"Only Life Changes"

Psalm 13 Addresses anxious believers who have been beat up by the enemy of their soul, just as the lamenting David does. His misery is repeated over and over and continually petitions God for deliverance. David trusts in God’s loyal loving kindness, His salvation and bountiful love and care but his anger. The distance between four occurrences of “How long”, punctuated with question marks (Psalm 13: 1-2), and the confident and joyful song at the end (Psalm 13:6), is covered only with prayer (Psalm 13:3-4), and trust (Psalm13:5).
Psalm Chapter 13:1-6
How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.

Father God, thank You for the example of David who despite the many problems, pressures, disappointments and pain that he was called upon to suffer, trusted in Your never-failing promises and kept in his remembrance Your never-ending faithfulness. Help me to follow his example when life’s pressures bear down on me and keep me under the shadow on Your goodness and grace – this I ask in Jesus Precious Name, Amen.

“How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?”
(Psalm 13:2)

It is supposed that David penned this psalm in Saul’s reign, when there was a general decay of honesty and piety both in court and country, which he here complains of to God, and very feelingly, for he himself suffered by the treachery of his false friends and the insolence of his sworn enemies. I. He begs help of God, because there were none among men whom he durst trust ( {Psalm 12:1- 2~Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race. Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.). II. He foretels the destruction of his proud and threatening enemies (Psalm 12:3-4~May the LORD silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue ~ those who say, “By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”). He assures himself and others that, how ill soever things went now , God would preserve and secure to himself his own people and would certainly make good his promises to them . Whether this psalm was penned in Saul’s reign or no, it is certainly calculated for a bad reign; and perhaps David, in spirit foresaw that some of his successors would bring things to as bad a pass as is here described, and treasured up this psalm for the use of the church then. “O tempora, O mores!—Oh the times! Oh the manners!’’ To the chief musician upon Sheminith. A psalm of David.
Psalm Chapter 12:1-8
For the director of music. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race. Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts. May the LORD silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue~ those who say, “By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips will defend us~who is lord over us?” “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will protect them from those who malign them.” And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. You, LORD, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked, who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race.
Father God, the world seems to be spiralling out of control, but I praise and thank You that You are in control and that it is not Your will that any should perish, but that all come to faith in Christ for salvation. Use me to be a true witness to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace~ and as the world is sinking deeper into sin, use me to help rescue those that are perishing – to your praise and glory in Jesus Precious Name I pray, Amen.

“{To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.} Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.”
(Psalm 12:1)

In this psalm we have David’s struggle with and triumph over a strong temptation to distrust God and betake himself to indirect means for his own safety in a time of danger. It is supposed to have been penned when he began to feel the resentments of Saul’s envy, and had had the javelin thrown at him once and again.

“Psalm Chapter 11:1-7
In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face.

Father God, there are times that I feel overwhelmed by all that is coming on the earth as evil is waxing worse and worse and all godly foundations of truth are being eroded by a God-hating, Christ-rejecting world. May I read, mark, learn and inwardly digest Your Word of truth so that in Christ I may stand fast in this evil day, knowing that You are my foundation and the Rock upon which I stand – an eternal foundation Stone, which can never be shaken for You alone are God – thank You in Jesus Precious Name, Amen.

“If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
(Psalm 11:3)

“Psalm 10”: In contrast to the prayer at the end of the preceding psalm, David now points to the present condition in the world, where God seems to have permitted the wicked to triumph over the righteous (verses 1-11). He then appeals to the Lord to act, to set the matter right, confident that the King of the world will do so (verses 12-18).
“Prayer for the overflow of the wicked”
Psalm Chapter 10:1-18
Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide in times of trouble? In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue their victims; let them be caught in the schemes they have devised. For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings; the one who is greedy curses and despises the Lord. In all his scheming, the wicked person arrogantly thinks, “There’s no accountability, since there’s no God.” His ways are always secure; your lofty judgments have no effect on him; he scoffs at all his adversaries. He says to himself, “I will never be moved from generation to generation I will be without calamity.” Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth; trouble and malice are under his tongue. He waits in ambush near settlements; he kills the innocent in secret places. His eyes are on the lookout for the helpless; he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket. He lurks in order to seize a victim; he seizes a victim and drags him in his net. So he is oppressed and beaten down; helpless people fall because of the wicked one’s strength. He says to himself, “God has forgotten; he hides his face and will never see.” Rise up, Lord God! Lift up your hand. Do not forget the oppressed. Why has the wicked person despised God? He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.” But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands. The helpless one entrusts himself to you; you are a helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked, evil person, until you look for his wickedness, but it can’t be found. The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their hearts. You will listen carefully, doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed so that mere humans from the earth may terrify them no more.

