David flees from King Saul to Gath, where he needs to feign insanity to escape the hand of King Achish. Although he feared his life greatly, his weapon of choice was worship. Let's find a heart of worship in the midst of our trials.

David, the annointed of God, finds himself in a "cave" after leaving the house of God to go to the enemy's fire, getting burned and depending on himself to escape. His sin causes 85 priests of the Lord to be killed as a result of King Saul's insecurity and pride. However, David chooses to take responsibility for his actions and praise the Lord in the "pit". When we too find ourselves in the pit, God always wants us to return to praise! 

The plan and purpose of Jesus is discipleship. It was His last spoken commandment here on earth. Discipleship is God's model of ministry. Do you have a disciple? Are you being discipled? Let's obey our Lord's Great Commandment!

Our theme for 2013 is "No In-between in 2013"! What does that mean? It means no compromise. How do we achieve that? By devoting our hearts and souls to seeking the Lord, by spending time alone with God and allowing Him to create clean hearts in us, which will renew steadfast spirits.

Once again, King Saul becomes jealous of David and sets out to kill him. But God protects him through Jonathan, who risks his own life to protect David. Let's not have a "Saul mentality" by harboring hate and unforgiveness in our heart and "hurling spears" at others, because we will end up hurting those we love.

Paul continues his arguement for the need of a true and simple gospel. He reemphasizes that we are justified by faith alone and nothing else. 

As David gained favor with the people, King Saul grew more & more jealous. Saul had a spear (an instrument of war) in his hand, while David had a harp (an instrument of worship). What's in your hand? What do you do when the spears are thrown at you? Let's follow David's example and fill ourselves with worship and peace.

As we start the New Year, let's live an invested life by listening to the call of Jesus, which is to go out and make disciples. Who's investing in you? Who are you investing in?

"No in-between in 2013 - 1 Chronicles 22:19

Let's begin each day by asking God:

1. Lord how can I love You today?

2. What act of worship can I do?

3. What words can I utter that will honor and bless You?

4. What act of service can I do to represent Your love?

5. How will Your spirit inspire me to pray today?

Focusing on knowing (intimate companionship & communion with) Jesus will bring clarity, purpose, direction and blessing to how we live and what we do in 2013.

What can we give "the guy" (God) who has everything? The only thing we can truly give Jesus is praise...Our praise in commitment, worship (worth-ship), & dying to self. The best gift we can give Jesus this Christmas is ourselves!

During this Christmas season, our focus is on giving gifts...and finding just the right gift. Let's look at a biblical definition of "The perfect gift"!

David vs. Golliath

God has given us faith through the power of the Holy Spirit to stand up for God & His people by stepping up to the "Golliaths" in life. Don't let the representation of what is evil cause us to cower in fear. Instead, be blessed as we learn to walk as David did by taking his responsibilities seriously both as a shepherd boy and as a warrior chosen by God to take down the enemy.

Matthew 2:1-12  

When the wise men left the East, they were looking for royalty. There is no way they were expecting a cave filled with animals, a stable, or a poor man's house. But in reality, that's how life is for all of us at times. We start out following a star & end up finding a shack. Let's see what we can do when we find ourselves in a "shack".

The Truth about Christmas... A Biblical basis for modern-day Christmas traditions like the Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, and more!

Paul encourages the Galatians to be sure to check the source of the information they receive. He presents his case and assures them that the message of the Gospel is not from man, but from the Holy Spirit.

The Lord rejects Saul from being king over Israel because of his impatience, pride, and final disobedience in refusing to "utterly destroy" the Amalekites. Saul was more concerned with his reputation and didn't listen to the Lord's voice because he feared the people. Anything other than complete obedience to the Lord is rebellion, which is as witchcraft in His sight.

When we have the Spirit of God in us, nothing stands against us in declaring that Jesus is Lord! Let's look to apostles like John & Paul as examples of courageous faith.

Saul placed the people under a foolish and prideful oath which cursed any man who ate food before he took vengence on his enemies. His son Jonathan, unaware of the oath, ate some honey he found in the forest. But the men of Israel did not allow Saul to put his son to death because he was a God-fearing man. Let's follow Jonathan's example and fear the Lord more than man!

Paul's letter to the church of Galatia addressed two pressing questions of the time: 1) What is required to be saved? & 2) What is a Gentile supposed to do?  The battle he was fighting was against the subject of "co-redemption" (i.e., anything added to Jesus' redemption by His death & resurrection). Paul made it clear that it is by grace alone through faith, not works (keeping of the law), that we are justified.

