"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE NEEDING ENCOURAGEMENT"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE NEEDING ENCOURAGEMENT"

Psalm 100:3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

In this Psalm, much is said about our LORD. May these truths be a real encouragement to you today. Please take a moment to prayerfully reflect on what is said here about God, and may they minister greatly to your soul.

1. God is the LORD (meaning the existing one) He made you, and you belong to Him, and you are the sheep of His pasture.

Psalm 100:3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

God created You, and then He bought you through the precious blood of Christ, and He has placed you as one of His own sheep in His pasture, i.e His family, in the kingdom of God, His church.

2. God can be approached by you. You can enter into His courts (His presence) with praise. You can be thankful to Him, and you can bless His name.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

What a joy to know that we have this great privilege and access to our God. You can approach Him this very moment. And, You can give Him praise, ( just think about all the blessings He has brought into your life ) and, you can be thankful to Him, ( for all of those blessings )

3. Here are three more wonderful truths about our God.

(1) The LORD is good. This word "good" means, better, goodness, precious, beautiful. And, it carries the idea of benefit and prosperity, of being right, and pleasant. He is all of that, and so much more. The LORD is good.

(2) His mercy is everlasting. Or to put it another way, His kindness, his goodness, His favor, His faithfulness, and His love are unfailing. How wonderful He is, and He never changes. He is merciful this very day, and His mercy is towards you personally. His unfailing love is towards you this day also.

(3) His truth endures to all generations. Truth here, has the idea of faithfulness. God is faithful, stable, dependable, truthful. He is firm, loyal, steadfast, and just plain steady. He is all of these things each and every day, to every generation, including the one we live in. And, you as an individual, are the beneficiary of His truth this very day.

A prayer:

Father, You are our God, and we are Your people. You have made us to be Yours. You have placed us as Your children, and as the sheep of Your pasture. There is not better shepherd than You Lord. Thank You for who You are, and thank You for helping us to understand You, and to enjoy You, and to be encouraged by You.
We pray for ourselves, and any we know that are this very day in need of encouragement, ( and surely there are many ), that You would flood them with that encouragement and comfort. Father if you want us to contact someone today, and just tell them hello, we love them, we are thinking of them, we are praying for them, would You put them on our hearts. Thank You Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD RULING OVER YOUR LIFE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD RULING OVER YOUR LIFE"

Judges 8:22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”

Judges 8:23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.”

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

Gideon was a man the Lord raised up to deliver Israel out of it's troubles, and he did. The people wanted him to rule over them, but he would not. He knew better. He directed them towards God's leadership.

1. We need leadership in our lives, but can often look for it in the wrong places, specifically to man, and not to God. Judges

8:22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”

2. In this passage, Gideon knew better than to take the place that truly belonged to God, and thus he refused the request of the people, and directed them towards the Lord.

Judges 8:23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you.”

3. We as people have a tendency to be just like the people in Gideon's day. We will look to man to rule over us, when in fact, we ought to look to the Lord to perform that great need in our lives.

Isa 42:16* I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will make the darkness bright before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.

4. God is more than willing to rule over you, and your life. In fact, there is no one better than God to do this, and He alone rightly deserves that place of leadership in your life.

Col 2:10 and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.

5. God will most gladly lead you, but you must sincerely give yourself to Him, and then You will find yourself in the middle of His most wonderful will. It's the only logical thing to do, in light of what He has done for you in dying on the cross for your sins, and rising from the dead, that You might have eternal life by grace through faith.

Rom 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?

Rom 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

A prayer:

Father, left to our own wisdom we do not do well. You want to provide for us what we cannot find or produce on our own. We thank You that You desire to not only save us, but to be our Lord and our Master. Please keep us from seeking that leadership from other sources, and direct our hearts day by day away from our own wisdom, and lead us to be led by You, and Your wisdom. We want to this day, submit ourselves to You, and to follow You with all of our hearts in Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE NEEDING TO COME BACK TO GOD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE NEEDING TO COME BACK TO GOD"

Judges 6:18b And He said, “I will wait until you come back.”

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

The above verse is a portion of Scripture where the Lord was speaking to Gideon, who was going to prepare an offering for the Lord. And, the Lord told him, "I will wait until you come back"

In this case Gideon was not spiritually away from the Lord, but momentarily he was physically away. He was actually in the process of doing something for the Lord. And the Lord was waiting for him.

But, there is a Biblical principle here in this statement.  “I will wait until you come back.” This principle does indeed apply to God's children who have gone away from Him, and the Lord is waiting till they come back to Him.
He wants them to come back to Him. If You are away from the Lord, He wants you to come back to Him.
Here are a few thoughts and verses of Scripture that I pray will be an encouragement to you, or someone you know who has gone away from the Lord. But, the Lord is waiting for them to come back.

1. God is a very patient and loving God.

1Jo 4:16* And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

2. God sincerely desires that His people come back to Him.

Zec 1:3* “Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts.

3. Anyone, without question who wants to, can come back to God.

Matt11: 28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

4. God is faithful forgive and restore those who have gone away from Him.

Eph 1:7* In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

5. Please know, it's never too late to come back to God.

Lu 23:43* And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
( Jesus said this to the thief on the cross who was about to die.)

6. God gives the gift of repentance to bring someone back to Himself.

Jas 1:17* Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
( That would include the gift of repentance )

7. A person can by repentance make their way back to God in an instant.

Ac 13:38* “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;

8. What a returning person will find, is a loving God waiting for them, and wanting to bless them, just as the father did with his prodigal son.

Lu 15:22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

9. Peter had left the Lord so to speak, through his denials. And the Lord restored him, and then used him mightily.

Acts 1:15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said,

Acts 1:16“Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;

(The above is when Peter who had denied the Lord was chosen by God to be the first preacher in the NT)

10. If you are away from the Lord at this time,  He is waiting for you to come back to Him.

Luke 15:20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

(The prodigals father had been waiting for him to come home)

11. It's the goodness of the Lord that leads a person to repentance. He may be leading you at this very moment.

Ro 2:4* Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

12. God waits that He may be gracious and merciful to you. This is His nature, and He wants to show you grace and mercy. And, God promises to bless those who wait for Him.

Isa 30:18* Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.

A Prayer:

Father, what a wonderful and gracious Father You are. Thank You for never turning us away, and thank You for being so patient, and so kind, and so forgiving. You truly are indescribable from this side of heaven. But, one day, we will see You face to face. We pray for ourselves, and or anyone we know that may need to come back to You.
Would You please pour Your goodness out towards them, and draw them to Yourself. Give the gift of repentance to them, and draw them by Your kindness and goodness. In Jesus name, Amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD GIVING YOU STRENGTH TO MARCH FORWARD"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD GIVING YOU STRENGTH TO MARCH FORWARD"

Judges 5:21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength!

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

This verse, was sung by a woman named Deborah, who was a judge in Israel. She sang this song after the Lord had delivered Jaban the King of the Cannan into their hands, and had also brought vengeance on a man named Sisera, another enemy of Israel. So, this verse is part of a victory song, sung after God had brought vengeance upon the enemies of Israel. God had saved them from terrible oppression. I'm certain God has given you victories in the past, and He has a will and a future for you now. May You also move forward in His strength and power just like Deborah was praying.

1. Please notice what Deborah said towards the end of this verse.
Judges 5:21 The torrent of Kishon swept them away, That ancient torrent, the torrent of Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength!

