Tag: Church

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday August 24TH 2025, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

As I wrote about last #Sunday Scripture – I’ve celebrated 19 years of salvation in Jesus Christ, and now I’m at the start of my 20TH year since being born again. I’m looking forward to sharing some miracles – some blessings – some experiences – and yes – even some lessons learned since 2006. I’ll be sharing online – and also offline – LIVE and in-person – to anyone who cares to read or listen to my story.

Last month here on #SundayScripture I began transcribing my original sermon that I preached to my church family in Homestead Florida on Sunday October 16TH 2022. The title of the sermon is “Blessings & Benedictions”, and it’s my 50TH sermon as identified on my SERMONS page.

Here’s Part 8:

And at the end of Hebrews is this Benediction:

Now may the God of peace – who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus – the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with His blood – may He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you – through the power of Jesus Christ – every good thing that is pleasing to Him. All glory to Him forever and ever ! Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

That’s a good Benediction right there. Another one to take out there to the world.

I like that part about Jesus being “the great Shepherd of the sheep”. It reminds me of the 23RD Psalm (1-4):

The LORD is my shepherd. I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows. He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths – bringing honor to His name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley – I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

That Psalm right there makes me smile. It comforts me. It brings peace to my heart. The LORD is our God of peace.

That’s a good Psalm right there to wake up to and say first thing in the morning. That’s a good Psalm right there to take out into the world to testify about Him.

And so finally – we come to our Pastor’s favorite Benediction – “The Priestly Blessing”. A portion of it is actually on our sign out front. It’s also on this picture right here – which has been sitting in our front lobby area for as long as I’ve been here. And I’m going to put it right back where it belongs right after I’m done here. It’s good to read as you walk out the door – back into the world out there.

It’s from the Old Testament. It’s from the Book of Numbers (6:24-26). You’ve heard this so many times before:

May the LORD bless you and protect you.
May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you.
May the LORD show you His favor and give you His peace.

That’s the New Living Translation, but I like the English Standard Version. This is the version that I use the most for this Benediction:

The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

When I first learned that version (right there) it all made sense – except for that word “countenance”. I had never heard of that word before. They didn’t teach that word to me in school in Maryland some 45 years ago. So “countenance” or “favor” or “face” is God’s approval. It’s His attention to, for, and on us.

If you Google “What does the Bible mean by countenance” – you get “calm facial expression; composure; approval or favor; encouragement; moral support”.

The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. That’s what I want.

(To be continued next week.)

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture – whether it’s part of a sermon, a testimony, or just me writing about the events of the past week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord – and get closer to Him with each new day.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know – then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Tags Bible, Blog, Christ, Christian, Church, God, Jesus, Message, Minister, Ministry, Pastor, Preacher, Reverend, Scripture, Sermon, Sunday

Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday August 17TH 2025, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

19 years ago this upcoming week my life changed forever. God rescued and saved me, and I didn’t even know that He was doing so. In the days and weeks after – I realized what was going on. I saw the light. I repented. He saved my life. I truly believe that this blog would not exist, and I would not be alive today if it were not for my salvation in Jesus Christ. But here I am – 19 years later at the age of 58 and getting ready to enter my 20TH year as a believer and a follower. It’s still not a passing fad to those who may have thought so in 2007.

I’ve been telling my story for 19 years, and I’m going to keep on doing it. The best is yet to come !

Here’s Part 7:

Paul’s Benediction follows:

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

Back in the First Century – the time of the New Testament – Greek and Roman letters generally ended with a wish for the good health of the reader. Jewish letters ended with a wish for peace (Shalom). Paul closed his letters with a combination of both good health and peace.

I like that part that says “God will make this happen”. I believe that. I believe that God can and will make anything happen. He can make the impossible happen. He is faithful, and I have faith in Him. He strengthens us, and He guards us – from the evil one – from the liar.

So earlier in my message I talked about the Apostle Paul, and how he wrote 13 books of the New Testament, and how many Bible scholars call the Letter to the Hebrews Paul’s 14TH book – even though he probably didn’t write it. Hebrews is written by an unknown author in the style of Paul. It’s actually written in the form of a sermon – just like most of Paul’s letters.

So Hebrews is 13 chapters. It’s 303 verses. It’s a little less than 7,000 words. It sounds like a lot. But you can read it from start to finish in about 30 minutes. Why are you telling us this Pastor Chris ? You know – it’s my responsibility to encourage you to open your Bible, and read it during the week. That’s how you get closer to our God and His blessings for you.

(To be continued next week.)

If you wish to learn more about the God I know – then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Tags Bible, Blog, Christ, Christian, Church, God, Jesus, Message, Minister, Ministry, Pastor, Preacher, Reverend, Scripture, Sermon, Sunday

Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday August 10TH 2025, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

I’m loving Friday Night Bible Study at my church where we’re reading and discussing various stories of redemption in the Bible under the “This Is MY Story” banner. A couple of Friday nights ago we read and discussed Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus from Acts 9. This series is encouraging us to share our story about how “I once was …”, and then “I met Jesus …”, and “Now I …”.

