Mark 4:18-19: The Parable of the Seeds Sown. Don’t Let Your Worries Choke the Word

Mark 4:18-19 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the WORRIES of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth & the desires for other things come in & choke the word, making it unfruitful. Luke 21:34 Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing & drunkenness, & by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware! — Don’t worry! 1Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you! Prov 12:25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, & he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. — Just Believe! Love Mel

Psalm 46:1: God is Our Refuge and Strength, a Very Present Help in Trouble.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge & strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 9:9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 145:18
The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth. — What is truth to God? — John 14:6 Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. — God is Truth! So truth must mean a lot to us, if He means a lot to us, since they are one & the same! This is the very place we can find refuge! Are you willing to give up truth or even part of it for the ways of this world? Or will you turn from the world & find refuge in Him? Love Mel

Ephesians 6:12: Our Battle is Against Spiritual Forces of Darkness in Heavenly Realms

Eph 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh & blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world & against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 1 Cor 9:24-26 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. — We are to fight this battle as though we have won! Our best weapon is prayer! — 1 Thes 5:17 Pray without ceasing. Eph 6:18 Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer & supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints Hebr 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence & godly fear:— It is thru His grace that we find where our prayer service to God moves us closer ego receiving the Kingdom! Love Mel

Zechariah 9:9: The King Came First Riding on a Donkey

Zech 9:9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion. Shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem, for your king is coming, just & victorious, humble, & riding on a donkey.” Matt 21:5 Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle & riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. John 12:15 Do not be afraid, O daughter of Zion. See, your King is coming, seated on the colt of a donkey. Hosea 1:7 Yet I will have compassion on the house of Judah, & I will deliver them; not by bow or sword or war, not by horses & cavalry, but by the LORD their God. Matt 5:44-46 I tell you, love your enemies & pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil & the good, & sends rain on the righteous & the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? —So many predictions in the Old Testament showing our true King of Kings, with a humble heart willing to ride into His destiny on a donkey! Our God overcomes evil & violence, killing & war, not by responding in the way of man, but by giving up violence; not trying to dominate, but with a willingness to love in response to the enemy. He states, “when I am lifted up” on the cross, “I will draw all people to myself” through the way of love. This is a compassion that surpasses all our understanding! That is why loving our enemy, & keeping a humbled heart is the way to true victory in this world. Love Mel

The Feast of Trumpets

Feast of Trumpets or “Rosh Hashanah”, meaning “the head of the year” because some believe that God created the heavens & the earth on this day. It is said that on this feast day of Rosh Hashanah that God remembers His creation & shows mercy. The blowing of the trumpet is the only actual command in the Bible for this day. There are three purposes for the blowing of the trumpets: First, it was a symbol of the final regathering when the Messiah comes. Second, it was a symbol of the resurrection from the dead. Finally, there is a belief from Jewish traditions that on this day the books will be open in Heaven. One is called the Book of Righteousness or life, the Book of the wicked & Since Most people are neither totally righteous nor totally wicked, there is a third book call the Book of In Between. Those inscribed in the third book are given ten days to repent – the ten days between the Feast of Trumpets & the Day of Atonement. However, As Christians, Christ has atoned for our sins! We are forgiven & therefore can believe that our names have been inscribed in the book of Righteousness. —Romans 3:22-24 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, & are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Love Mel