Sunday, March 28, 2021

 


WILL GOD STAND AND JUDGE THE JUDGES?


God's Prayer Power  - Session 13


Our scripture today is Psalm 82


"God stands up to open heaven’s court. He pronounces judgment on the judges. How long will you judges refuse to listen to the evidence? How long will you shower special favors on the wicked?  Give fair judgement to the poor man, the afflicted, the fatherless, the destitute.  Rescue the poor and helpless from the grasp of evil men. But you are so foolish and so ignorant! Because you are in darkness, all the foundations of society are shaken to the core.  I have called you all “gods” and “sons of the Most High.”  But in death you are mere men. You will fall as any prince—for all must die. Stand up, O God, and judge the earth. For all of it belongs to you. All nations are in your hands." TLB



What is God Saying?

This Psalm 82 answers our question. It is plain. God will judge the Judges.

He stands up and opens heaven's court. The highest court of all. And He pronounces judgment on them. Then after He pronounces the judgment God asked the Judges questions. Let's list the questions God asked the Judges:

1. How long will you refuse to listen to the evidence?

2. How long will you shower special favors on the wicked?

Now, listen to what God says to them:

1. Give fair judgment. Who does he say give fair judgment to?

        The poor man, the afflicted, the fatherless, the destitute.

2. Rescue the poor and helpless from the grasp of evil men

They have gone against everything God told them they should do. Because of what they have done God tells them: 

"But you are so foolish and so ignorant! Because you are in darkness, all the foundations of society are shaken to the core."

From this Psalm we see God is pronouncing His judgment on the Judges. 

It is foolish to think that there will not be justice from God. His words are true. 

What three words get your attention? (as you can see I used the phrases)


These three words in this Psalm give us understanding and insight as to how God feels about  Judges giving special favor to the wicked and not being fair. But do not think that it stops there. This is how He feels when anyone gives special favor to the wicked and is unfair to those who need their fairness.

Let us pray this prayer:


I pray for You to restore justice on earth. Speak to the hearts of Christians everywhere all over the world to pray for You to restore justice and to deliver the weak, orphaned, widowed, lowly, destitute, and needy.

Help all Christians to offer ourselves as Your

servants in the “reconciliation and restoration.”

 

Help us as Christians to not defend the unjust and wicked and to not show partiality.

 

Help us to defend the weak and the fatherless and to maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Deliver them from the hands of the wicked.  Amen

  



This week spend time on Psalm 82. Ask God what He is saying to you. Ask Him for revelation knowledge concerning these words. I might also suggest we pray for the Judges and others in our country that they will have an opportunity to come to Christ and be the people God created them to be.


May God bless you in the coming week. If you are in need of prayer, email sreichert48@yahoo.com.


Blessings to you and your family.


Sunday, March 21, 2021

 


WILL GOD BE ANGRY WITH US FOREVER?


God's Prayer Power - Session 12


Our scripture today is Psalm 85


Lord, you have been kind to your land. You gave the people of Jacob back their riches.
You forgave the guilt of the people. You covered all their sins. Selah
You stopped all your anger. You stopped your strong anger. God our Savior, bring us back again. Stop being angry with us. Will you be angry with us forever? Will you stay angry from now on?

Won’t you give us life again? Your people would rejoice in you. Lord, show us your love.
Save us. I will listen to God the Lord. He has ordered peace for his people who worship him.
Don’t let them go back to foolishness. God will soon save those who respect him. And his greatness will be seen in our land. Love and truth will belong to God’s people. Goodness and peace will be theirs. On earth people will be loyal to God. And God’s goodness will shine down from heaven. The Lord will give his goodness. And the land will give its crops. Goodness will go before God and prepare the way for him.
(ICB)

So the question is "Will God be Angry with us Forever"? When we sin against God, He is gracious and merciful giving us every opportunity to turn away from our sin and come back to Him and repent. When we do He will totally forgive us.

Isaiah 55:7 says, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord and He will have mercy on him: and to our God, for He will abundantly
pardon."


What is God saying?

He is telling us that yes, even though He was angry He forgave the people's guilt. He stopped His anger.

Why did He forgive them?

They repented and returned to Him. He says He will save those who respect Him.

What did God do, when they repented and turned back to Him?

He gave them back their riches; forgave their guilt; covered their sins; stopped all His anger; He ordered peace for His people who worship Him; will save those who respect Him; His greatness would be seen in their land; love and truth would belong to His people; goodness and peace would be theirs.

