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“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them.”

Ecl 12:1

Solomon, the wisest man in the world is telling us in vivid terms, ” enjoy the active days of your youth ” and praise God for the vitality of youth because life changes over the years. 

Real world settles in later in life bringing multiple challenges.  

Life does not challenge a person when everything is easy in younger years;

• Youthful exuberance 

• Limited family issues

• Reduced financial obligations 

• Good health

Our true character is exhibited when our “warranties” in life expire;

• Health fails

• Relationship failures

• Financial issues

• Children struggles

• Deaths of loved ones

Jesus provided for us to deal with these issues of life. 

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”

John 16:7

Good morning as you engage Jesus living in you through the Comforter( Holy Spirit)

Tauren Wells – Hills and Valleys (Acoustic Video)  73 million views

Lynda Randle – God On the Mountain (Live) – Gaither Music TV –  92 million views

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

“”And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; LISTEN TO HIM.”

Mark 9:7-8

Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on the mountain where Jesus was transfigured (his clothes became radiantly white) and then God audibly spoke saying, “listen to him”.

We must be transfigured, transformed, or undergo metamorphosis in our own lives:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Mar 12:2

Paul describes the impact of our transfiguration when we Jesus lives in our lives. 

“But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being TRANSFORMED into the same image from one degree of glory to another. “

2 Cor 3:16-18

When Jesus removes the veil, we just need to LISTEN TO HIM!

Good morning as you “listen to him”

Spirit of the Living God (with lyrics) – Most beautiful hymn! (2021) – Rosemary Siemens 

Merle Haggard – ‘What A Friend We Have In Jesus’. – heavenlysoundsful

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart  so is he

Pro 23:7

“And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19

Our tendency to focus on the glitter of the world and instant gratification of social needs, overwhelms our trust in the promises of Jesus. 

Carefully think through the prophecy of the 23rd Psalm and transpose into present vernacular. 

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.”

Psalms 23

23 Psalms internalized = peace!

The only FOMO we should experience is that of missing out on Jesus!

Good morning and enjoy the peace of Jesus ( He gave us peace as a gift )

John 14:27

Blessed Assurance – Gandalf1948

Alan Jackson – ‘Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus (Live) – Gaither Music TV

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

The way we start our prayers says a lot about our prayer life. Do we only ask God for things, or do we start with “our Father in  heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9)?”

Until we understand God is our Father and we are His children, we don’t understand how much He wants us to communicate with Him.

Prayer is a form of serving God (Luke 2:36-38) and obeying Him. We pray because He commands us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7)

A lack of prayer demonstrates a lack of faith and a lack of trust in God’s Word. We have His promise that the fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much (James 5:16-18).

Remember, God ALWAYS ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS. His answer may be yes, no, or not at this time.

Our prayers MUST BE FOR THE WILL OF GOD TO BE DONE IN OUR LIFE.

Praise God always 

The Lord’s Prayer By Perry Como – Texaco

Dave

For additional scriptures, go to GotQuestions.org and search for: “What is the key to effective prayer?” Also, “How can I have my prayers answered by God?” Also, “What is the purpose of prayer?” Also, “What is the proper way to pray?” Also, “How should a Christian  respond to unanswered prayer?”

“When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.” —Alexis de Tocqueville

Alexis was a renown French scholar and economist during the mid 1800’s. 

His statement has a secular reality. 

However, a follower of Christ should NEVER walk in darkness. 

Jesus said:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John8:12

Paul enlightens us with his warning of living in the past:

“Forgetting the past and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Phil 3:13

Now, we have it! Press on and follow the Light and don’t look back. 

ps. Looking back didn’t turn out too well for Lot’s wife-she turned into a pillar of salt. 

Good morning as 🎵”We Press On”🎶

Press On – The SelahVideos

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

1 Corinthians 4:4 reminds us of a profound truth: “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” This verse teaches us to approach life with humility, trust, and dependence on God’s perfect judgment.

First, it reminds us that self-assessment is limited. Even when we feel confident in our actions or decisions, our judgment is not the final authority. Only God sees the full picture: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind” (Jeremiah 17:10).

Second, it highlights that God’s judgment is supreme. His evaluation carries far more weight than our own or others’ opinions: “So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (Romans 14:12). This truth calls us to live for an audience of One.

