Way of the Righteous and End of the Wicked

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Having enough money is desirable, but no amount of money is enough to purchase eternal salvation. Only the credit that comes by way of the Cross of Jesus Christ can do that. His blood shed on the Cross is therefore, precious beyond all measure. By grace we are saved through faith. He has bestowed His love upon us and we are healed. Worldly desires are vain. To believe otherwise is to be deceived. God uses everything for good for those who love Him. And if you have Jesus, you certainly have all that you need. Therefore, rejoice! Let the redeemed of the Lord praise His holy name now and forever more!

Question

Is money the answer for everything?

Answer

Money is the answer for all questions of how to please the flesh (Scripture). Money is a useful tool (Scripture), but it can easily be turned into an idol when the affections of the heart are set upon it (Scripture). Money is like fire useful for cooking (Scripture), but it can also burn up everything when out of control (Scripture). Money is strength (Scripture), but without temperance it is only cruel and harmful (Scripture). Money increases might (Scripture), just never forget that in the end it cannot save anyone (Scripture). 

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

All the People See His Glory

97 The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.
2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
3 A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
4 His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.
5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6 The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.
11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:1-6, 11 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Strength is the jewel of youth. By adding wisdom, strength is fastened into a crown of honor for the mature. In the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord, the opportunity has been given for exchanging one’s own strength for divine strength, and for exchanging the prideful chains of the self-life for the shining wings of righteousness. Seek happiness and it will flee from you. Seek righteousness first just as the word of God commands, and happiness will be added to you. As a preliminary step, the Master bids you to count the cost. A total surrender of your life to the lordship of Jesus Christ is a non-negotiable requirement. This will be hard for flesh and impossible for the carnal mind to accept, but once done most everyone wishes they had chosen to do it sooner. Humble yourself therefore, under the mighty hand of God. He will make you perfect, which means to establish, strengthen, and settle you for all good works in due time.

Question

How can we be sure in a world full of increasing uncertainty?

Answer

The full assurance of faith comes from believing the testimonies that Jesus Christ has risen (Scripture). When it comes to the Holy Bible, believing only some of the gospel while denying other parts always produces a wavering faith (Scripture). Faithful in little, faithful in much, as well as every little stroke and every incredible revelation of the Word of God is truth from beginning to end (Scripture). Complete assurance follows complete belief (Scripture). Taste it and you will see (Scripture).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

God Gives Power and Strength to His People

19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.
21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
22 The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:
23 That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.
32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God. Psalm 68:19-23; 32-35 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

The world is full of vanity and lies. Let us turn from them and turn toward God with our whole heart. You have to stand firm in faith long enough to get to a point where the narrow way that leads to eternal life becomes so enjoyable that it eliminates the desire for all that is contrary. The love of God compels us to do this from within, and not just from external motive of outward conformity to the rules. All who hold fast to faith come to the place where there is an eagerness to sacrifice lesser things for greater things. We gladly give up the old life trapped in sin for the much greater new life lived in the freedom purchased for us by the blood of Jesus Christ. Faith in God is required from beginning to end. God is more willing to give than we are to receive. God is willing to give more abundantly than we can ask or think. Our Lord Jesus Christ has provided us with the ability to meet the conditions, which is to take His yoke upon us so that we can learn from Him. We can be sure that if we chose it, He will fulfill His promise to lead us into all righteousness. Praise and glory be to God for His love and faithfulness, which endures forever.

Question

Where does our faith come from?

Answer

Faith is a gift from God (Scripture). All have faith (Scripture), but not all have faith in God (Scripture). Faith is to humans what instincts are to animals (Scripture). The soul is restless according to the saints of old (Scripture), until it comes to rest in God by faith (Scripture). What God said to Gideon (Scripture), He says to all: “Go in the faith you have and you shall reap in due time” (Scripture).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

My Help Comes from the Lord

121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Psalm 121 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Inconvenience is a rubber bumper that helps to keep us in the will of God. Prayer and rejoicing is called for when faced with difficulties and trying times, because only then can faith in God be exercised. Faith will praise and thank the Lord after prayer and before any evidence of deliverance can be seen. This is how our elders were able to obtain a good report, by trusting the Lord and rejoicing before seeing His blessings. They reasoned and agreed with God. Complainers unwittingly agree with the devil. Broken plans are a part of life. Get over it, let go of what you can’t and make the best use of what you’ve got. God will always provide you what you need. Realize if you always have what you think you need before you start, you would never learn to trust God. The counsel of the ungodly is to make it happen for yourself, and the world will applauded those who appear to do just that. This illusion of control is a house built on the sand though. The righteous cling to the truth that God alone is in control of all things. They stand in the readiness that comes from the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, praying for every need and waiting on the Lord with joyful expectation. God has predestined us to bear the appointed fruit in the appropriate season. Not one second early, not one second late, but precisely at the proper time. Do you believe the Scriptures? 