Look at what God gave His people when they turned back to Him. Perhaps we should search our hearts and bring to him the sins and repent as a people and as a land. Look at what He will give us if we will but do this!

This is also for our country. As you read the scriptures think of our country and all that has gone on that tears down the laws of God. Look at how we have strayed from God. We have allowed laws to be enacted that go against God's laws and when you see what is going on in this country you know why He is angry at us. It is time, for us to repent and come back to Him as a people and as a country if we want the blessings that He offers.

Were there three words that caught your eye in the scriptures above? Write them down, and ask God to reveal to you what He wants you to see.

For me, here are the three words that caught my attention:


These three words are larger than life to me. He forgave me when I repented. He covered my sins - took my place on the cross and gave me life. How can I not love Him and want to follow Him all the days of my life. Look at the benefits His children receive . . .read the scripture, Psalm 85 again. 

Ask God to show you what things in your life you are burdened with and ask Him to forgive you, and then give Him those burdens.




 
Prayer 
 
Oh, Lord our God, Father in Heaven, forgive us –– the  people of America –– and show favor on us again.  
Restore our people to a right relationship with You.  
We pray You will set aside Your wrath even though  we deserve it and not be angry with us anymore. 
 Forgive us and come into our hearts again. 
Show us Your unfailing love. Help all people to listen  to You; open our ears that we may hear You. Tear down the walls we have built up separating us from You and come into the center of our hearts. 
Come now and wrap Your arms around us so we will remember  how much You love us. Help us to return to You. 
Come back into the lives of our children and save them, save us, and save our country. 
Amen





May God bless you in the coming week. If you are in need of prayer, email sreichert48@yahoo.com.


Blessings to you and your family.

Sunday, March 14, 2021



ARE WE SPIRITUALLY COMPLACENT AND INDIFFERENT? 


God's Prayer Power - Session 11


Our Scripture Today:  Malachi 1 - 14


Here is the Lord’s message to Israel, given through the prophet Malachi: “I have loved you very deeply,” says the Lord. But you retort, “Really? When was this?” And the Lord replies, “I showed my love for you by loving your father, Jacob. I didn’t need to. I even rejected his very own brother, Esau, and destroyed Esau’s mountains and inheritance, to give it to the jackals of the desert. And if his descendants should say, ‘We will rebuild the ruins,’ then the Lord Almighty will say, ‘Try to if you like, but I will destroy it again,’ for their country is named ‘The Land of Wickedness,’ and their people are called ‘Those Whom God Does Not Forgive.’” O Israel, lift your eyes to see what God is doing all around the world; then you will say, “Truly, the Lord’s great power goes far beyond our borders!” “A son honors his father, a servant honors his master. I am your Father and Master, yet you don’t honor me, O priests, but you despise my name.” “Who? Us?” you say. “When did we ever despise your name?” “When you offer polluted sacrifices on my altar.” “Polluted sacrifices? When have we ever done a thing like that?” “Every time you say, ‘Don’t bother bringing anything very valuable to offer to God!’ You tell the people, ‘Lame animals are all right to offer on the altar of the Lord—yes, even the sick and the blind ones.’ And you claim this isn’t evil? Try it on your governor sometime—give him gifts like that—and see how pleased he is! “‘God have mercy on us,’ you recite; ‘God be gracious to us!’ But when you bring that kind of gift, why should he show you any favor at all? “Oh, to find one priest among you who would shut the doors and refuse this kind of sacrifice! I have no pleasure in you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will not accept your offerings. “But my name will be honored by the Gentiles from morning till night. All around the world they will offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name shall be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you dishonor it, saying that my altar is not important and encouraging people to bring cheap, sick animals to offer to me on it. “You say, ‘Oh, it’s too difficult to serve the Lord and do what he asks.’ And you turn up your noses at the rules he has given you to obey. Think of it! Stolen animals, lame and sick—as offerings to God! Should I accept such offerings as these?” asks the Lord. “Cursed is that man who promises a fine ram from his flock and substitutes a sick one to sacrifice to God. For I am a Great King,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be mightily revered among the Gentiles.” (TLB)


What is God saying?


He is talking about our spiritual complacency and indifference to Him.


As you read the scripture above, do you see God's compassion?




Do you see how much God loves you? He loves you with unfailing passionate love.

What does God want us to return to Him? He wants us to return His love.

How should we return His love?
Being faithful to Him, showing integrity, listening to Him, spending time with Him and following Him to mention a few.