(1) "O My soul" Or "O my true inner self".

(2) "March on" Or, let's move forward into God's will.

(3) "In strength" Or in power, might, boldness.

2. God has much to say about giving His people strength on the inside. He gives this strength for a variety of reasons. Let's look at just a few. Because Just as Deborah was proclaiming her being able to move forward in God's strength and power, so can you. God wants to give you His power. And, here are some examples of why He does.

(1) It's so that you can have patience and endurance, and be filled with joy, even though things may be tough and difficult.

Col 1:11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, NLT

(2) That you would have God's mighty inner strength.

Eph 3:16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. NLT

(3) That You might be a powerful witness for Christ. Telling others about Christ.

Acts 1:8 But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

(4) That You might be given Spiritual Wisdom.

Eph 1:16 I have never stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,

Eph 1:17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.

3 In summary.

The Lord wants to enable you to march on in His strength also. You have a future in front of you, and God has a will for that future, but, He wants you to march into it, in and with His power.

His power, The Holy Spirit, will give you patience, endurance, joy, strength and power on the inside, enabling you to tell others about Christ, along with giving you spiritual wisdom.

A prayer:

Father, You have given us victories in the past, but the battles we face and the opportunities we have in the future are many. Thank You that we can like Deborah, by Your power march forward in strength and courage.
We pray this day, that You would please fill us afresh with the Holy Spirit. You have promised to give that strength to us just for the asking. And, thus we ask for it today. In Jesus wonderful name.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE KNOWING THE LORD PERSONALLY"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE KNOWING THE LORD PERSONALLY"

Judges 2:10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.

Judges 2:11 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals;

Judges 2:12 and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed
down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger.

Judges 2:13 They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

These verses underscore the importance of knowing the Lord personally. It's one thing for your parents to know the Lord, but quite another for the children to know the Lord. It's so important that the knowledge of the Lord is passed down to our children, so that they might come into a personal knowledge of God. The blessings of that are great, and so are the consequences in the lives of those who do not know the Lord,

1. A generation arose that did not know the LORD, nor the work which He had done for Israel.

Judges 2:10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.

The generation before the one spoken of here, had two things in their lives. They knew the LORD, and they knew the work which He had done for His people. Their children however lacked both of these things. And, the consequences were tragic.

2. The generation that followed, did evil in the sight of the Lord. How different they were from their parents.
And, what made the difference? They did not know the Lord nor His work. They were without God. They did not share in what their parents had known. They simply did not know the Lord. Please notice what happened to them.

Judges 2:11 Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals;

3. The lack of not knowing the Lord, as mentioned led to destructive behavior. Please notice what is said in the verses below.

Judges 2:12 and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed
down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger.

Judges 2:13 They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

They forsook the LORD, and they followed other gods, and they bowed down to them, and they provoked the LORD to anger.

4. Some applicational thoughts.

(1) Knowing the Lord is not something that just happens. A person must come into a personal relationship with God. Perhaps Your parents knew the Lord, but do You? How about Your children? You may know the Lord, but do they?

(2) The blessings of knowing the Lord, and walking in an active and committed relationship with Him, is that He keeps us from evil and brings blessings into our lives. Not so, with those who do not know Him. They are without the wonderful grace and power of God. It's such a tragedy to see people perishing, and suffering, and all because they were without that personal relationship with God.

(3) Rather than abandoning God and chasing after other gods, we as Children of God, can draw close to God, and say no to the gods of this world. What a joy to be set free in Jesus Christ.

(4) God desires to bring His blessings into your life. He wants You to have the abundant life that He has promised. And, that is found as we abide in Him, and abide in His Word.

(5) God also wants us who know Him, to pass that knowledge on to others. We have a commission from the Lord to make disciples and be a light to those in darkness.

A prayer:

Father, Your Word lays it out plain and simple. You are the one that makes the difference in our lives. And, without You we are left to our own ways. We need You to keep us from evil. We desire to draw close to You, and we know that if we do, You will draw close to us. Please help us to keep You first, and to live with a sense of mission in this world. To know You, and to make You known. In Jesus name, amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HELPING ONE ANOTHER RECEIVE WHAT GOD HAS FOR US"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HELPING ONE ANOTHER RECEIVE WHAT GOD HAS FOR US"

Judges 1:1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, “Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?”

Judges 1:2 And the LORD said, “Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”

Judges 1:3 So Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory.” And Simeon went with him.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

This passage explains what happens after Joshua died, and how the children of Israel worked together to accomplish the will of God, and receive what God had willed for them to have and possess. There are several great Biblical principles that apply in our lives today. God has a will for each of us, and, He wants us to walk in it, and we can assist one another in this regard.

1. We start by praying and asking God for wisdom and direction.

Judges 1:1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, “Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?”

We see here that the children of Israel prayed, and asked the Lord to show them who would be the first to go in and begin fighting against the enemies of God and of the children of Israel. We can do the same thing, and are promised that God will hear us and answer our prayer for wisdom.

2. We can trust God to answer our prayers and give us wisdom.

Judges 1:2 And the LORD said, “Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”

As we can see, the LORD spoke to them, and gave them exact answers to their prayers. Along with the answer as to who would go in first, there was given a promise of victory. God was not only telling them who would go in and fight, but that they were going to win the battle, because, God Himself was going to deliver the land into the hands of the tribe of Judah.

Jas 1:5* If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

3. We are called by God to love and serve one another.

And, that is exactly what happened in this case. Judah asked his brother Simeon, if he and his tribe would come and help him in the battle. They would fight the enemy together. Judah then promised that he would then go and fight by Simeon's side when he went into gain his land. We see that Simeon agreed to the request. So, they teamed up, and went in to fight together. God has called us to this kind of teamwork.

Judges 1:3 So Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory.” And Simeon went with him.

Ga 5:13* For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

A prayer:

Father, You have adopted us and placed us into Your family as Your children, but then as being members of one another. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. You set the example by coming to earth not to be served, but to serve us. And, He has called us to serve one another. In fact, Jesus told us that the greatest in the kingdom, is the person who takes on the role of serving one another. Help us Lord to follow Your example. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE"

Joshua 24:23 “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel.”

Joshua 24:24 And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!”

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

These were some of Joshua's final words of exhortation and direction to the people on how to live their lives for the Lord. Let's take a look at several of the clear and encouraging direction that we can apply in our own lives.

1. Put away foreign God's which are among you. Or destroy the idols among you. The people has allowed themselves to compromise their lives with God, by allowing some of the pagan idols into their lives. They were now being told by Joshua, "put these things away" "Get rid of those things that don't belong in your life"
Joshua 24:23a “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you. This is tremendous counsel from God. Remove that which does not belong in your life.

2. Incline your heart to to the LORD God of Israel. Or turn your hearts to the LORD, who is the God of Israel.
This is the proverbial other side of the coin, put away sin, and pursue the Lord. It starts in our hearts. By His grace and power, we can turn our hearts towards Him, and draw near to Him, and He will draw near to us.
Joshua 24:23 “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel.”

3. Make a decision to serve God and to obey Him. That is what the children of Israel did in response to the words of God through Joshua. They were simply saying, “We will serve the LORD our God. We will obey him alone.”
These two things make for a wonderful life here on earth. Serving God and obeying God. Or trust and obey.
Give yourself to the Will of God, and then walk in obedience to what He says to You.
Joshua 24:24 And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!”