Father God, I lift up our brothers and sisters who are suffering in so many places of the world, by the acts of wicked men. Arise Lord and lift up Your hand. Hear the cries of Your people and send them swift deliverance, in Jesus Precious name Amen.

“Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?”
(Psalm 10:1)

Psalm 9 is a classic example of a lament psalm. As you recall, a lament psalm has five ingredients to its structure, the most prominent of which is the lament itself. The lament is where the psalmist exposes the enemies of God – who are also usually his enemies as well. The title of this psalm reads To the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David. The title indicates for us that David wrote this psalm to God Himself (generally regarded as the “Chief Musician”) to a popularly known tune in his day (in Hebrew, Muth Labben). In this psalm, David celebrates the help and goodness of God with a big vision for the nations. While most believe the title Muth Labben refers to a tune, others suggest that it refers to an instrument upon which the song was played. Some (as in the New King James Version) associate the title with the phrase The Death of the Son, and apply that title as the ancient Chaldee version does: “Concerning the death of the Champion who went out between the camps,” referring to Goliath. Perhaps David wrote this psalm remembering the victory over Goliath from the vantage point of many years since that triumph. “From this point in the Psalter up to Psalm 148 the versions differ over the numbering of the psalms, since the LXX[Septuagint] and Vulgate, followed by the Roman church, count Psalms 9 and 10 as a single poem, while the Protestant churches follow the Hebrew reckoning.”
Psalm Chapter 9:1-20
“A Psalm of Thanksgiving Celebration for God’s Justice”
For the choir director: according to Muth-labben. A psalm of David.
I will thank the Lord with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous works. I will rejoice and boast about you; I will sing about your name, Most High. When my enemies retreat, they stumble and perish before you. For you have upheld my just cause; you are seated on your throne as a righteous judge. You have rebuked the nations: You have destroyed the wicked; you have erased their name forever and ever. The enemy has come to eternal ruin; you have uprooted the cities, and the very memory of them has perished. But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for judgment. And he judges the world with righteousness; he executes judgment on the nations with fairness. The Lord is a refuge for the persecuted, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you because you have not abandoned those who seek you, Lord. Sing to the Lord, who dwells in Zion; proclaim his deeds among the nations. For the one who seeks an accounting for bloodshed remembers them; he does not forget the cry of the oppressed. Be gracious to me, Lord; consider my affliction at the hands of those who hate me. Lift me up from the gates of death, so that I may declare all your praises. I will rejoice in your salvation within the gates of Daughter Zion. The nations have fallen into the pit they made; their foot is caught in the net they have concealed. The Lord has made himself known; he has executed justice, snaring the wicked by the work of their hands. Higgaion. Selah
The wicked will return to Sheol~all the nations that forget God. For the needy will not always be forgotten; the hope of the oppressed will not perish forever. Rise up, Lord! Do not let mere humans prevail; let the nations be judged in your presence. Put terror in them, Lord; let the nations know they are only humans. Selah

Father God, thank You for the great encouragement I receive from the wonderful Word of You Father God, and how I praise You that the day is coming when You will judge the ungodly in righteousness. Help me to look to You no matter what difficulties and dangers arise in my life and may my trust in You be strengthened with ever passing day as I continue to prove Your faithfulness to the truth of Your Word. Praise God that Your Word abides for ever and that You have established Your throne in righteousness and justice, in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

“But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.”
(Psalm 9:7)