Question

What does faith do?

Answer

Faith must follow-through (Scripture). Faith is the eye that sees (Scripture), and the hand that receives (Scripture). Faith starts and ends with love (Scripture). Faith is the surety and assurance for confidently taking the 3-point shot (Scripture), and glorifying God with praise and thanksgiving is like the follow-though motion that completes every successful 3-pointer (Scripture), which ensures faith doesn’t end before the ball passes though the spiritual hoop called hope and sinks into the net of this physical world (Scripture).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Way of the Righteous

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm 1 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Take a few moments right now to pause and consider just some of what you’ve been taking for granted. If you rolled out of bed this morning and were able to fill your belly with food, somewhere there are people who would think that a beautiful day. When you lose sight of those who are less fortunate than you and only see those who are more fortunate, you will be one ungrateful and unhappy mess. Leave all complaining against the providence of God to the unbelievers. Count some of your blessings you have been taking for granted.  Let your heart be fill with gratitude so your mind can be filled with peace and contentment. This too is a gift of God from whom all blessings flow.

Question

How do we increase our contentment?

Answer

Ruthlessly eliminate distraction (Scripture). Let the advertisements you can’t avoid roll off you like water off the back of a duck (Scripture). Vain pursuits, vain passions, vain thoughts, look to the left, look to the right, all that is of this world is continuously streamed from giant screens on the wall to small screens held in the hand (Scripture). The volume of the messages of the world must be purposely turned down if one is to hear wisdom (Scripture). There is no contentment without godliness (Scripture), because without godliness people are ruled by the flesh, which can never have enough (Scripture).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In the Shadow of Your Wings Will I Take My Refuge

57 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth. Psalm 57:1-5 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Time is a finite resource with an unknown portion given to each of us. The opportune moment to do the right thing will always be right NOW. Take a look at the state of this world in the light of the Scriptures and it is not hard to see that we are currently living in the last days. Though it may seem to be far off, let each of us be found faithfully waiting for the return of the Lord. Remember just as the flood came in the days of Noah, so our Lord Jesus Christ has promised to come suddenly and when least expected. Closer today than it was yesterday. Let us be ready.

Question

How shall we stand before such a holy God?

Answer

Only by grace, which works by faith (Scripture). The fear of the Lord is the acknowledgement that there is only one safe way of standing before God (Scripture), and trembling is carefulness to order both the inner and outer conversations correctly (Scripture). Without fear and trembling, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Scripture). Let us watch (Scripture), work (Scripture), and enter into His courts with praise and thanksgiving (Scripture).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lord Will Bless His People With Peace

29 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength.
2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars; yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.
10 The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.
11 The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. Psalm 29:1-11 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

What is sown is what will be reaped as a seed can only produce its kind. Ignorance of the type of seed sown doesn’t change this law. Such laws of nature are ordained by God. Examination of natural laws, which can be seen, are often useful to understand the unseen spiritual realities that frame the physical world. The Scientific Enlightenment of the 17^th Century had nothing less than this as its chief aim until suffering the loss of God at its center in these more modern times of the last days. There is only darkness without God, but knowing about God is not enough. We must press on to actually know God through personal experience. This is the one thing needful. Pray for it, meditate on His word, seek to obey Him completely, and Christ has promised to reveal Himself to the one who waits on Him to do so. Keep sowing to the Spirit and you will surely reap the fruits of the Spirit in due season.

Question

How can we increase our inner peace?

Answer

Inner peace is like love, neither of which can be had without thinking about an object that produces these feelings (Scripture). If you want to feel love, focus on a loved one (Scripture). If you want to feel inner peace, focus on God (Scripture). Nurture the seed of inner peace with much time spent in silent prayer (Scripture), and this fruit of the Spirit will bloom even in the mists of this stormy world (Scripture). 

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lord Preserves His Saints Forever

27  Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged. Psalm 37:27-33 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

It’s crazy to believe you can have the fruits of perseverance without the testing of your determination. He who wins is the one who keeps his hand on the plow when it hurts. He who loses gives up and turns back before reaching the end of the row. So press on, fight on, struggle on, accept the pain, and know that all who remain standfast in Christ have already won! Remember that no matter what comes or doesn’t come, Almighty God is your sustainer. He alone is worthy of complete trust. Depend only on Him and all that happens will only increase the strength of your faith. Faith can only be exercised when our interpretation of reality contradicts the word of God. The word of God is completely reliable. Doubt your doubts that arise only from fallible human reasoning, deceivable physical senses, interpretations based on limited information, or the feelings triggered by circumstances. Indeed, this is the only time when faith can be expressed externally by our words and deeds. Blessed are all who speak and do the word of God in the face of trials. We may have to sow in righteousness with tears, but we have a divine guarantee to reap a bountiful harvest with great joy. 