4. In summary.

(1) Get rid of what does not belong in your life

(2) Put away sin, and pursue the Lord with all your heart.

(3) Decide today, "I'm going to serve God, and I'm going to obey God"

(4) Remember, You can't do these things on your own, but God will give you the grace and the power to do them, and He will bless You as You do them.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for the clarity of Your Word. It literally and simply makes things so clear, bringing into focus who You are, and who we are, and where we are going, and where You want us to go, and what will happen if we go our way, or Yours. We want to go Your way Lord.
Would You this day, please forgive us of our sins, and bring the power, strength and might of the Holy Spirit into our lives this day. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S PROMISE TO HELP HIS PEOPLE HAVE VICTORY"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S PROMISE TO HELP HIS PEOPLE HAVE VICTORY"

Joshua 23:5 “And the LORD your God will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God promised you.

Joshua 23:6 “Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left,

Joshua 23:7 “and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them,

Joshua 23:8 “but you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.

Joshua 23:9 “For the LORD has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day.

A few explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

These were some of Joshua's last words to the children of Israel, and they include promises of what God would do for them, and they include encouragements, and instruction. All of these verses do indeed give sound direction for the Christian today, that when followed help us to live the Victorious Christian life.

1.  God promised to expel their enemies, so that the could possess the land God had promised to them.
Joshua 23:5 “And the LORD your God will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, as the LORD your God promised you.
In applying this to our lives, God promises to keep us from evil, He has provided spiritual armor, and we can possess the blessings of the abundant life He has promised.

2. Notice what God called His people to be. Very courageous, and to keep His Word, to keep them from straying off the path He had for them. The word courageous means to be strong, and the word keep, means to be careful to follow God's instructions.
Joshua 23:6 “Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left.

3. Here God explains that obedience to His Word will keep them from living a compromised life with the pagan peoples around them. They were to live separate from the pagan people around them. That is, not to fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.
Joshua 23:7 “and lest you go among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them,

Another way of saying this is. Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or worship them. NLT.

4. God calls His people to hold fast to Him. And, He mentions that holding fast to Him, is what they had been doing right up to this moment of Joshua's speech to  them. The idea here is that of being faithful to God.
Joshua 23:8 “but you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day.

5. God had done a great work for them, so much so, that no one was able to stand against them. We have this same promise in the NT, that God who is in us, is greater than he who is in the world.
Joshua 23:9 “For the LORD has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. God had given them victory over their enemies.

6. In summary.

(1) God will expel your enemies, and allow you to enjoy the blessings He has for you.

(2) God call us to be strong and to carefully follow His instructions.

(3) God encourages a fully committed life to Him, and wants us to avoid any compromise. Compromise lead to defeat.

(4) God wants You to hold fast to Him. If you have been, then He wants you to just keep holding fast, If you have lost that hold, then you can regain it today by repenting, and turning to Christ once again, and then Hold fast till He comes for you.

(5) God has done a great work on Your behalf. He is greater than all your enemies. Be encouraged.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for all of Your Word. Both the Old and the New Testaments. The stories in them are true, and filled with teaching about who You are, and Your ways, and how we are to live our lives. Thank You also that You have a blessed life for us to live. Please help us to take heed to ourselves, and to take heed to Your Word. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD KEEPING HIS PROMISES"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD KEEPING HIS PROMISES"

Joshua 21:45 Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

1. This verse comes out towards the end of the book of Joshua, and has to do with the many things that God had promised His people, and which He then accomplished. Let's take a look at what is said here.

(1) Jos 21:45a "Not a word failed" That is, all of God's promises came to pass. Not one of them failed. But, literally everyone one of them came to pass.

(2) Jos 21:45b " of any good thing " All of God's promises to His people are good. His thoughts and plans for us are not evil but good. Jer 29:11 God is working all things together for our good.

(3) Jos 21:45c "Any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel." God gave many, many promises to the children of Israel, just as He has to us in the New Testament. God speaks to us through His Word. These promises have come from none other than God almighty, He cannot lie.

(4) Jos 21:45d "All came to pass." Or to say it another way, each and every promise has come to pass. And, it's no different today. All of God's promises to us are going to come true as well.

2. May I encourage you this week as you read the Bible or listen to the Word being preached, to try and make note of the promises you read, or hear. And, please remember that He does not change, and thus every promise He makes will also come to pass.

3. God calls us to believe Him. To trust Him. To rely on Him. He is reliable, and He is trustworthy.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for Your care, and Your faithfulness to us. Would You help us this week to zero in on Your promises as we read Your word, and hear Your Word. And, as we do, please remind us that these are not empty words, but true words, because they are Your Words. we love You Lord. In Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S WISDOM (3 TRUTHS) FROM PROVERBS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S WISDOM (3 TRUTHS) FROM PROVERBS"

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

Proverbs 13:13 He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded.

Proverbs 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. Pro13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. There are two things said here. One has to do with disappointment, and one has to do with joy.

(1) When what we hope for is deferred, or prolonged, or drawn away, or to be postponed is the idea, this will make our hearts sick. To be heart sick, means to be weak, grieved, in pain, to travail. We might call it depression today. Isn't that what happens?. We are hoping for something to come to pass and when it does not, we are very sad.

(2) But, please notice the second part of the verse. Pro 13:12b But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. Or to say it another way, "but when dreams come true, there is life and joy." Let me say two things here. First all of we can commit all of our hopes and desires to the Lord. He knows what is best for us. And, by letting Him have all of our hopes and desires we are pleasing Him by trusting Him. Secondly, please know that God is faithful, and in His own time, and in His own way, He is going to bring what He wants to to pass. And, one day, can you imagine the life and joy we will experience when our hope of seeing Jesus face to face is realized.

2. Proverbs 13:13 He who despises the word will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded. This verse gives us God's wisdom about our attitude towards His Word. One leads to destruction, and the other to reward.

(1) Pro13:13 He who despises the word will be destroyed. To say it another way, "People who despise advice will find themselves in trouble;"

(2) The choice of which attitude we are going to have is up to us. And, the consequences of those choices are set in stone.

(3) Despising, or to disrespect the Word, will lead to trouble. The person who does not respect and obey God's Word will get themselves in trouble.

(4) Fearing, or respecting, obeying, submitting to God's Word will bring reward. Or they will find themselves succeeding in life, rather than being destroyed.

3. Proverbs 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.This verse does not compare or contrast any truth, but rather tells us two things about what God's Word does in the life of a believer who actually trusts and obeys God.

(1) Pro13:14a The law of the wise is a fountain of life, or, the advice of the wise is like a life-giving fountain. Isn't that wonderful and encouraging. God can and will give us wise counsel from His word through wise people. His Word itself is a fountain of life. God certainly paints helpful Word pictures for us. A fountain of life. Indeed it is.

(2) Pro 13:14b To turn one away from the snares of death. In other words, if a person accepts the Word of God, that is to believe it, and to do it. then, it will cause them to avoid the snares of death. There are so many snares set by Satan. And, if a person is in the Word, trusting and acting on the Word, those snares will not get them.
Life can be like a mine field. But, God's Word will show you where those mines are located so you can stay away from them, and not be damaged by them.

(3) Seek good counsel, seek the advice of good and wise, and Godly Christian friends. Associate with wise people, and take their advice to heart, it will keep you safe. Here are a few Scriptures along this line.

Pr 5:1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel.

Pr 6:22 Wherever you walk, their counsel can lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up in the morning, they will advise you.

