September 11, 2001      9/11   911

As you think back to September 11, 2001 you may want to read Psalm 91:1….

My Refuge and My Fortress

¹ Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
³ For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
⁵ Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
⁶ Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
⁷ Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
⁸ Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.
⁹ If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
¹⁰ no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
¹¹ For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
¹² They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
¹³ You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
¹⁴ The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
¹⁵ When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
¹⁶ I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”  (Psalm 91 NLT)

As bad as things may appear at times, we do have a sovereign God who is always in control.

This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
(Psalm 91:2 NLT)

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Labor Day was created as a way to acknowledge and pay tribute to the workforce for all they have done to make our country prosperous and strong.

Remember:

• We were created to work.

 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work… (Exodus 20:9-10 ESV)

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. (1 Thessalonians 4:11 NLT)

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.  For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you.  We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow.  Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6-10 NLT)

• We should be working for the Lord.

 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.  Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.  (Colossians 3:23-24 NLT)

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT)

And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful! (Psalm 90:17 NLT)

• Hard work is profitable.

 A hard worker has plenty of food,
but a person who chases fantasies has no sense. (Proverbs 12:11 NLT)

Work brings profit,
but mere talk leads to poverty! (Proverbs 14:23 NLT)

Work hard and become a leader;
be lazy and become a slave. (Proverbs 12:24 NLT)

• Our work should benefit others.

 You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me.  And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:34-35 NLT)

• We should find satisfaction in our work.

 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. (Ecclesiastes 3:13 NLT)

How joyful are those who fear the Lord—
all who follow his ways!
You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
How joyful and prosperous you will be! (Psalm 128:1-2 NLT)

So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God.   For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him? (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 NLT)

 Summary:

• We were created to work.
• We should be working for the Lord.
• Hard work is profitable
• Our work should benefit others.
• We should find satisfaction in our work.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

Happy Labor Day

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Congratulations to Team USA for all of their achievements at the 2016 Rio Olympics.  Team USA won 46 gold medals, 37 silver medals, and 38 bronze medals.

Olympic athletes have goals in mind and work hard to achieve their goals.  For many of these athletes, their achievements were the result of many years of training, hard work, and personal sacrifice.  The “gold” did not come easy.

In many ways, the Christian life is like running a race.  The Apostle Paul talks about self-discipline and “running” with a purpose.  Paul’s challenge to Christians is to “run to win”.

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win.   All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.  So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.   I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.  (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT)

 Run to win.

• Run with purpose.

I run with purpose in every step. (1 Corinthians 9:26 NLT)

• Discipline your body.

I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.  (1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT)

• Repent of the sin in your life which will hinder your performance.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1 NLT)

•  Keep your eyes on Jesus.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.  (Hebrews 12:2 NLT)

• Be aware of and avoid false teaching.

You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? …. I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. …. (Galatians 5:7-10 NLT)

• Challenge others to hold firmly to the truths of the Gospel.

Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.  (Philippians 2:16 NLT)

• Press on. Don’t give up.

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.  (Philippians 3:14 NLT)

• Remain faithful to God and His Word.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.  (2 Timothy 4:7 NLT)

• Anticipate your (“gold medal”) crown of righteousness.

And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.  (2 Timothy 4:8 NLT)

Run to win.

• Run with purpose.
• Discipline your body.
• Repent of the sin in your life which will hinder your performance.
• Keep your eyes on Jesus.
• Be aware of and avoid false teaching.
• Challenge others to hold firmly to the truths of the Gospel.
• Press on. Don’t give up.
• Remain faithful to God and His Word.
• Anticipate your (“gold medal”) crown of righteousness.

I run with purpose in every step.
(1 Corinthians 9:26 NLT)

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How would you have responded to God if He had asked you to build an ark?

How would you respond to God now if He asks you to do a seemingly impossible task that had never been done before and the reason for the task is completely beyond your comprehension?  What would you do if God asks you to do something that seems impossible to complete and is a task that many of your neighbors will mock you for attempting to carry out?

