Jer. 10-12; John 14

John 14 is such an incredible passage filled with promises. I am always brought back to a sense of simplicity about the Gospel and the ways of the Lord every time I read this. Jesus lays it all out so well. First we see that Jesus is preparing a place for us and that the ONLY way to heaven is through Him. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me….” (John 14: 1-6) The weight of verse 6 is enormous; Jesus is the ONLY way! As we read on we see the introduction of the Holy Spirit and all that He will bring. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)

I can only imagine the confusion the disciples must have had at this time with Christ talking about leaving and sending the Holy Spirit. Fortunately for us we have the printed Bible to read and we can see the “BIG BICTURE”. There is a deep joy and assurance, because of the coming of the Holy Spirit. We will be kept in Jesus and as Jesus is fully in the Father, we will also know the way to the Father. While we are here in this weak body made of flesh and bones we also have the Spirit of God inside us so we should be encouraged as we are not in this fight alone!



Thank you Lord for your Love and Grace….Amen
Pastor Jason



NEXT READING: Jer. 13-15; John 15

Isaiah 36,37; Psalm. 76; 1 Peter 1

So often we wander around this world being shaped by our surroundings. If we look carefully at what sort of things develop in us based on the surroundings we grow up in, one of the things so many of us see is “FEAR”, more specifically the fear of man. It is easy to be shaped by our hurts and even to see a world with so much injustice and to speculate how God can let it happen or to question if it will ever stop. Sometimes when we see things happen for an extended period of time we might ask, “Will God make things just and right? Will He step in?” These thoughts are some of the seeds that allow fear to grow in us. Thankfully, He is always faithful…..

“At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep.
You, Yourself, are to be feared;
And who may stand in Your presence
When once You are angry?”
(Psalm 76:6-7)

When we read through Psalms 76 we see a God who fears nothing and who looks out for us. Sometimes it is just a matter of time before God steps in. Just as a father might stand by for just a moment to see how his child is going to react in the face of opposition. Our Father in Heaven is slow to anger but is still watching with a sharp eye. He will always step in and when he does everyone will know it. When we look at the “BIG PICTURE” it brings an understanding that we must trust God and recognize He has everything under control and He will deal with the good, bad, and everything in-between in His time.

I encourage us all to look to Him who is just and true while we thank Him for the grace we have been given in our lives.


Be Blessed,
Pastor Jason



NEXT READING: 2 King 20; Isaiah 38,39; Psalm 75; 1 Peter 2

1 Kings 10,11; 2 Chronicles 9; Romans 6

^"The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, besides that from the traveling merchants, from the income of traders, from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country." 1 Kings 10;14-15

Wow "666" Talents of gold! I think that alone should have been a warning that this wasn't going to end well!  Seriously friends, Solomon may have amassed a huge wealth and loved the Lord, and he even showed great wisdom that drew the attention of people like Queen Sheba. Unfortunately in the end his desire got the best of him as he didn't follow the Lords instruction. "But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love." 1 Kings 11:1-2 Unfortunately Solomon took his eyes off the mark and his heart grew cold to the Lord. "Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant." 1 Kings 11:11

There is a spiritual excellence in heavenly things, and in walking a good life before Christ. Remember when we offer up things to the Lord whether it be our time, our resources, our worship or anything given with a right heart, it isn't because Jesus needs them, instead He allows us to give these things to express our gratitude. Take some time today and ask yourself where does your focus on other things pull you away from God. Is there anywhere in our lives that we can/should consider handing over at the altar?

When it was all said and done King Solomon died leaving all the treasure he amassed here on earth, and all the wives that his desire drove him to didn't help him in the end.

Lord help us all daily see the areas we need more of you and less of us....AMEN!

Blessings Friends,
Pastor Jason

Next Reading: 1 Kings 10,11; 2 Chronicles 9; Romans 6

Ruth 1,2; Psalm 53; 61; 2 Corinthians 5

“Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalm 61:1-3

“The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." Ruth 2:12

Is your heart overwhelmed today? Do you need a strong tower from the enemy? Two of our passages deal with people in crisis, people who need their God to be a strong tower from the enemy and a refuge from the storm. David writes this psalm at a time that he had been in exile because of the rebellion of his son Absalom. David had fled across the Jordan River as an army from Hebron, led by Absalom, came to take Jerusalem. He did not want to face his son in battle. Rather than taking a stand in Jerusalem, a victory that would have surely been David’s, the King fled with his armies in to exile. David cries out to God, “Hear my cry, O God, attend to my prayer.” (Psalm 61:2) In Ruth we read the story of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. Naomi returns to Jerusalem, broken and destitute, with her daughter in law Ruth, a foreigner. Both women are widows and without a redemptive miracle, they will both be poorly outcast and beggars or for a young, widowed woman, even worse, sent to the streets. I am sure Naomi cried out, O God, hear my cry…attend to my prayer! When we are in crisis it seems more like the end of the world, rather than the ends of the earth! Many a time I have cried out, “Lord, lead me, lead me to THE Rock, that is higher than I.” When we are so low, there is only one place to go and that is up. But when we are feeling so low, up seems so far away. But God is THE Rock and He does lift us up to a place that is higher than our circumstances, higher than us. “He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” (Deut. 32:4) “The Eternal God is my refuge and underneath is His everlasting arms.” (Deut. 33:27) God is faithful, He is our Rock, He is our Refuge. God delivers Naomi and Ruth, God rescues David, and God delivers and rescues us. Perhaps today, you need the deliverance and rescuing of your God. Today is your day, your day to cry out to God and a day to be led to the Rock, Jesus Christ.

Victorious in Christ,
Carol Danna

Next Reading: Ruth 3, 4; Psalm 64-65; 2 Corinthians 6