The verse also encourages humility in self-perception. Our understanding of ourselves can be incomplete or biased. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Finally, this verse invites us to rest in God’s sovereignty, knowing His judgment is always just and perfect. Let us humbly seek His will and walk boldly in His grace, trusting Him as both Judge and Redeemer: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

There will be a final Judgement.  We will not be the Judge.  God will be the Judge.

Hank Williams Sr – I Dreamed That the Great Judgement Morning – Hank Williams

But God gives us a way out… Here is the answer…

Joey+Rory – Jesus Paid It All (Live) Gaither Music TV

We are spiritual beings here to have a human experience.

Exercise your spiritual muscles …

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Have a great week and keep your spirits high.

Hugs,  Bill

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a LIVING SACRIFICE , holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Rom 12:1

Paul had the moral authority to encourage us to present ourselves as a ” living sacrifice”!  So what does he mean?

In the Old Testament, only the finest animals shed their blood and were presented to God as blood sacrifice. 

Jesus made that blood sacrifice for each of us on the Cross. That sacrifice has been made for each of us under the new covenant. 

We present ourselves as a ” living sacrifice ” when we:

• Serve  God out of commitment; not convenience

• Volunteer when others recuse

• Consider time serving God as best use of your time

• Make “days off” to be “days on ” to build the kingdom

Here is Paul’s list of ” living sacrifices “:

“Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; “(and the list goes on)

2 Cor 5:24-25

Good morning as you evaluate your level of sacrifice 

Living Sacrifice – Song – UCKG Macau

Take my life and let it be hymn – Islington Baptist Church

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

“And Moses said to his father-in-law, Hoban, “We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the LORD has promised good to Israel.” But he said to him, “I will not go”. And Moses said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us.”

Numbers 10:29-32

Moses was leading the Israelites through the wilderness to the Promised Land. 

Moses , not knowing the lay of the land, called on his brother-in- law to guide them through the unknown journey to locate the best camping places. 

God has placed someone in your life to guide you through those “wildernesses of life”.

“Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.”

Proverbs 27:9

That person might have experienced one of many challenges: 

• That person may not know your pain but knows pain. 

• That person may not know your grief of death, but knows the sting of death. 

• That person may not know the circumstances of your job loss but they know about losing a job

• They may not have experienced your circumstances in a broken relationship but know broken relationships. 

Good morning as you “taste the sweetness of the counsel of a friend.

Merle Haggard – ‘What A Friend We Have In Jesus’. – heavenlysoundsful

WIND BENEATH MY WINGS (Lyrics) – BETTE MIDLER – TheWordinOtherWords

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

“My guilt has overwhelmed me

    like a burden too heavy to bear.”

Ps 38:4

“I confess my iniquity;

    I am troubled by my sin.”

Ps 38:18

King David, “the man after God’s heart,” carried tremendous GUILT when he was brought to face his sins of stealing another man’s wife and having her husband killed in battle. 

Unconfessed and unrepentant sin is a cancer in the soul. 

We can ignore it (like David did for a period of time), but it grows and starves us of our joy of life. 

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

Ps51:12

Jesus knows the heavy burden of sin; He took on our sins when He died on the Cross. 

Read Psalms 51 to feel David pleading for forgiveness with a repentant heart. 

David felt the heavy burden of the consequences of sin; GUILT!

David knew the PENALTY  of unconfessed, unrepentant sin; DEATH!!

Good morning as we present ourselves to Jesus with a repentant heart

Rock Of Ages – Tennessee Ernie Ford TV

Chris Tomlin – At The Cross (Love Ran Red) (Lyrics & Chords)

Johnny

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7

1 Peter 2:4–5 

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but CHOSEN by God and PRECIOUS to him— 5 you also, like LIVING STONES, ARE BEING BUILT UP INTO A SPIRITUAL HOUSE, to be a holy HOLLY PRIESTHOOD, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Here Peter explains that being a ” living stone” correlates the spiritual relationship we share with Jesus who is the Cornerstone. 

Ephesians 2:19-21. – Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

Paul spoke of us being built up in 

Phil 1:6 -“ And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

We are a work in progress. Jesus sees us as a living stone to become a holy priesthood!

Jesus knows our potential; He made us!

Good morning “living stones.”

How Firm a Foundation – katiekatew

Standing On The Promises – Gospel Music Hymn Sing

Johnny 

“As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he

Pro 23:7