Pr 8:33 Listen to my counsel and be wise. Don’t ignore it.

Pr 20:18 Plans succeed through good counsel; don’t go to war without the advice of others.

Pr 27:9 The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for the Book of Proverbs. It's filled with the best wisdom we could find anywhere in this world. It's Your wisdom Lord, and You tell us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So, Lord, we want to fear You and then find Your wisdom, and Your knowledge. Thank You again, and may we not be forgetful hearers, but faithful doers of Your Word. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S WILL"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S WILL"

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God"

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. Paul is telling us in no uncertain terms how a christian can know the will of God. By the way, the phrase "will of God" actually means "what is pleasing to God" It's interesting to think of it in this way. How to know what is pleasing to God. Or, that our Father is pleased when we walk and live a certain way.

2. This verse is telling us what is required on our part to personally know what is pleasing to our Father, how we can enter into the personal knowledge of what God's will is for our lives, Let's take a closer look at what is said here.

(1) Rom 12:2a "And do not be conformed to this world" Or, don't copy the behavior and customs of this world. The world here is not the physical and beautiful creation around us, but rather that mindset that unbelievers have. They live as if there is no God, and they are basically given over to three things. They do what they want to do. They get what they want to get, and they become what they want to become. God is saying, that's not how to live if you want to know His will.

(2) Rom 12:2b "But be transformed by the renewing of your mind" Or, let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think" There is a change that God will bring about in our lives as we allow His Word into our lives, and as we seek to understand it, and obey it. When we do that on a consistent basis, we will experience a real transformation in our lives. God will change us into what He wants us to be, by renewing our mind. We will not think the way we used to think, but we will think the way He wants us to think, we will have the mind of Christ.

(3) Rom 12:2c "That you prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" Or, then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. The process of coming to know God's will is kind of like what happens in a baseball game. If you want to get to home plate, then you have to hit the ball, and then make your way to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and then home plate. You will have then scored a run. It's first things first you might say.

(4) In closing, as you can see there are some steps we must take if we are to know the will of God for our lives. And, just like in a baseball game, we must play by the rules. And, God has shown us here just how we can know His will. In fact, He has more than just shown us, it's actually a promise that we will. And, it's an expression of what He wants in our lives. He wants us to be blessed, and we are blessed beyond anything else we could possibly be, when we are knowing and walking in the will of God for our lives. So, if we will follow His instruction given to us here in Rom 12:2, we have God's guarantee that we will find ourselves right were God wants us to be.

A prayer:

Father, You have been so merciful to us. You have come to us while we were dead in our sins, and You have made us alive together with Christ. By Your grace, through faith we have become Your children. And, as adopted children living in Christ, You have something very pleasing to You. It's Your will for our lives, and for situations, and circumstances that we are in. Thank You that there is a clear cut path for us to follow that leads us into what is pleasing to You. Help us Lord to have the personal resolve, to follow Your Word and Your ways, for surely they lead us into that which is pleasing to You, and if it's pleasing to You, it will certainly be the greatest blessing we can experience in our lives. We love You Father, in the name of Jesus.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT THE BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE"

John 13:17 “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. This verse came from our Lord, as He was eating the passover dinner, just before His arrest and mock trial, leading to his death on the cross. May I encourage you to take a look at all the verses leading up to the one posted here. Just start in John 13:1, and then you will see what Jesus was talking about when He said, "If you know these things" etc. But, let's zero in on this one verse, and see what Jesus said. Because what He said is truly one of God's great keys to happiness.

(1) John 13:17a “If you know these things" Know here means, to perceive, to see, to perceive by the senses, it really is simply speaking of our understanding what He was saying. The things Jesus was talking about cover a wide range of subjects. For example, His love, His authority, His coming from God, and about to go back to God.
His being a servant, His being the teacher of God's Word, His call for His disciples to follow His example as a servant. And, there were many other things mentioned after 3:17. But, the above is a short list of what He meant when He said, "These things"

(2) John 13:17 “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. The word blessed, means happy, or happiness. In fact, it means, supremely blessed, to be fortunate, to be well off, to be happier. Now, if you look at the verse again, you will see that Jesus connects knowing, doing and blessed, or happy together. Look again please at what He said. John 13:17 “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

(3) Here's the same verse in the NLT Version. John 13:17 You know these things--now do them! That is the path of blessing. In fact, the disciples did know these things. Just as you and I know many things the Lord has taught us. So, in one sense, it's not a question of needing to know something, for we already do know many things, but rather, we are encouraged to take what we know, and to do them.

(4) Jesus was making the connection between what we know, and blessing. And, the pathway to blessing is simply doing what we know to do. Or being obedient to the Word of God. Obedience to God brings blessings into our lives.

(5) Here are a number of verses that say the same thing. Please remember, that blessed, means happy.

Jer 7:23 “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’

Ps 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Ps 106:3* Blessed are those who keep justice, And he who does righteousness at all times!

Ps 112:1* Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.

Ps 119:1* ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD!

Ps 119:2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!

Pr 8:34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.

Jer 17:7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.

Mt 24:46 “Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

1Sa 15:22 Then Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.

1Pe 1:22* Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

(6) So, just in summary, who does not want to be happy in their lives? I've never met anyone who does not want the blessings of being happy. What Jesus told us, is that being obedient to Him, and to His Word, is indeed the pathway to happiness. So, knowing what the Lord has said, and doing it, lead to our personal happiness.

A prayer:

Father, indeed, Your ways are above our ways, and Your thoughts are not ours. Your ways are right and true altogether. You have shown us Lord, that the desire for happiness is actually fulfilled not by direct pursuit of it, but rather by being obedient to You, and to the things You have taught us, and the things we know from Your Word. Thank You Father for bringing blessings into our lives. Thank You for Your wonderful Word that teaches us all about You. Lord, help us to not only know Your Word, but to understand it, and give each of us the personal resolve to be obedient to You Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WITH HURTING MARRIAGES"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WITH HURTING MARRIAGES"

1st Peter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. Peter has been speaking to wives in the first 6 verses of this chapter, but now he addresses the husbands, giving very clear, concise, and simple instruction on how a husband is to live with his wife, and how he is to treat her, and the blessings they both have in Christ. Let's take a close look at what God has said to us through the apostle Peter.

(1) 1st Peter 3:7a "Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding". The idea here is that of the husband treating his wife with honor and understanding. In other words, just as the wife has responsibilities from the Lord as to how she is to live with her husband, the Lord has similar responsibilities for the husband. And, the idea here again, is that of "consideration" Or with an intelligent recognition of the relationship you have with your wife. Or, try the best you can to understand her. All the while honoring her.

(2) 1st Peter 3:7b  "as to the weaker vessel" Peter is not suggesting at all that the woman is weaker intellectually, but rather physically. While not popular in our modern day culture to say this, it's a simple truth, that women are not as strong physically as men are. And, it's important for a husband as he seeks to honor his wife, and understand her, that he is aware of her physical limitations as compared with his own. She is simply weaker physically than you are.

(3) 1st Peter 3:7c. "and as being heirs together of the grace of life," Here's something else the husband is to understand, that though there are differences between them, there is this similarity ( that is assuming the wife has come to faith in Jesus Christ, and is born again ) that they are both joint heirs of the grace of God. God has bestowed His unmerited favor upon both the husband and the wife. Both are equal partners in God's gift of new life. In other words in this matter you are equals.