Question

Why must we be born again?

Answer

Imagine the earth breaking free of its orbit around the sun and spinning out into the darkness of other space (Scripture). Physical life on earth may continue for a short period of time in such a case, but essentially it would be dead as soon as it starts moving away from the sun (Scripture). Trapped on a dying planet heading into the dark abyss, self on the throne of the heart makes it impossible to reverse course (Scripture).  The salvation plan of God is to restore fallen humanity to its proper orbit by creating it anew (Scripture. Because death came to all as a result of the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, this new creation requires being spiritually born again (Scripture). Impossible to understand when self still reigns supreme (Scripture). Deny self, believe the word of God, and you will see the light of the gospel (Scripture). Pick up your cross, die to self, and you will live the new life (Scripture). Follow Jesus, place the will of God in its rightful place, and all of life makes sense (Scripture).

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon all your faithful people your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Faithfulness of the Lord is All Around Us

8 O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.
11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.
12 The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.
13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Psalm 89:8-14 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Do what you can, with whatever you have right now, wherever you may happen to be. Don’t wait for things to be perfect. Don’t expect life to always be pleasant, nor should you expect things to always be easy. Pray and seek to do the right thing according to the word of God always and in everything. Not that we are sufficient to make things happen for ourselves as some motivational speakers vainly boast. Our sufficiency comes from God alone. This understanding is the first important step. To know that God must provide all. Without this first step, the second step of working for the glory of the Lord will prove to be an impossible work too great and a burden too heavy for us. The second step entails exercising faith to put the hands to the plow, fixing the eyes on Jesus Christ, and waiting on the Lord in eager expectation of the fulfillment of all His precious promises. By faith we take the first step, then second step, and then the next. Just as every baby must first crawl and then wobblingly walk about, the same is true for spiritual babies as we learn to walk in the Spirit wholeheartedly trust in our God. This we can and will do, because it doesn’t depend our strength. It depends on God, and He is forever faithful to do just as He has promised. Abba, Father. We believe.

Question

How can we be happier in the everyday things of life?

Answer

Eliminate the words “I have to” from your thinking and speech (Scripture). Practice using “I get to” instead (Scripture). The former is of the letter of the law and latter is under grace (Scripture). The “have-get” swap, switch, or correction seems a small thing, but the results can be felt immediately (Scripture). For example, the next time you catch yourself saying “I have to go to work,” immediately correct the statement with “I get to go to work” (Scripture). The tough things in life become less so when we consider them as much of a blessing from God as the more pleasurable things in life (Scripture). A heart is full of gratitude is the attitude that increases the level of daily happiness (Scripture).   

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon all your faithful people your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Joy of the Lord Is Our Strength

98 O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
2 The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
5 Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.
7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
9 Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. Psalm 98 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Yesterday is gone forever. Don’t allow it to distract you from the now. Ready or not, tomorrow stands at the door. Take the discomfort necessary to be ready for it, or you will be forced to suffer the greater pain born from procrastination later. Do not deceive yourself by saying in your heart “when the time is right, I will live wholly for the Lord.” Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ with your whole heart right now, then step out in faith and obedience. We don’t need to rely on our own strength to do this. The needed grace for the humble is both a precept and a promise. Our part is to willfully consent to be humble, and the promise is that God will make us so. The hand of faith can only receive what the eye of faith sees as the will of God. Humble yourself by depending on God to provide all the grace you need to do His good, pleasing, and perfect will. 

Question

What is important?

Answer

Knowing your place is important (Scripture). In 100 years, only a few of us will be remembered by those who come after (Scripture). That is not important though (Scripture). Knowing our place requires us to love much (Scripture). Knowing our place calls for us to accept the responsibility to do what we can for God and others (Scripture). Indeed, we will be accountable to God whether we choose to accept this responsibility or not (Scripture). God requires that we love Him with all our heart and Gabriel the Archangel can do no more than that (Scripture). Greatness doesn’t matter at all (Scripture). The particulars of our individual call are unique, but the general call of God is the plain command to do what we can (Scripture).      

The Prayer Appointed for This Week from the Book of Common Prayer

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon all your faithful people your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.