The title of this psalm reads, To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David. It indicates the audience of the psalm (the Chief Musician), the author of the psalm (of David) and the sound of the psalm (the instrument of Gath). In this psalm David speaks of the glory of God, and how the glory of man and his destiny reflect upon God.
“The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity”
Psalm Chapter 8:1-9
“God’s Glory, Human Dignity”
(For the choir director: on the Gittith. A psalm of David.)
Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth! You have covered the heavens with your majesty. From the mouths of infants and nursing babies, you have established a stronghold on account of your adversaries in order to silence the enemy and the avenger. When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place, what is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all the sheep and oxen, as well as the animals in the wild, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea that pass through the currents of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!
There are three wonderful and important truths about man found in this psalm; when these truths are denied or neglected, man never is what God made him to be.
1) God made man.
2) God made man something glorious.
3) God made man for a high and worthy destiny.
All three of these principles are rooted in what God has made man; they do not exist nor are they fulfilled from the plan or work of man. That is why this glorious psalm about man is even more so a psalm about God. “The most striking feature of Psalm 8…is its description of man and his place in the created order. But the psalm does not begin by talking about man. It begins with a celebration of the surpassing majesty of God.”

Father God, I am astonished that You should love this race of fallen man so much that You purposed to become a Man and live a perfect life so that I might be saved from my sins, by faith in Jesus. Thank You for all that You have done for me, O Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth. Thank You that You are mindful of me , mindful of man. Thank You that by grace through faith in Jesus Christ we will witness the full and final restoration of man’s appointed position as Your chosen representative, through Christ’s returns from heaven to rule and reign. I thank You, praise You and give You all the glory in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
(Psalm 8:4)

The Hebrew title to this psalm reads: A Meditation of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. The New King James Version translates the Hebrew word “shiggaion” as meditation, though the word is difficult to translate and is used elsewhere only in Habakkuk 3:1. The specific occasion is not easily connected with an event recorded in the historical books of the Old Testament; it may be a veiled reference to either Shimei’s accusations against David in 2 Samuel 16:5 or to Saul’s slanders against David. More likely this Cush, a Benjamite, was simply another partisan of Saul against David. The psalm contains both David’s cry of anguish and shout of confidence in God’s deliverance.

“Psalm Chapter 7:1-17
“The Lord Implored to defend the Psalmist Against The Wicked”
Prayer for Justice
“A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.”
Lord my God, I seek refuge in you; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, or they will tear me like a lion, ripping me apart with no one to rescue me. Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is injustice on my hands, if I have done harm to one at peace with me or have plundered my adversary without cause, may an enemy pursue and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust.Selah Rise up, Lord, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my adversaries; awake for me; you have ordained a judgment. Let the assembly of peoples gather around you; take your seat on high over it. The Lord judges the peoples; vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity. Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous. The one who examines the thoughts and emotions is a righteous God. My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge and a God who shows his wrath every day. If anyone does not repent, he will sharpen his sword; he has strung his bow and made it ready. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he tips his arrows with fire. See, the wicked one is pregnant with evil, conceives trouble, and gives birth to deceit. He dug a pit and hollowed it out but fell into the hole he had made. His trouble comes back on his own head; his own violence comes down on top of his head. I will thank the Lord for his righteousness; I will sing about the name of the Lord Most High.

Father God, How I praise You and thank You that the evil of wicked men will one day be judged and those that have been accused unjustly by people who are at enmity with God will one day be vindicated. Thank You that Jesus Christ’s death on the cross conquered sin and death and that all who trust in Christ as Saviour will one day be exonerated. Help me to patiently endure in these increasingly dark days and may my life be pleasing to the You. I thank You, praise You and give You all the glory in Jesus Precious Name Amen.
“Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.”
(Psalm 7:9)

Psalm 6 is known as the first of the seven penitential psalms – songs of confession and humility before God. It was a custom among some in the early church to sing these psalms on Ash Wednesday, 40 days before Resurrection Sunday. The title of this psalm is To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David. The title tells us the recipient of the psalm – the Chief Musician, whom some suppose to be the Lord GOD Himself, and others suppose to be a leader of choirs or musicians in David’s time, such as Heman the singer or Asaph;

(1 Chronicles 6:33~Here are the men who served, together with their sons: From the Kohathites: Heman, the musician, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, )
(1 Chronicles 16:5-7~Asaph was the chief, and next to him in rank were Zechariah, then Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the LORD in this manner: ) & {1 Chronicles 25:6~All these men were under the supervision of their father for the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps, for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the supervision of the king. ).