It is important each day to evaluate our relationship with him. To surrender to Him each day our will and choose His will. Asking Him to come in and do His work in us so we will be Christ like to achieve the plans He has for us.


What are the three words that get your attention?


Deeply Loved - God deeply loves us


Honor - We are to honor God


Our Best - We are to give God our very best.


The phrase, Deeply Loved, says how much God loves us. In Psalm 136:26 it says, "Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever." Also know that He loved us so much he gave His only son to die on a cross. To take our place so that we could have forgiveness of sin and be with Him for eternity. Romans 5:8 says, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."


Honor - One of the ways we honor God is by loving Him. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." Another way to honor God is with what we give Him. Proverbs 3:9 says, "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce." Another way is obeying Him. John 14:15 says, "If you love me you will keep my commandments."


Our Best - When we think of giving God our best, we think in terms of finances. While it is true, the first 10%, tithe, goes to God, there is something even greater that we can give to God and it is our very best. Do you wonder what that is? It is ourselves. When we surrender all of ourselves to God, we give Him our best. When you give yourself totally to God, you are saying, here am I Lord, take me and make me all you created me to be. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come." The word of God says in Isaiah 43:18-19 , "Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
God has wonderful plans for us, if we will but come to him and accept his precious son, Jesus Christ as our savior and through this He will come and abide in us giving us not just eternal life with Him, but a life with Him here on earth, a victorious life, as long as we are here. Jerimiah 29:11 says, " For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."


Prayer

 

Forgive us God for our willful disobedience

for dishonoring Your name or offering false

worship, leading others into sin, breaking

Your laws, calling evil good, keeping Your

tithes and offerings for ourselves. Forgive us

for becoming arrogant and proud. I know you 

can heal and mend our relationship with you.

So, I ask this in Jesus' name, restore our

relationship with You through Your love

and forgiveness, mercy and grace.

Help us not  neglect You but to live

according to Your word. Help us to walk

with You in integrity and uprightness. Amen

 


May God bless you and your family this week.


If any of you would like prayer, you may email me at sreichert48@yahoo.com. If you have questions or comments, feel free to comment below.

Sunday, March 7, 2021




WILL GOD  AVENGE HIS PEOPLE?


God's Prayer Power - Session 10


Our verse today is: Joel 3:20-21


"My people will live in Judah and Jerusalem forever.The land will be their home for all time to come. Egypt and Edom have spilled my people’s blood. Should I let them escape my judgment? No, I will not.” The Lord lives in Zion!


What is God saying?

In the Berean Study Bible, Joel 3: 19-21 talks about Blessings for God' people. The verse reads:

"…19 Egypt will become desolate, and Edom a desert wasteland, because of the violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. 20 But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. 21 For I will avenge their blood, which I have not yet avenged.” For the LORD dwells in Zion.…"

Background Information:

The tribe of Judah ( Judah was a son of Jacob) settled in the region south of Jerusalem and in time became the most powerful and most important tribe. Not only did it produce the great kings David and Solomon but also, it was prophesied, the Messiah would come from among its members.



Why is Egypt and Edom going to become desolate, a wasteland?
Because they spilled the blood of God's people.

What are the three words that get your attention?


Forever - always.

God's People - Accepted us.

Avenge - He will repay.

ForeverThe interesting things about these verses is God is telling us we will forever live in eternity with Him. In Ezekiel 37:25 it says, "They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live there forever with their children and grandchildren . . ." God promises us a forever, glorious kingdom.

His People - God decrees we are His people. He has accepted us. Why? Because we accepted Jesus His son as our savior and recognized Jesus as the Son of God.
John 1:12 says, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."

Avenge - Make no mistake God plainly says He will avenge the blood of His people. Those who have spilled the blood of God's people will suffer the consequences in God's timing. Judgement day will come. Joel 3:19 says, "But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood."

This week as you read the full chapter of Joel listen to what God is saying to you.

To know that you belong to God should free you to walk with and live for Him. We are to be the hands and feet of Christ as we walk this earth, a beacon of light to draw others to Christ. If we don't, then who will help others to come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior?

Prayer

 


Help Your people to repent of their sins.

Restore us in our relationship with You. 

Revitalize us spiritually to serve You 

Be with us oh Lord Your people.

God will forgive us if we ask Him
 
and bless us and be with us forever.







May God bless you and your family this week.




If any of you would like prayer, you may email me at sreichert48@yahoo.com. If you have questions or comments, feel free to comment below.

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