We see the stark contrast between Saul and his son Jonathan as Jonathan trusts in the Lord to fight & defeat the Philistines. He exhibits character traits of initiative (as he sees God leading), identity as a child of God, & invitation (he didn't go alone). God is always looking for someone with a humble heart and willing spirit. Are we positioning ourselves where God can use us to perform His miracles?

The resurrection power of Jesus Christ, His power to restore, replenish, forgive, and to set us back in motion is demonstrated in our Lord's response to Peter's denial. Jesus meets Peter where he's at, reassures His love for him, and gives him a promise and a future.

Peter and the disciples went back to fishing after seeing their resurrected Lord Jesus, but caught nothing. Jesus called to them from the beach and instructed them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. They realized it was Jesus and end up with 153 fish! The futile efforts of man produce empty nets, but abundnat provision comes with obedience & dependence on the Lord. No more leftovers, God is into first fruits!

In spite of the Israelites' wickedness in asking for a king, Samuel prays for them and encourages them to repent and obey the Lord. The Philistines attack, and in his impatience, Saul sins against the Lord and loses his annointing as king over Israel.

Jesus revealed Himself to Thomas because He knew Thomas' words & heart. As a result, Thomas' faith was perfected and He declared that Jesus is God! The evidence brought about transformation. Has Jesus revealed Himself to you? Have you been transformed by what He has already shown you?

Samuel anoints Saul as the King of Israel, fulfilling the people's desire. The people receive him gladly after he defeats the Ammonites and rescues Jabesh Gilead.

God wants to give us true peace & power through the Holy Spirit. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Have you been baptized by the Holy Spirit? Is the Spirit overflowing from your life? Or are you lacking the power of the Holy Spirit in your life? The peace & power of God is available to you now!

God has Samuel anoint Saul as king over the Israelites, as the people requested. Like Saul, God radically pursues us and wants a relationship with us, even when we don't deserve it or want anything to do with Him. God has a plan and purpose for each of our lives!

Mary Magdalene pursued Jesus because of His love for her, found peace in His presence, and proclaimed the Good News to those who were imprisoned by fear. Let's follow her example & experience radical transformation in our lives!

Samuel is getting old and his sons are not walking with the Lord like their father, so the elders of Israel request to have king rule over them like the nations around them. Essentially, they are rejecting God as their king.

The tomb is empty! Peter & John ran, went, saw & believed, but then just went home. But Mary wanted more! We do what our heart is set on. Where is your heart? Do you want the Lord? He wants to give you peace.

The ark was taken to Kiriath-jearim. When the Philistines attacked Israel, Samuel cried out to the Lord, and He defeated them. Learn about Godly discipline, true repentance (not just feeling sorry), and the barriers between you and God.

Jesus bled from His heart on the cross. He ultimately died of a "broken heart". The cross is our "family tree". Jesus invites everyone to be a part of the Family of God.

The Philistines return the Ark of God to Israel, but God strikes the Israelites with a great slaughter for looking into the Ark. They came to God on their own terms, but God has His own Word, will, & way. Have we lost the fear of the Lord? The blood of the Lamb is the only way we can receive mercy.

There were three crosses on which 3 men were executed. One was of rebellion, one was of repentance, and one was of salvation. Jesus died for our sins. "It is finished!" His mission of redemption was complete. Jesus offers us full and complete salvation if we repent and believe.

The Israelites are defeated by the Philistines and the Ark of the Covenant is taken. However, God will not be mocked, and He strikes them with tumors. God did not fail His people, religion did.

In order to live a passionate Christian life, we MUST be passionate about Jesus. He MUST increase, I MUST decrease, and we MUST be born again!

The Lord spoke to Samuel while he was ministering to Him in the temple. Are we ministering to the Lord? Are we willing to listen to His voice and obey?

Although Pilate claims Jesus' innocence three times, he has Him scourged, hoping that drawing blood would appease the Jews. He took the scourging for our physical healing. Jesus was beaten before the bema so He could proclaim our innocence.

John Beers shares about the ministry, Gospel for Asia.

The illegal trial of Jesus... Pilate asks Jesus "what is truth", but doesn't stick around for an answer. Anyone who really wants to know the answer will hear God's voice and know that Jesus is Truth.

Hannah keeps her vow to the Lord and dedicates Samuel to the Lord. She sings a prayer of praise, proclamation, protection, provision, & providence. The Lord then blesses her with five more children. God will honor those who honor Him!

