might have eternal life. As we give with a willing, generous heart, we demonstrate the heart and character of God. Both the heart and the hand need to work in cooperation so that we actually do what we say or think we will do when it comes to giving. What is your heart like when you give? Do we give with both an open heart and hand or do we give with a closed heart and hand?