Finest of Favor

 ..And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty. 
Proverbs 22:16

Saints,

From experience, the finest of favor truly comes from helping the poor.  Yet, Jesus does not stop there, He goes a step further and calls us to love our enemies, do good and lend to them.  Not the televangelists.  

Some televangelists are awesome, while others everyday ask, ask, and keep on asking.  Reminds of the proverb The leech has two daughters— Give and Give!    Honestly, they have raped Luke 6:38. 

Luke 6:30, 32-28

Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
32 “But if you love those (televangelists) who love you, what credit (harvest) is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those (televangelists) who do good to you, what credit (harvest) is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

In Closing,

You will have the finest of favor when you help the poor and graciously love your enemies doing good and lending.  For as Jesus puts it, your reward will not only be great, but shall be manifested right before your eyes!  Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom..

the reproach shall be taken away.

Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke (reproach) of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

Saints,

Two incredible chapters to dive into are Isaiah 24 & 25.  And the good news for today is the LORD that spoke the reproach shall be taken away.  The shame and defeat shall be a thing of the past, not today nor tomorrow.  Depending on what translation you're reading, you'll discover a multitude of passages where the reproach shall be taken away.  

Colossians 1:21-22

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 

In "Closing,

A famous televangelist always says, "What's not enough to pay your bills, is enough seed-faith to plant into good ground."  Psalm 112:5 calls us to use discretion.  There are many destitute people, whether lack of food or friendship.  Use discretion and be kind.  

1 Timothy 6:18-19

Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Shout To The Lord

 Saints,

This morning I woke up to (469) Shout To The Lord - Hillsong Worship - YouTube

Out of nowhere I was singing "Nothing compares to the promises I have in you."  

In the midst of 2023 a crooked generation filled with cruelty, injustice, violence, and that's just the political arena.  I can shout to the Lord and sing out loud nothing compares to the promises I have in you!!!

Isaiah 54:1 (KJV)
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

Jesus 7 Things

 Jesus said..
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man.. Matthew 15:19-20a

Things that defile anyone are:

1. evil thoughts, 
2. murders, 
3. adulteries, 
4. fornications, 
5. thefts, 
6. false witness, 
7. blasphemies.

Now these are the things which defile a man, v. 20. Note, Sin is defiling to the soul, renders it unlovely and abominable in the eyes of a pure and holy God; unfit for communion with him, into which nothing shall enter that defileth or worketh iniquity. The mind and conscience are defiled by sin, and that makes every thing else so, Tit. 1:15.
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

Titus 1:15
To the pure all things are pure, 

but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.

1 Corinthians 10:21
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.

O Land That is Taken, Luke 6:30

 In Luke 6:30 Jesus said..
Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them NOT again.  (cf: Luke 6:38)

Precious saints,

From the Balfour Declaration to Ukraine and history around the world. In the words of Jesus: Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them NOT again.   Abraham said unto Lot, (Genesis 13:8-9) Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.  Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right...

Genesis 13:14-15 (KJV)
And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, 

Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:  For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.  

Jesus said.. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth NOT, WHERE NO THIEF APPROACHETH, NEITHER MOTH CORRUPTETH.  Luke 12:33 (KJV)

In Closing,

In the moment of great trials, challenges and tribulations.

It will be an act of faith to digest this.  Please understand treasure in the heavens is today which faileth NOT and where NO thief approaches!  

The opportunity of sharing in the sufferings of Christ comes at times we least expect it.  Do know we also share in His Resurrection Power (read Romans 8:17-19).  

O land that is taken, understand God restores better than ever!  Don't hesitate on what's taken. Invite Jesus Christ principles of restoration.  Apply Exodus 34:22-24   and have the assurance of God's Word not having to deal with covetous knuckleheads. 

Enjoy reading Luke 6:27-38

Philippians 3:9-10 (KJV) 

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

Palestine/Israel and Proverbs 26:2

 Saints,

In my jurisdiction, I'm doing OK.

Yet, what's heard from afar only brings much sadness over the oppression and deaths of children & civilians.  Whether in Palestine, Israel, China, Mexico, or anywhere.  I don't know much, but I do know Proverbs 26:2 where it states "An undeserved curse goes nowhere."  And the following commentaries that enlighten our eyes.

The folly of passion. It makes men scatter causeless curses, wishing ill to others upon presumption that they are bad and have done ill, when either they mistake the person or misunderstand the fact, or they call evil good and good evil.
from: Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Predictions that certain things will come to pass do not always happen. By the way, we have a lot of so-called prophets in our midst today. They keep telling us what is going to happen in the next few years. Some of it may come to pass, that’s true, but they are not getting their information from God—because sometimes they are wrong, and God’s prophet is never wrong (see Deut. 18:20–22).
from: J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible Commentary

..an undeserved curse being pronounced may flutter about the neighborhood for a season and then disappear. The curse uttered against an innocent person will have no effect. It will return to those who uttered it.
from: Finis Jennings Dake, The Dake Annotated Reference Bible 

In Closing,

In 2016, I preached a 5 week message on the Blessings of Passover, what's so dear is Exodus 34:22-24.  It's a covenant of God's divine care wrapped with His presence, well, nothing like His presence of assurance.  The peace that surpasses all understanding.  I don't have to steal anything (Ephesians 4:28), for His blessings chase me down (Deuteronomy 28:2). 

In fall of 2017, one Saturday morning I was driving Lyft (making some extra money), happen to drop off this elderly man at the synagogue to celebrate the Lord's festival Day of Atonement.  While dropping off the elderly man, he cursed me and pretty much said I would never amount to anything. O cheerful me just kept on going like Gomer Pyle and 6 months later God doubled my salary. 

Revelation 13:9-10 (KJV)
If any man have an ear, let him hear.
He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.