Noah (Genesis 6 and Hebrews 11) was willing to build an ark.

God was about to destroy the earth because it was corrupt in His sight and was filled with violence. God asked Noah, a righteous man, to build a large boat.

So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth!

“Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior.  (Genesis 6:13-14 NLT)

 God gave Noah specific instructions.

 Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Leave an 18-inch opening below the roof all the way around the boat. Put the door on the side, and build three decks inside the boat—lower, middle, and upper.  (Genesis 6:15-16 NLT)

 God told Noah whose lives would be spared.

“Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die.  But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives.  Bring a pair of every kind of animal—a male and a female—into the boat with you to keep them alive during the flood.  Pairs of every kind of bird, and every kind of animal, and every kind of small animal that scurries along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive.  And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.”  (Genesis 6:17-21 NLT)

 Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded.

 So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.  (Genesis 6:22 NLT)

Noah was willing to take on a seemingly impossible task that had never been done before. The reason for building this large boat would have been beyond his comprehension.  His neighbors would certainly mock him for undertaking this decades long task.

It was by faith that Noah built this large boat.

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. (Hebrews 11:7 NLT)

Where does faith come from?

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  (Hebrews 12:2 NLT)

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.  (Romans 10:17 NLT)

For we live by believing and not by seeing.  (2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT)

If you want to be a person of faith:

• Keep your eyes on Jesus.
• Spend time reading the Word of God (the Bible).
• Believe that God does everything that He says He will do.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  (Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT)

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Anyone attending the 2016 Olympics in Rio, or anyone watching the Olympics on TV, has surely seen the statue of Christ the Redeemer.

Christ the Redeemer is an Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, created by Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, in collaboration with the French engineer Albert Caquot. (Wikipedia)

The statue is 125 feet tall including a 26 foot tall pedestal and weighs around 635 tons.

The statue sits on the top of the Corcovado Mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park of Brazil overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Who is Christ the Redeemer?

What thoughts should this statue bring to mind?

First, you need to understand that we all need a redeemer.

Everyone is born a sinner.

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. (Romans 5:12 NLT)

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  (Romans 3:23 NLT)

Sinners owe a debt.  The wages of sin is eternity in hell.

For the wages of sin is death, (Romans 6:23a NLT)

 God provided a way for all of us to be redeemed from this death penalty.

 …. the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 6:23 NLT)

God paid a high price for you….  (1 Corinthians 7:23 NLT)

Christ the Redeemer died to pay the penalty for our sins.

  He (God) is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.  (Ephesians 1:7 NLT)

 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value.  It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.  (1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT)

So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood.  (Hebrews 13:12 NLT)

….     he (Jesus) humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.  (Philippians 2:7-8 NLT)

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.  (Mark 10:45 NLT)

…. the blood of Jesus, his (God’s) Son, cleanses us from all sin.  (1 John 1:9 NLT)

He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people…  (Titus 2:14 NLT)

Christ the Redeemer came to save the world.

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.  (John 3:17 NLT)

  Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.  (John 11:25 NLT)

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.  (1 John 5:13 NLT)

Christ the Redeemer gives Christians hope.

^…. You lived in this world without God and without hope.  But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.  (Ephesians 2:12-13 NLT)

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.  (Colossians 1:13-14 NLT)

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?   When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”  (John 14:1-3 NLT)

So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.  (John 8:36 NLT)

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NLT)

Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

You may also want to read “Whoever Believes….”

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Are you worried about the upcoming elections?  Does it feel like America is being torn apart?  Are you feeling hopeless?

Don’t worry.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)

God is in control.  Christ Is Supreme.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.  (Colossians 1:15-17 NLT)

Pray

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.  Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.  This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.  (1 Timothy 2:1-4 NLT)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
(Proverbs 3:5 NLT)

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You may want to read “Be Sure to Vote!”.

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Do you ever feel lonely and abandoned?  Are there times in your life when it seems like no one cares about the tough times you are experiencing?  Are there times when you wonder if God cares about you?