I love a good testimony. I love to share my own testimony to all who care to listen to it.

Here’s Part 6:

And at the end of every good sermon about God – is a “Blessing & Benediction” – straight from God.

From the last verse (6:18) of Galatians:

Dear brothers and sisters – may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Paul’s Benediction is similar to his Greeting at the start of his letter. He wanted God’s grace to be with this church family. The Galatians needed that in order to get closer to God rather than turning away from Him. We need that too, and we have it. We have God’s grace. And here’s the Good News: God’s grace – it’s available for everyone out there.

That’s a great blessing to take out there into the world. Just substitute “brothers and sisters” for someone’s name. Make it personal for him or her. As an example: Dear Betty – may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

After Paul wrote to the Galatians he wrote to the church in Thessalonica. You know Thessalonica is a big modern city today. It’s the second-largest city in Greece with over one-million residents in its metro area. It’s an old port city on the Aegean Sea that was founded in 315 B.C. When Paul visited the city – it was already about 365 years old. That’s when he established the church there. His missionary friends – Timothy and Silas – they helped to build it up.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians – Paul encourages the new Christians with exhortations and teachings. What’s an exhortation ? It’s an urgent command.

Just before his Benediction Paul gives his final exhortations, and they are:

• Honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. (5:12)
• Show them great respect and wholehearted love. (5:13)
• Live peacefully with each other. (5:13)
• Warn those who are lazy. (5:14)
• Encourage those who are timid. (5:14)
• Take tender care of those who are weak. (5:14)
• Be patient with everyone. (5:14)
• See that no one pays back evil for evil. (5:15)
• Always try to do good to each other and to all people. (5:15)
• Always be joyful. (5:16)
• Never stop praying. (5:17)
• Be thankful in all circumstances. (5:18)
• Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. (5:19)
• Do not scoff at prophecies. (5:20)
• Test everything that is said. (5:21)
• Hold on to what is good. (5:21)
• Stay away from every kind of evil. (5:22)

You know I don’t really have to add anything at all to those exhortations – those urgent commands. They are all very self-explanatory – just the way they are. Paul was very specific and intentional in what he wrote to the new church. And they are all still very relevant today – in the 21ST Century church. Can you imagine what the church – and this world – would be like if everyone did all of those things ?

(To be continued next week.)

If you wish to learn more about the God I know – then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Tags Bible, Blog, Christ, Christian, Church, God, Jesus, Message, Minister, Ministry, Pastor, Preacher, Reverend, Scripture, Sermon, Sunday

Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday August 03RD 2025, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

I’m looking forward to returning to my home church this morning after being away last Sunday. I’ll be leading #CommunionSunday from 1 John 5:1-6. Later this week it’s Mens’ Fellowship on Tuesday night and Friday Night Bible Study. I love my church family !

Here’s Part 5:

You know the Apostle Paul – he wrote Romans. He wrote almost half of the New Testament. He wrote 13 out of the 27 books of the New Testament. He wrote most of them during the final years of his life and ministry – just before he was martyred in Rome. Now his 13 books of the New Testament are all consecutive in the modern Bible – starting with Romans (right after Acts) and concluding with Philemon. The next book after Philemon is Hebrews – which some Bible scholars consider to be Paul’s 14TH book of the Bible. But many Bible scholars believe that Hebrews was actually not written by Paul, but by an unknown author who wrote in the style of Paul. (More on that later.)

A couple of books of the Bible – the Apostle Paul wrote early on in his ministry. His letter to the Galatians was his first letter – some 14 years after his conversion on the road to Damascus. So what did Paul do for 14 years after he was converted into a Christ believer and follower. Well he did a lot of preaching in the region. He testified about Christ in Arabia and back in Damascus – and also in Syria and Cilicia. That’s where Tarsus is – Paul’s hometown.

Now in Galatians – Paul introduces himself as an apostle – not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ Himself and by God the Father – who raised Jesus from the dead. (1:1)

After that Paul greeted the Galatian church by writing – “This is the day that our LORD has made ! Let us re …” (No – he didn’t write that.)

This is what he wrote:

May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave His life for our sins – just as God our Father planned – in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever ! Amen. (1:3-5)

It’s like a 3-part greeting at the start of his first letter. He wishes the new church God’s grace and peace. That’s greetings and shalom. He’s welcoming both Jewish and Gentile Christians. In the middle part of his greeting Paul gives a preview of what he will be writing about next in his letter – and that’s God’s Good News. And then finally he concludes his greeting by giving God all the glory – all glory to God forever and ever. It is His work alone that we are rescued and saved.

So Paul did a lot of preaching after he was rescued and saved, and then he did a lot of letter-writing to the various churches in the region. And his letters to the Romans, and the Corinthians, and the Galatians, and the Ephesians, and the Philippians, and the Colossians, and the Thessalonians, and the others – they played out like written sermons.

(To be continued next week.)

If you wish to learn more about the God I know – then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.