(4) 1st Peter 3:7d. " that your prayers may not be hindered." There are different opinions as to just exactly what this means. But, many believe that what Peter is saying here, is that unless a husband treats his wife the way God wants him to, prayers (either the husbands prayers, or the husband and wife praying together ) will be difficult, and or hindered. God wants prayer to be heard, and not just run into the ground as it were. He wants both husband and wife to be unhindered in their ability to pray. It's not to hard to understand for example that if a husband is failing in his duties to his wife, and then asks her to pray with him, she might be resentful and not really be able to put her heart into it. And, on the other hand, if the husband is failing in his duties, he himself will probably not be too inclined to pray. So, loving your wife the way God wants the husband to, will help in the overall communication with God Himself.

(5) God has called the husband to love his wife as his own body, and to lead her by serving her. In fact, the actual first priority in the husbands life, ought to be his wife. My what a difference it makes in a marriage that is hurting when the husband willingly and joyfully and consistently takes his responsibilities seriously, and serves his wife in a sincere way.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for marriage. It's not good for us to be alone. You have created this wonderful union with our spouses. And, yet Lord there can be so much hurt and difficulty that can find it's way into a marriage. Lord, You are the creator of marriage, and Your Word gives us all the instruction we need on how to act within the marriage. You also provide us with the power of Your Holy Spirit to carry out a life that is pleasing to You. So, today Lord, we pray for hurting marriages and ask that anyone reading this who is in a hurting marriage might just pause now, and acknowledge You, and ask for Your wisdom, grace, power and mercy. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE FACING CRISIS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE FACING CRISIS"

2nd Cor 3:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

2nd Cor 3:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. Paul does not skirt the issue of trouble and afflictions, but he does put them into a perspective for us.
He looks at them from the perspective of time, ( what we are living in right now ) and eternity, ( where we as followers of Jesus Christ ) are headed. Let's take a look at what he says, for it's very, very comforting. We will just take these 2 verses, and break them down.

(1) 2nd Cor 3:17a For our light affliction, which is but for a moment. Or to put it another way, "For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long." One of the reasons this is true, is that out lives is found in
James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Time really does fly by doesn't it. Maybe not in the moment, in the time of your crisis, but before you know it, what you are going through will be in the past, and you will think, "wow, time has really gone by"

(2) 2nd Cor 3:17b is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Or, Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! The point here, is that this present affliction, this crisis God is allowing you to go through has a purpose. And, it's a purpose that extends beyond this life into the next. The crisis is in fact a trial, and like all trials as we respond to them according to what God says, He will use them for our benefit. Normally, it's to develop character, but here, Paul is saying that these afflictions are producing something that will meet us in heaven, in glory. They are working to produce for us immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So, this verse is connecting the dot between right now, and the eternal future awaiting you.

(3) 2nd Cor 3:18a while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. Or again, to look at it another way. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. This is telling us about faith. Faith is trusting God, and in this case, it's encouraging us to look to our hope, and to look into the eternal, to look ahead, and put the present into a greater perspective.

We are taught here about the fact that we can look at the invisible things that are eternal. We can look forward to that which we have not yet seen. So often we get stuck just looking at what is going on. It's such a blessing to step outside at night and look up at the moon, and the stars. Wow, that really gives you a new perspective on infinity, and the greatness of what God has created.

Psalm 8:3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
Psalm 8:4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?.

(4) 2nd Cor 3:18b For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
What we can see is only temporary, like the crisis, or the affliction you may be going through right now. But, the things that you cannot see ( though they exist ) are eternal. Put another way, "rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever".

Through faith, we can see the eternal as it were. And, this gives us perspective. There is more to our lives than the crisis, or the afflictions we go through here, waiting to be with the Lord. This is our hope. And, our troubles will soon be over, but the joys that are coming, they are going to last forever. So, crisis's are temporary, and the joy of eternity with Christ is forever, and forever.

(5) Here are some other verse's along this line.

Ps 16:9* Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.

Ac 2:26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.

Ro 5:2* through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Ro 8:20* For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;

Ro 12:12* rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

Tit 1:2* in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

A prayer:

Father, it's so easy to forget You, and to forget eternity, and to forget the plans and the purpose, and the blessings that You have for us. We pray today, for anyone ( including ourselves ) who might be in a crisis of some sort, some affliction, and pray that the truth of these verses might bring Your perspective into their, ( our ) lives. Bless with the joy of the future. Thank You Lord. In Jesus name.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR LONELY HEARTS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR LONELY HEARTS"

1st Cor 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. This is promise from God to His children. Let's take a close look at what is said in this verse.

(1) "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;" Or put another way, "the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience." This is comforting and helpful. Because, when we are going through a time of trial or temptation, we can often feel and think that we are the only ones going through such a situation. But, not so. Other's go through temptations and trials as well.
The fact is, these things are common to man.

(2) "but God is faithful," Or God is dependable and can be trusted. So, if you are in a trial right now, a temptation, related to having a lonely heart, Your God is Faithful. He is with You, and You can count on Him. Paul goes on now to explain what You can count on God to do since He is faithful and dependable.

(3) "who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able," Or again, to put it another way, "He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it." This is one thing we can always depend on. God knows your limitations. It may seem otherwise, but God's Word is the truth about everything.

(4) "but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." Again, to say it another way, "When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it." It is not saying, that God will take you out of the trial or temptation, but that in it, He will show you a way to bear it.
Remember, He is faithful and can be depended on, and He never lives, it's impossible for Him to lie.

(5) One last thing that is not in this verse, but it's all through Scripture, that God will use our trials and temptations to help us grow and become strong and stedfast. That's why the Bible says in

James 1:2 Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.

James 1:3 For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

James 1:4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for being faithful to us. Thank You for speaking to us in and through Your Word. Thank You that Your Word is truth, and that You cannot lie. Thank You for this promise. And, we pray this morning for all those we know ( and it could be ourselves ) who have a lonely heart, that this wonderful verse would be a real comfort and help to them at this time. Please make it hit home like never before. In Jesus name . Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT A GUARANTEE THAT GOD HAS MADE TO BELIEVERS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT A GUARANTEE THAT GOD HAS MADE TO BELIEVERS"

Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Some explanatory thoughts/application and a prayer:

1. Here's what happened to those in Ephesus who became christians, and it's what has happened to those of us today who have also become christians. Paul says, Eph 1:13c "you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise".

2. Let's take a closer look at what this is, and how it applies to our lives today.

(1) This guarantee was put in place as soon as you trusted in Christ. Notice how it's stated here Ephesians 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation;
The Ephesians had the gospel presented to them, and many of them trusted in Christ as their savior. They came to faith. They like you heard the "Word of truth" , which is the good news of salvation. They heard the good news, and they turned to Jesus Christ.

(2) There is more here. We are told, Eph 1:13b "in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." Paul is now explaining what happened to those who trusted in Christ, or believed in Christ to save them, and it's what has happened to you also if you have trusted Christ to save you. Upon your believing You were Eph 1:13d "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise" What this means, is that God has identified you as His own, by giving you the Holy Spirit whom he had promised along time ago. So, this sealing is a mark of ownership. The Holy Spirit comes inside of a Christian when they are saved, and His being there is a "Mark of ownership" It means You belong to God. You are His.