Not only was it written for stringed instruments, but specifically for the eight-stringed harp.
“”A Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble”
” Psalm 6:1-10″
For the choir director: with stringed instruments, according to Sheminith. A psalm of David. Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not discipline me in your wrath. Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones are shaking; my whole being is shaken with terror. And you, Lord—how long? Turn, Lord! Rescue me; save me because of your faithful love. For there is no remembrance of you in death; who can thank you in Sheol? I am weary from my groaning; with my tears I dampen my bed and drench my couch every night. My eyes are swollen from grief; they grow old because of all my enemies. Depart from me, all evildoers, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea for help; the Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be ashamed and shake with terror; they will turn back and suddenly be disgraced.
Father God, as I go through this day, I pray for Your healing touch on every part of my life – both spiritual and physical. Lord You know all the little nitches and pains that hinders, and I pray for Your healing touch upon every area of my life in general.. and for relief from the aches, pains and problems that may come my way, in particular. Ease away all the stresses and strains of the day and heal any physical problems I have. And I pray that in Your goodness and grace You would give me a good, pain-free day so that I may be refreshed in body, soul and spirit, ready to do Your biding and to be a light for Your glory to others, in Jesus Precious Name Amen.

” Christian National Church of Christ”

(Part 1) THE BIBLE: We believe that the Bible is the written Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and completely truthful in all it affirms. It bears witness to Jesus Christ, the Living Word and is infallible in its purposes. While reason, experience, and tradition together with the Bible serve to inform truth and life, the Scriptures are the primary authority in the rule of faith and practice. (II Timothy 3:16-17; I Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12)

(Part 2) GOD: We believe in one God, creator of all things, who has revealed Himself in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are one in eternity, deity, and purpose; everlasting, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. (Genesis 12:33; Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 90:2; Psalms 102:27; I Timothy 1:17; John 1:1-2; John 8:58; Heb. 1:8; I John 1:2; Micah 5:2; Revelation 1:8; Hebrews 9:14; Romans 1:20)

(Part 3) JESUS CHRIST: We believe in the incarnation and virgin birth of Jesus Christ who came into the world to reveal the Father, and was the reflection of His glory and the express image of the Father; that Jesus Christ, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, was the Creator of all things. We further believe that in Christ dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, that He was very God and very Man, and that He is our savior, the one perfect mediator between God and humanity. We acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord over all things in heaven and in earth, and under the earth. (John 1:1-2, 14; I Timothy 3:16; Acts 7:37-38; Hebrews 1:1-5; Philippians 2:9-10)

(Part 4) CHRIST’S RESURRECTION AND IMMINENT RETURN: We believe in Jesus Christ’s sinless life, miracles, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection and His ascension into Heaven. He will return in power and glory to judge all people. As His return may occur at any moment, the believer’s response is joyous expectation, watchfulness, and diligence. We anticipate His return at which time there will be a new heaven and a new earth, a resurrection of those who are lost to eternal death and those who are saved to eternal life, and the enemies of Christ will be subdued and the reign of God will be established. (Acts 1:11, 3:19-21; Daniel 7:14; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 14:6, 21:3-8, 22:1-5, 17)

(Part 5) THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is being manifested in the Church through the fruit of the Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are operative in the Church today in order for the Church to experience the fullness of God and are imparted by the Holy Spirit. We believe in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that begins at regeneration. The Holy Spirit continually empowers a believer to live a holy life like Christ. The evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit is a person’s obedient response to the Word of God, a Christ-like life of holiness, and manifesting the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit. (John 15:26, 16:14; Galatians. 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:18-21; Galatians 5:22-23; I Corinthians 12:8-11; I Corinthians 12:11; Acts 2:4, 10:46, 19:6; Ephesians 5:18; John 16:13)

(Part 6) THE CREATION OF HUMANITY: We believe that humanity was created by a direct and immediate act of God, innocent and morally free with the responsibility to choose between good and evil, right and wrong. All people are created by Him and in His image have the same inherent rights regardless of race, gender, or color. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:4; Romans 5:17-19)