Jesus crosses over the Kidron Valley into the Garden of Gethsemane, where he is betrayed by Judas and arrested. Peter cuts of Malchus' ear and later denies Jesus three times as predicted. Jesus eventually dies for "Pete's" sake...and ours!

Hannah's request for a son is granted, and she keeps her promise to dedicate him, Samuel, to the Lord. What do you have? Choose to dedicate it to the Lord. Everything we have is on loan from God, so let's give it back to Him!

Jesus prays to the Father requesting four things for Believers. Preservation, Sanctification, Unity, & Participation in Jesus' glory. Amen!

Boaz marries Ruth and redeems Naomi during the wheat harvest, which is the same time as Pentecost. The book of Ruth is a prophetic book, speaking of the Church and Israel in the end times. The time is short, so let's heed God's voice...

The Lord's Prayer... Jesus is about to be crucified, and He pauses to talk to the Father.

Ruth uncovers Boaz' feet and ask him to spread his covering over her. Like Ruth, we are to offer ourselves to Jesus as a bride and come under His covering. Like Boaz, Jesus will cover us in His blood of redemption and give us rest.

Chapt. 16 describes the work of the Holy Spirit, the plan of the Father, and the response of the believer. Jesus reminds us of the things He has given to keep us from stumbling, that we may have peace: a principle to hold on to, a power to plug into, & a position to claim.

God see us. He has chosen & appointed us to go and bear fruit! The ultimate fruit of an apple is an orchard. Let's start our own orchard...

The book of Ruth is a love story of God's redemptive nature. In chapter 1, Elimelech moves his family from Bethlehem to Moab due to a famine. There, he and his two sons die. His wife, Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth return to Bethlehem during Passover. What will we do, where will we go during "dry" times?

Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz, who turns out to be Naomi's kinsman redeemer. Boaz provides abundantly for Ruth & Naomi and is a picture of Jesus, our ultimate kinsman Redeemer! 

Jesus knows the impossibility of His command to lay down our lives for each other. The only way to do so is with the help of the Holy Spirit. The strength of our flesh will never produce the fruit of the Spirit because it's the VINE that bears the fruit. 

Do not fret (hold onto anger), just "roll with it"! Fretting is one of the primary weapons of the enemy to gain a stronghold over us. Trust in the Lord, He will vindicate us!

Jesus commands us to love each other as He has loved us...by laying down our life (i.e., living sacrificially) for others. We will also be hated by the world as Jesus was hated.  

Jesus is the Vine, the Father is the Vinedresser, we are the branches, & fruit is the goal! God must rule if we are to bear fruit.

Man's attempt to solve problems without God leads to genocide, mass rape, kidnapping, etc. and reveals the darkness of humanity. We have war because we have conflict with God. Let's choose to humble ourselves, submit to God, & draw near to Him.

Man's attempt to solve problems without God leads to genocide, mass rape, kidnapping, etc. and reveals the darkness of humanity. We have war because we have conflict with God. Let's choose to humble ourselves, submit to God, & draw near to Him.

The blessing of tithing, an act of worship unto the Lord...

"The Dark Depravity of Mankind" Left to ourselves, without God, humans are depraved and capable of great evil.  We need a king, the one true King, Jesus Christ, who died to save all of mankind and restore peace.

The heart and character of God, our Father, is revealed in the Old Testament in His names and in the face of Jesus in the New Testament.

"Inheritance" The Israelites didn't receive the fulness of God's promise to them because of sin & compromise. Let's not do the same. Each one of us is responsible to live pure before the Lord because one part affects the entire body.

"Tongues of Fire" God tests our faith by the tongue. The tongue has the power to direct, destroy, & delight. Only Jesus can tame the tongue. Let's let our tongues be set on fire by heaven, not hell.

Rules Concerning Valuations...

Blessings of Obedience...

The Sabbatic Year and the Year of Jubilee...

The Lamp and the Bread of the Sanctuary...

Laws of Religious Festivals...

Sundry Rules for the Priests...

Regulations Concerning Priests...

On Human Sacrifice and Immoralities...

Idolatry Forbidden...

Laws on Immoral Relations...

Blood for Atonement...

The Law of Atonement...

Cleansing Unhealthiness...

Law of Cleansing a Leper...

The Test for Leprosy...

Laws of Motherhood...

Laws About Animals for Food...

The Sin of Nadab and Abihu...

Aaron Offers Sacrifices...

The Consecration of Aaron and His Sons...

The Priest's Part in the Offerings...

Guilt Offering...

The Law of Guilt Offerings...