(3) Here's where the guarantee part comes in. Please notice. Ephesians 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Or to say it another way, the Holy Spirit is your guarantee of all that God is going to give you everything He has promised you.
The word guarantee, means, a pledge, or a security. It's like the earnest money one puts down as a downpayment. Today, we would say, "it's the money which in purchases is given as a pledge or downpayment that the full amount will subsequently be paid"

(4) What has God promised to do for those who believe? Please look again at Ephesians 1:14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
The Holy Spirit dwelling within you, is the guarantee you have, until the time when God takes you to heaven, and there you will praise His glory. He has promised not only to save those who believe, but He has promised to be with them after they are saved, and he has promised to eventually take his saved people to heaven.
This is God's guarantee to us. The Holy Spirit in You is His guarantee that He is going to do everything that He has promised to you.

(5) One final way to look at this "Guarantee" Eph 1:14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God. NLT. The Holy Spirit is God's pledge to you, that He has plans for You, and He is going to fulfill those plans. It's just like the person who says, "I'm going to buy that house. And the realtor and the lender say, "Ok, can you please put some money down" That pledge you just made, means that you intend to complete the deal. You are saying by giving the downpayment, "You intend to actually buy the house" Well, God has done the same thing. He has given you a downpayment of what He intends to do. He is going to finish what He started with You, and this is just one more reason that today you can praise God.

A prayer:

Father, You are so good, You have not only given us Christ to believe in, but You have pledged to us, that You will do everything that You have promised to do for us. We now belong to You, and You will finish what You have started in us, and one day, we will wind up in heaven praising You forever, and forever. In the meantime Lord, we have the assurance that You own us, we belong to You, and no one is going to take us away from You. Thank You for this wonderful guarantee. Thank You Holy Spirit for Your being in our lives this very day. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S MANY BLESSINGS IN CHRIST"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S MANY BLESSINGS IN CHRIST"

Ephesians 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

A few explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. Paul in this verse, as with most of the first chapter of Eph, has been telling the Ephesian church, and you and I who also are in Christ, of the many blessings that we have in Christ. And, in this verse we have another one.
Ephesians 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

2. Let's take a brief look at this verse, breaking it down bit by bit.

(1) Eph 1:11a "In Him" This is speaking of the position we are now in, as those who have come to faith. When we repented of our sins, and placed our faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit placed us "In Him" That's where we are, we are in Jesus Christ. In fact, you will find the words "In Christ" mentioned some 85 times in the NT, and "In Him" We used to be without Him, and separated from Him, but, now we are in Him, that is our position. You as a Christian are in Jesus Christ, you are part of His body, His family, His flock, and His household, His army, His field, His building, etc, etc. You are in Him. 1Cor 12:13 "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit".
That is a blessing indeed.

(2) Eph 1:11b "we have obtained an inheritance," Being in Christ, also means that we are now heirs of God, in fact, Rom 8, tells us we are joint heirs with Christ. Heirs have an inheritance. I means that in the will of God we have blessings in store for us. We will receive these when we arrive in heaven. The word inheritance means, to be assigned something. God has assigned a private possession to each one of us. So, we have blessings now, and untold blessings to come when we leave this world and are finally face to face with our Savior.

(3) Eph 1:11c "being predestined according to the purpose of Him" What a great blessing this is. It's speaking of God's having planned His will for our lives. The word predestined means, to determine before, to ordain, to decide beforehand, to decree from eternity, to appoint beforehand. Thus, we are blessed in knowing that even before we were saved, much less created, God had already been planning out His will for our lives. You are today, as a Christian blessed to know that God has a plan for you, and He is working it out in your life. This is His will for you.
You can pray, Lord show me Your will, help me to know Your will, the will that You have planned out for me.

(4) Eph 1:11d "who works all things according to the counsel of His will", I happen to really love this verse. It's one of my favorites in the whole Bible, it's right there with what Paul said in Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose".
What this verse in Eph means, is that God is making everything happen, or work out according to His plan.
He decided this plan, long ago, and is now carrying it out. He is working His plan out for your life. It's what He had planned from the beginning. It's what we were destined for long ago. Again what a blessing.

Here's a quote by a lady named Hannah Moore about God's blessings in our lives. "There are three requisites to the proper enjoyment of earthly blessings: a thankful reflection, on the goodness of the giver; a deep sense of our own unworthiness; and a recollection of the uncertainty of our long possessing them. The first will make us grateful; the second, humble; and the third, moderate."

A prayer:

Father, reading Your Word is like opening up a treasure chest of truth. Thank You for the many, many blessing which You have given to us by Your grace. Thank You Lord. You are so gracious. We love You Lord.
In Jesus name. Amen.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD FORGIVING OUR SINS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD FORGIVING OUR SINS"

1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. The subject matter in this verse, is about sin, confession of our sins, the faithfulness of God to forgive us, and of His cleansing us all unrighteousness.

1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2. Let's take a closer look at what is said here.

(1) If we confess our sins. To confess, means to agree with God, it means to say the same thing that God does.
Thus when we confess to God, we are saying, we agree with what You have said about something that we have actually done, or have thought about. That's what it means to confess, to agree with God.

(2) Sins, means, when we break God's laws, or disobey His Word. The word sin, literally means, to miss the mark, to err, to be mistaken. To miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong. To wander from God's law, and violate God's law. To sin, is to do that which is wrong, it's an offense, a violation of the Divine law in thought or in act.

(3) He is faithful and just.  John is now talking about our God, and describing two  of His attributes, or characteristic's, and that is, He is faithful, and that He is just.  1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful. This means, that God is trustworthy, dependable, can be counted on, or can be relied on, God will do what He says He will do. God is Faithful. How wonderful to know this. The fact that God is just, means, righteous. or virtuous, faultless. In fact, only god is truly Just.

(4) To forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This is telling us what God is faithful to do when we confess our sins to Him. When you agree with God about your sin, there are two things that He does, He forgives, and He cleanses. To forgive means, to send away, to let go, to let be, to leave. To give up, to remit, to keep no longer. To abandon. That's what He does with our sins. He lets them go. But, that's not all. He also cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Or to cleanse us from every wrong. It's similar to forgiveness. It's just telling us that He washes us from our sins as it were. Unrighteousness, is that which is wrong. And, through the Blood of Christ, we are forgiven, and cleansed of our sins.

A prayer:

Father, we are saved, but we still sin. And, when we do. We wish we did not sin, and sincerely ask that You help us not to sin. Forgive us when we do, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Father, we have no one to blame when we sin, except ourselves. We make the choice. But, we also can make the choice to come clean with You, and You Lord are faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and to wash us clean of them.
Lord, we want to ask that this day, if there is any sin, that we have not confessed, that we would do so this very moment, and receive Your forgiveness, and Your cleansing. Thank You Father, in Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT 3 BLESSINGS GOD HAS GIVEN YOU IN CHRIST"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT 3 BLESSINGS GOD HAS GIVEN YOU IN CHRIST"

Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. These three blessings belong to each and every person who is "in Christ" All of who have come to faith in Jesus Christ, and are saved, have these and of course many other blessings. But, we are going to look at just these three today.

(1) He has made us accepted in the beloved. Essentially, this means, that we are honored with blessings by Him. Also, it has the idea of being highly favored, and to make accepted. We once were not in this position, but just as Jesus ascended to the Father and was welcomed into heaven, we who are in Christ, are as accepted by God as Jesus is. And, you have to ask yourself, how accepted is Jesus by the Father?. Well, that's exactly how He accepts us. Remember, we are joint heirs with Christ.