(Part 7) THE FALL OF HUMANITY: We believe that through disobedience humanity fell from a state of righteousness and holiness into total depravity, a state of sinfulness, unable in their own strength to obtain a right relationship with God and restore His image within. (Romans 5:12-21; I Corinthians 15:1-4)

(Part 8) SATAN: We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, that he was defeated by Christ through His death, burial and resurrection, and that Christ has given authority over the works of Satan to His body, the Church. (Matthew 28:18-20; Job 1:7; Matthew 4:1-11; Ephesians 1:19-23; Colossians 2:15)

(Part 9) REPENTANCE: We believe that repentance is the result of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers and non-believers. The conviction of the Holy Spirit, which often accompanies the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, will result in the revelation of one’s sinfulness which should lead to Godly sorrow. Godly sorrow causes us to turn away from sin and selfishness and to receive faith for change. (II Corinthians 7:10; Psalms 51; Acts 11:18; II Timothy 2:25; Genesis 6:3; Romans 1:18-32; Matthew 9:12-13.)

(Part 10) JUSTIFICATION: We believe that repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ results in justification whereby the believer, through faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, is accounted as righteous and made free from the guilt and the penalty of their sins. (Romans 5:1-9; Luke 22:20; Romans 3:21-26, 28, 5:8-9)

(Part 11) REGENERATION: We believe that by a new relationship with Jesus Christ one is born again and is a new creation. With a new life and a new spiritual nature capable of faith, love, and obedience to Christ, the old life is past and the new life is begun. (John 5:24; II Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:9-10; Titus 3:4-5)

(Part 12) SANCTIFICATION: We believe that by grace every believer may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit, subsequent to regeneration, through faith in the atoning blood of Christ, whereby they are cleansed in that moment of inward sin and empowered for service. The resulting relationship of righteousness and purity is attested by the Holy Spirit and maintained by faith and obedience enabling believers to love God with all their hearts, souls, strength and minds. Further, this work causes believers not to be conformed to this world and prepares them for greater growth in grace. (Jude 24: Romans 9:25; Galatians 5:16-25; Romans 4:1-5, 12:1-2; Leviticus 20: 7-8; Romans 5:3-5; Galatians 5:22 – 25)

.(Part 13) RESTORATION: We believe in divine restoration to the image of God for the whole person. This restoration was obtained through the atonement in Christ’s sacrificial death and, by faith, brings healing and wholeness in mind, body, soul, and spirit. Although Christians may grieve the Holy Spirit without returning to the dominion of sin, God’s grace is sufficient for those who humbly repent, accept the correction of the Holy Spirit, trust the advocacy of Jesus, and mend their relationships. (Acts 4:30, 19:11; Romans 8:11; I Corinthians 12:9; James 5:14; I Peter 2:24-25; Isaiah 53:4-5).

(Part 14) BAPTISM: We believe that water baptism is a sacrament, commanded by our Lord Jesus, administered to believers as a declaration of their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, and a symbol of the new covenant of grace. (Romans 2:28-29; Colossians 2:9-13; Hebrews 6:2; Acts 2:38)

(Part 15) THE LORD’S SUPPER: We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ’s death. To those who rightly, worthily, and with faith receive it, the bread and the cup is a partaking of the body and blood of Christ. Though Christ is really present, no change is effected in the elements which are never to be considered objects of worship. The supper is also a symbol of the love and unity that Christians have among themselves. (Mark 14:22-24; John 6:53-58; I Corinthians 5:7-8,10:16, 11:20, 23-29)

(Part 16)FAITH AND WORKS: We believe that faith without works is dead. Faith results in an accompanying and corresponding action. Personal holiness and social holiness are essential to a living, active faith. Right practice is as important as right belief. (James 2:14-26; Ephesians 2:8-10; Matthew 7:21; Matthew 7:24-27; Matthew 5:16; II Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 16:27; Revelation 2:23; Revelation 22:12)

(Part 17) THE CHURCH: The Church is the body of Christ in the world. In worship the Church comes together to meet the holy God and to respond in obedience and love. In witness, the Church makes known the good news of Christ throughout the local community and to the ends of the earth, calling the lost to repentance and faith. In making disciples, converts are brought into the body, baptized, trained and equipped for service to Christ. In fellowship, redeemed people experience their oneness in Christ by sharing in one another’s lives with love and concern. In service, the Church corporately cares for the needs of its own and others. (Revelation 4; Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 4:11-13; Acts 2:42, 26:17)

(Part 18) The Mind: Saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” {Deuteronomy 7:15 ESV}

“Ten Commandments can be learned for the forgiveness and guidance to eternity. Amen!”

