During the eleventh hour of this age, as Jesus declared, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” Matthew 24:14. The descriptive scene of Revelation 7 reveals the fruits of these labors.

change is coming, it is easier to start laying the groundwork for succession, but that can be short-sighted. There is wisdom in succession plans that consider the unknown. No one knows how many days they have left to live in this age. Illness can come on suddenly, and tragic accidents happen frequently.

It is Sunday morning. What are you going to do this morning (or, depending on when you read this, what did you do this morning)? It is the first day of the week; did you spend it on yourself, or did you give some of your time in worship of Yahweh our God and in remembrance of his son, Jesus, our savior? Most of those reading this likely attended a local church this morning, but some of you may have needed to work, or perhaps there was another reason for not being in church today.

We are told that all the Israelites, all the elders, and several warriors from other areas were fully committed to the decision of making David king.

The lessons of Laodicea are not lost on those with ears to hear. The voice that beckons is not condemning, but rather reconciling. None are too far gone who will hear His gentle knock at the door of our heart.

If Solomon valued children so much why didn’t he have more?  The most likely answer is that Solomon’s next wife was the daughter of the Pharoah of Egypt.  She worshipped idols and brought them into the royal palace.  Many Biblical scholars believe that Solomon had no more children as punishment for allowing idolatry to enter his family.

Motivating my four children, ages 4 to 12, requires different strategies. My 12-year-old is motivated by rewards, i.e., if you do all your chores and then some extra work, you can have an extra 30 minutes playing the Switch. Consequences, however, don’t seem to faze her quite as much. The other 3 children are less cut and dry and require a more measured approach with rewards and consequences; however, one great challenge is follow-through. As busy parents with hundreds of things to do each day and limited energy reserves, it can be difficult to be consistent and follow through on our threats and promises.

The first half of the Psalm is a Song of Rejoicing.  It likely refers to the time when Israel returned from their time in Exile.  King Cyrus of Persia released the exiles in Israel and allowed them to return to Israel where they could live in freedom and rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the Temple.  It was a time of rejoicing.  It was a time of rejoicing, laughter, songs of joy.  The surrounding nations could see how God did great things for them.  Sadly over time Israel faced a whole new set of trials.  So God’s people pray that once again God would step in and bless his people and restore their fortunes.

It is time for refocus. In an age when political polarization and debate has become a central focus, it is time for the people of God to return and refocus on their true identity and destiny.

The Christian life begins with a good foundation, but a foundation is meant to be built upon. Jude appeals to us to be "building yourselves up on your most holy faith.” We build through an active relationship with our Lord Jesus and his people, by a deliberate effort to know and live the truth of scripture. We build both individually and corporately.