(2) In Him we have redemption through His blood. Now, this is another blessing. We have redemption, and we have this through His blood, that is His life being given for our sins payment on the cross. Redemption means that we belong to Him, through His having purchased us. Imagine, God bought you! Wow. Why would He buy such as us? Because He loves us, and wants to know us, and wants us to not perish, but have eternal life with Him.

(3) In Him.....The forgiveness of sins. This is something that only God can give. He is the Forgiver of sins. We cannot do this for ourselves. It's impossible. The wages of sin is death. We would have to die, and be separated from Him forever to pay for our sins. But, He paid for them instead. And, now our sins are forgiven. They are gone away from us, never to be remembered anymore, and never to be held against us. The only remembrance of them, will be on our part, and that memory is, that our Great God has forgiven us for them. Thank You Lord.

A prayer:

Father, the blessings we have looked at today, are just a small sample of the many that we have from You. You are the Great Accepter, Redeemer, and Forgiver, and You are the great Blesser if you will, of all who will put their trust in You. Thank You for leading us to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We love You Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOING THROUGH TRIALS"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOING THROUGH TRIALS"

1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,

1 Peter 1:7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. We truly rejoice in what God has done for us. That's what we are told in 1 Pet 1:6. Which is speaking of our salvation. Here's how Peter put it a few verses earlier 1 Pet 1;3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
So, we rejoice that God has saved us. We have been saved by His mercy, and we are saved unto a living hope through Jesus Christ's rising from the dead.

2. So, here are five truths about trials.

(1) Trials are only temporary. 1st Pet 1:6b. "though now for a little while.” This means, they come for a season.
Just like we go through summer, then into fall, then into winter, and then into spring. There are seasons of nature, and they come, and they go. And, that is one of the truths of a trial. They come, and then at some point they are gone.

(2) Trials only come when they are needed. 1st Pet 1:6c "if need be" That is, they come when they are necessary. And, of course our Lord knows when they are needed, and He is faithful to allow them into our lives.

(3) Trials bring grief into our lives. 1 Pet 1:6d you have been grieved by various trials, In other words, they make us sorrowful, they bring sadness, they cause grief, and they make us uneasy. That's the truth isn't it.

(4) Trials come in various ways. 1 Pet 1:6e. "by various trials," There can be many trials that come all at once, or one after the other.

(5) Trials come only to test your faith. To show that your faith is strong and pure. That's what 1st Pet 1:7a says. "that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes,"

(6) Trials not only test your faith, but will be the basis for much praise, and glory, and honor on the day that Jesus Christ is revealed to the entire world. 1st Pet 1:7 b "may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,"

3. So, if you are in a trial right now, may I encourage you to just take a few moments and read these most descriptive and helpful verses from God that speak to what you are going through. May you simply believe what God says, and look forward to His being faithful to accomplish in You what He intends. You will be much stronger after the Lord gets you through the trial. And, He will. The 3 verses below are in the New Living Translation.

1st Pet 1:3 All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead.

1st Pet 1:6 So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.

1st Pet 1:7 These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

A prayer:

Father, each day, Your Word is indeed the bread of life for our souls. Thank You for all that You do in us through Your Word. You give us perspective, truth, insight, understanding, comfort and hope. Thank You for all You do for us day by day. And, we particularly thank You for this teaching on "trials" We go through them, and these verses really shed light on why we go through them, and how to go through them, and the purpose you have in mind for us going through them. We love You and can hardly wait to see You face to face. In Jesus name, Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BEING BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BEING BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE"

Exodus 14:13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
Exodus 14:14 “The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. These two verses are a record of what God did for His people when they were trapped as it were. They could not go back, because Pharaoh’s army was behind them, they could not go to the left or to the right, because the terrain would not allow an escape, and they certainly could not go forward, because of the Red Sea. They were trapped. They were in the Proverbial, "Between a rock and a hard place"

2. But, God is above all rocks, and all hard places, and above all situations when a person is trapped. In fact, in this case, the Lord had led them into this location, and I'm certain it was to reveal His great power and strength to them, and to begin teaching them, that His people can look to Him, trust Him, wait on Him, for He is faithful to deliver.

3. So, here is what God said to His people through His servant Moses in the NLT Version.

Exodus 14:13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the LORD rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again.

Exodus 14:14 The LORD himself will fight for you. You won’t have to lift a finger in your defense!”

4. Let's break this down a little bit and look closely at what was told the people.

(1) "Don't be afraid"

(2) "Just stand where you are and watch the LORD rescue you.

(3) The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again.

(4) The LORD himself will fight for you.

(5) You won't have to lift a finger in your defense.

5. And, we all know the story, God came through just as He said He would, and just as He always does. He is our faithful and true Savior. He makes promises that He makes good on, and He cannot lie.

6. May I encourage You if you are in a difficult place right now to let these words sink deep into your heart, and ask the Lord to wash your fears away, and to give You direction as to what He wants You to do. Our God, is the same God of the people in Exodus. He has not changed, and He loves You, knows all about Your situation, and is very capable of helping You.

A prayer:

Father, what a comfort it is to comforted by You. What a blessing it is, that You would give us Your Word to guide us, to calm us, to encourage us, to lift us up, and to put faith and courage in our hearts, to calm our fears.
And, what a blessing to know that You indeed are our Deliverer. We love You Lord. In Jesus name. Amen

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S BLESSINGS IN YOUR LIFE"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S BLESSINGS IN YOUR LIFE"

Ephesians 1:3 How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.

Ephesians 1:4 Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

Ephesians 1:5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.

Ephesians 1:6 So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son.

Ephesians 1:7 He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. Paul was praising God for the fact of His blessings in the lives of the Christians in Ephesus. And these same blessings belong to each and every believer today, just as they did then. These blessings belong to those who are in Christ, ( this is the Bible's way of describing our position now that we are saved ) Here again, is what God said through Paul. Ephesians 1:3 How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. So, let's look at some of these blessings, and may you be blessed as you do.

2. God loves you, and He chose you to be in Christ, and has set you apart, to be without fault before Him.
Ephesians 1:4 Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. So, even before the world began, God loved you, and and picked you to be holy, or set apart to Himself, and that you would be without any fault before Him. Being in Christ means that there is no condemnation anymore.

3. God has adopted you into His family, as His child. See Ephesians 1:5 His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.
Adopting you has always been His plan, and He accomplished His plan in and through Jesus Christ. And, having You as His child has given and does give Him great pleasure.

4. God has poured out His love on you. Ephesians 1:6 So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. What a thought. He has actually poured out His love. Not given it in drips and drabs, or now and then, but rather poured it out. And, He has done this because You belong to Jesus Christ.

5. God has both purchased us, and He has forgiven us of our sins. Ephesians 1:7 He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. Believers belong to God. The reason we do, is that He bought us, or He redeemed us. The price was the blood of Jesus Christ. And, not only did He purchase us, but He has forgiven us of all our sins. They are gone because of Jesus Christ's death on the cross for us. Jesus paid for our sins, and now as those who belong to Him, we are clean from our sins. They are forgiven.

6. A Recap of the blessings of God. (And, this is just a small sample of the many blessings we have in Christ)

There are many of them. Paul says, blessing(s)

We are loved by God.

God has chosen us to be His children.

The Lord adopted us into His family.

Our Father poured out His love upon us.

We have been purchased by God, and now belong to Him.

Finally, our sins have been forgiven.