The good news is that a Christian* never needs to feel abandoned. A Christian should know that God is always available to them.

For God has said,
“I will never fail you.    
I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5 NLT)

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.    He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.  (Psalm 55:22 NLT)

You may say to yourself, “I know these verses, but how do I know that they are true?”

Take some time to reflect on the following thoughts.

Scripture is truth.

The very essence of your words is truth;
all your just regulations will stand forever.  (Psalm 119:160 NLT)

Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.  (John 17:17 NLT)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true ….  (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT)

God does not and cannot lie.

God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?  (Numbers 23:19 NLT)

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. (Hebrews 6:18 NLT)

And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!  (1 Samuel 15:29 NLT)

Since all scripture is truth and God does not and cannot lie we know that the following verses are in fact true.

For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5 NLT)

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.    He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.  (Psalm 55:22 NLT)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.  (Proverbs 3:5 NLT)

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*You may want to read “Whoever Believes….”

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Do you ever feel lonely and abandoned?  Are there times in your life when it seems like no one cares about the tough times you are experiencing?  Are there times when you wonder if God cares about you?

The good news is that a Christian* never needs to feel abandoned. A Christian should know that God is always available to them.

For God has said,
“I will never fail you.    
I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5 NLT)

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.    He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.  (Psalm 55:22 NLT)

You may say to yourself, “I know these verses, but how do I know that they are true?”

Take some time to reflect on the following thoughts.

Scripture is truth.

The very essence of your words is truth;
all your just regulations will stand forever.  (Psalm 119:160 NLT)

Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.  (John 17:17 NLT)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true ….  (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT)

God does not and cannot lie.

God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?  (Numbers 23:19 NLT)

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. (Hebrews 6:18 NLT)

And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!  (1 Samuel 15:29 NLT)

Since all scripture is truth and God does not and cannot lie we know that the following verses are in fact true.

For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5 NLT)

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you.    He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.  (Psalm 55:22 NLT)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.  (Proverbs 3:5 NLT)

Click here to view previous posts on the Seeking His Kingdom website.

If you liked this post, share it with a friend.

*You may want to read “Whoever Believes….”

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Do you want people to think well of you?  Do you want a good reputation?

You are known by your actions.

Even children are known by the way they act,
whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.  (Proverbs 20:11   NLT)

If a good reputation is important to you, consider putting the following points into practice.

• Walk with integrity.

The godly walk with integrity…  (Proverbs 20:7 NLT)

• Don’t use inappropriate language.

Don’t use foul or abusive language.  (Ephesians 4:29 NLT)

• Use encouraging words in your conversations.

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.  (Ephesians 4:29 NLT)

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.  (Colossians 4:6 NLT)

• Get rid of inappropriate behaviors.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  (Ephesians 4:31 NLT)

•  Practice doing good deeds.

… let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.  (Matthew 5:16 NLT)

Do to others as you would like them to do to you.  (Luke 6:31 NLT)

… be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another… (Ephesians 4:32 NLT)

A good reputation does not happen automatically.  A good reputation can be earned and a good reputation can be lost.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!  (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT)

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Just because something is right in our eyes doesn’t mean that it is, in fact, right.

Many people believe they are capable of making good decisions without God’s help, and believe that all of their behaviors are appropriate.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes… (Proverbs 16:2 ESV)

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes… (Proverbs 21:2 ESV)

However, in reality, what they believe or how they act is contrary to the will of God.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT)

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God.  1 Corinthians 3:19 (NLT)

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 16:25 ESV)

Doing whatever seems right in our own eyes is often doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

Instead of doing what you think is right, discover God’s will for your life.

We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.
People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.
Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.  (Proverbs 16:1-3 NLT)

 You can find God’s will for your life.

Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.  (Psalm 105:4 NLT)

 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  (Jeremiah 29:13 NLT)

Let God guide you along life’s pathway.

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.  (Psalm 32:8 NLT)

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  Matthew 7:24 (NLT)

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