“I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have any strange gods before Me.”

This commandment forbids idolatry, the worship of false gods and goddesses, and it excludes polytheism, the belief in many gods, insisting instead on monotheism, the belief in one God. This commandment forbids making golden calves, building temples to Isis, and worshipping statues of Caesar, for example.

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”

The faithful are required to honor the name of God. It makes sense that if you’re to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, then you’re naturally to respect the name of God with equal passion and vigor.

“Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.”

The Jewish celebration of Sabbath (Shabbat) begins at sundown on Friday evening and lasts until sundown on Saturday. Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians go to church on Sunday, treating it as the Lord’s Day instead of Saturday to honor the day Christ rose from the dead.

“Honor thy father and mother.”

This commandment obliges the faithful to show respect for their parents — as children and adults. Children must obey their parents, and adults must respect and see to the care of their parents, when they become old and infirm.

“Thou shalt not kill.”

The better translation from the Hebrew would be “Thou shalt not murder” — a subtle distinction but an important one to the Church. Killing an innocent person is considered murder. Killing an unjust aggressor to preserve your own life is still killing, but it isn’t considered murder or immoral.

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

The sixth and ninth commandments honor human sexuality. This commandment forbids the actual, physical act of having immoral sexual activity, specifically adultery, which is sex with someone else’s spouse or a spouse cheating on their partner. This commandment also includes fornication, which is sex between unmarried people, prostitution, pornography, homosexual activity, masturbation, group sex, rape, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, and necrophilia.

“Thou shalt not steal.”

The seventh and tenth commandments focus on respecting and honoring the possessions of others. This commandment forbids the act of taking someone else’s property. The Catholic Church believes that this commandment also denounces cheating people of their money or property, depriving workers of their just wage, or not giving employers a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. Embezzlement, fraud, tax evasion, and vandalism are all considered extensions of violations of the Seventh Commandment.

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

The Eighth Commandment condemns lying. Because God is regarded as the author of all truth, the Church believes that humans are obligated to honor the truth. The most obvious way to fulfill this commandment is not to lie — intentionally deceive another by speaking a falsehood. So a good Catholic is who you want to buy a used car from.

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”

The Ninth Commandment forbids the intentional desire and longing for immoral sexuality. To sin in the heart, Jesus says, is to lust after a woman or a man in your heart with the desire and will to have immoral sex with them. Just as human life is a gift from God and needs to be respected, defended, and protected, so, too, is human sexuality. Catholicism regards human sexuality as a divine gift, so it’s considered sacred in the proper context — marriage.

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”

The Tenth Commandment forbids the wanting to or taking someone else’s property. Along with the Seventh Commandment, this commandment condemns theft and the feelings of envy, greed, and jealousy in reaction to what other people have.

The Mind can heal the body, but the body can not heal the mind. Amen!

You are certainly free to eat food offered to idols if you want to; it’s not against God’s laws to eat such meat, but that doesn’t mean you should go ahead and do it. It may be perfectly legal, but it may not be best and helpful. Don’t think only of yourself. Try to think of the other fellow, too, and what is best for him or her. If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why let someone spoil everything just because he thinks I am wrong? { I have heard people get upset when I have prayed and they say don’t pray at my table. I don’t have the beliefs you have. But God does. So I pray with inside me for that person and my food. Amen!}

Well, I’ll tell you why. It is because you must do everything for the glory of God, even your eating and drinking. So don’t be a stumbling block to anyone, whether they are Jews or Gentiles or Christians.

That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do, not doing what I like or what is best for me, but what is best for them, so that they may be saved. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, 30-33

And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s. 1 Corinthians 11:1

There is a treasure in being good, but trouble dogs the wicked. Amen!

Proverbs 15:6