A prayer:

Father, we stand in awe as we truly consider what You have done for us, and what You are doing, and what You will do for us. Thank You for all of the many, many blessings that belong to us. You have given us all of these blessing through Your Son Jesus Christ. You are the great blessing dispenser, and Jesus is the way that You have dispensed them. We are the blessed ones. And, we praise You this day for them. May our lives reflect to the world around us, of all that You have given to us. May we bring glory and honor to You, for You are worthy O Lord to receive it. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HOW TO VIEW A TRIAL"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT HOW TO VIEW A TRIAL"

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. The Lord tells us how to view a trial, right in the very first verse in our devotional today. James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. In other words, the Lord is telling us that whenever trouble comes our way, let it be an opportunity for joy. Now, that sounds odd, and it does not seem to go well with our natural thinking. When trouble comes our way, let's regard it with joy, or see it as an opportunity for joy. Yes, that is what God tells us. He will explain why in the next 2 verses.

But, first of all, please notice how these trials or troubles come to us. James 1:2 ......when you fall into various trials. Or simply when troubles come your way. What James is saying, is that trials, troubles can just come upon us without any advance warning, ( although there could be some advance warning ) but, more often than not, they come in a way that is surprising, and if it's or like you were walking along, and all of a sudden you fell into a hole that you did not know was in your path. That's how they come.

2. But, now we are told why we can accept and view a trial as an opportunity for joy. James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. It's simple. It's because if we respond God's way to the trials that He allows in our lives, those trials, those times of testing, will produce patience in our lives. They will add a blessing to us. Here's how the NLT says it James 1:3 For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. How true it is. When God tests or proves our faith, the net result, or the end result is that we grow in the Lord. That's why what we were told earlier is true. "consider it all joy" or "Let it be an opportunity for joy"
It's always a blessing and a great joy when we grow in the Lord.

Here's how that trial and it's results are stated in Heb 12:11No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

The NKJV reads this way. Heb 12:11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

3. The final thing that is said to us about trials is this, James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Or, "So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything." That's in the NLT version.

We are encouraged to cooperate with God in a trial. What does that mean? Well, it's our faith that is being tested, and what the Lord wants us to do in a trial, is to "trust HIm" To have an "active faith in Him" To simply keep believing Him, His Word, and just be patient. Being patient in trials is very important. We cannot hurry a trial to it's end, that's all in God's plan and time. But, what we can do is just believe Him, and be patient, till the Lord has accomplished what He wants to through the trial or trials that have come into our lives.

4. Let's take one final look again at what the Lord does through a trial as we patiently believe Him.
James 1:4...... that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. As you develop through the trial, you will become strong in character, and ready for anything. You will become a well rounded Christian. A maturing Christian.

A prayer:

Father, You have not only brought us into life through faith in Christ who died for our sins, and rose again from the dead, but You are now seeking to grow us up in Christ into mature men and women of God. Trials are not easy Lord, but, in the end, they are so good for us. We pray, that You would help us to respond to trials the way You have taught us here in James. May we thank You in advance for what You will do in us. We love You Lord. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S STRENGTH IN YOUR WEAKNESS'S"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S STRENGTH IN YOUR WEAKNESS'S"

2nd Cor 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2nd Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Some explanatory throughs/application, and a prayer:

1. Paul is telling us about a great lesson he learned from the Lord, and it's a lesson, or truth about God that He wants for each of us to understand, and apply in our lives. If we do, we will be very encouraged during our own times of weakness's and needs.

2. First of all, Paul tells us what God told Him, when he had asked to take away this very painful thorn in the flesh. It's believed that Paul had a very serious and painful medical issue. He had pleaded with God to take it away from him. ( by the way, God has allowed this painful "thorn in the flesh" to be in Paul's life, to help keep him humble, in light of the revelations he had received from the Lord. See 2nd Cor 12:1-8

3. Here's what the Lord said in response to Paul's many requests and pleadings with the Lord. 2nd Cor 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

In other words, God was telling Paul that "His grace would be sufficient" for Paul in his weakness and need. God went on to tell Paul, "for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Or as it's stated in the NLT "Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.”

4. So, Paul had come to learn this very, very, and important lesson. It's contained in these two verses, let's just take one more look at the both of them in the NLT Version.

2nd Cor 12:9 Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.

2nd Cor 12:10 Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

You see, Paul came to find out, and so can you and I, that when we have weakness's difficulties, trials, hardships etc, etc, that God will give us His strength to get us through. Someone has said, that God is attracted to weakness. He loves to come and help us. And, Paul was figuring this out.

5. So, from then on as Paul faced, infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, He would take great pleasure in also finding God's strength to help him through. So, Paul had become content in the difficult times of his life, and so can you and I as we realize this wonderful truth about God. God's power works best in weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. As Paul said, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." And the same can be said of us, as trust the Lord.

A prayer:

Father, Your ways are not our ways. And, it's not true that "You help those who help themselves" But, rather, You help those who cannot help themselves. Thank You for Your grace, it is indeed sufficient to get us through whatever we are going through. These would be good verses Lord for us to commit to memory. Help us to learn them in our minds, and then, let them sink deep into our hearts, and become a regular part of our lives. Thank you, in Jesus name, Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER"

Hebrews 10:24 Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.

Hebrews 10:25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near. NLT.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. This chapter is filled with various encouragements and teachings about the many blessings that we have in Jesus Christ, and these verses are encouraging us to be a blessing and encouragement to one another.

2. First of all, we are asked, to Hebrews 10:24 Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. This is something God calls us to do, and we can do it, and it's a sure fire way of helping one another out. Imagine that, to "think of ways to encourage one another" The NKJV says it this way, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,"

3. The idea in this text is that we would think of ways to stir one another up to love and good works. So, our focus is to help each other to walk in love, and to do the good works that God has put before them. How great is our God that He would direct us to minister to one another in this way. Usually, when we hear about "stirring up someone" it's in the negative, but here, is very positive and loving.

4. The other verse, is actually a warning. Hebrews 10:25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near. Notice, it's telling us "let us not neglect meeting together as some people do" So, there can be this tendency to not make fellowship with other believers one of our Godly priorities. The Bible places great emphasis on fellowship, because, it has such great benefits for us. We can make each other stronger in Christ when we are together, so, the Lord says, "don't neglect this"

5. Also, there is a final part to this warning/encouragement. Hebrews 10:25b "but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near." So, instead of neglecting fellowship, we are encouraged to "fellowship" and to warn each other. That is, we are to help protect each other, to warn each other of the dangers we face in our walks, and we are to do this all the more, now that we are closer to the coming of Christ. Jesus is in heaven today, but He is not going to stay there forever. He is waiting to come back to the earth. He is going to come and take His church to heaven, and then bring the great tribulation on the earth, and when that is over, He is going to come back with His church, to reign and to rule on the earth for 1000 years.

6. So, in the meantime, here again is what God says to us.

Hebrews 10:24 Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.

Hebrews 10:25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near. NLT.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for making loving You, and loving each other the two most important commandments we have from You. You want to share Your love with us, and then through us with one another. You want us to enjoy Your love. Thank You that You have a plan for each of us, good works to walk in. And, thank You for our church bodies, that we can enjoy, that we can be encouraged by, and be an encouragement to. Jesus is coming back, and we are all the closer now, then when we first believed. So, Lord, help us to take Your Word to heart, to stay in close fellowship with one another, and to encourage each other to love and to good works, In Jesus name. Amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.