An Urgent Appeal (A Warning too)
Romans 13:11-14

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Olog06/24/08 08:26am

GOD IS OUR PROTECTOR
Psalm 91

Whoever goes to the LORD for safety,
Whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty,
Can say to him, “You are my defender and protector,
You are my God; in you I trust.”
He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers
And from all deadly diseases,
He will cover you with his wings;
You will be safe in his care;
His faithfulness will protect and defend you.
You need not fear any dangers at night
Or sudden attacks during the day
Or the plagues that strike in the dark
Or the evils that kill in daylight.

A thousand may fall dead bedside you,
Ten thousand all around you,
But you will not be harmed.
You will look and see
How the wicked are punished.

You have made the LORD your defender,
The Most High your protector,
And so no disaster will strike you,
No violence will come near your home.
God will put his angels in charge of you
To protect you wherever you go.
They will hold you up with their hands
To keep you from hurting your feet on the stones.
You will trample down lions and snakes,
Fierce lions and poisonous snakes.

God says, “I will save those who love me
And will protect those who acknowledge me
As LORD.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
When they are in trouble, I will be with them
I will rescue them and honor them.
I will reward them with long life;
I will save them.”

Olog07/04/08 02:12pm

God Keeps Us Into Existence
Isaiah 40:21-27

Do you not know? Were you not told long ago?
Have you not heard how the world began?
It was made by the one who sits on His throne
Above the earth and beyond the sky; the people below like tiny ants.
He stretched out the sky like a curtain, like a tent in which to live.

He brings down powerful rulers and reduces them to nothing.
They are like young plants, just set out and barely rooted.
When the LORD sends a wind, they dry up and blow away like straw.

To whom can the Holy God be compared?
Is there anyone else like Him?
Look up at the sky! Who created the stars you see?
The one who leads them out like an army He knows how many there are and calls each one by name!
His power is so great – not one of them is ever missing!

Israel, why then do you complain that the LORD doesn’t know your troubles or care if you suffer injustice?
OLOG06/19/08 6:54am

Forgiveness Of Sins
Psalm 32

Happy are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned.
Happy is the man whom the LORD does not accuse of doing wrong and who is free from all deceit.
When I did not confess my sins,
I was worn out from crying all day long.
Day and night you punished me, LORD; my strength was completely drained, as moisture is dried up by the summer heat.

Then I confessed my sins to you; I did not conceal my wrongdoings.
I decided to confess them to you, and you forgave all my sins.

So all your loyal people should pray to you in times of need; when a great flood of trouble comes rushing in, it will not reach them.
You are my hiding place; you will save me from trouble.
I sing aloud of your salvation, because you protect me.

The LORD says, “I will teach you the way you should go; I will instruct you and advise you.
Don’t be stupid like a horse or a mule, which must be controlled with a bit and bridle to make it submit.”

The wicked will have to suffer, but those who trust in the LORD are protected by His constant love.
You that are righteous, be glad and rejoice because of what the LORD has done.
You that obey Him, shout for joy!
OLOG06/24/087:31am

GOD WILL SAVE EVEN IF ONLY 10s ARE JUST
Genesis 18:20-31,32b

Then the LORD said to Abraham, “There are terrible accusations against Sodom and Gomorrah, and their sin is very great. I must go down to find out whether or not the accusations which I have heard are true.”

Then the two men left and went on toward Sodom, but the LORD remained with Abraham. Abraham approached the LORD and asked, “Are you really going to destroy the innocent with the guilty? If there are fifty innocent people in the city, will you destroy the whole city? Won’t you spare it in order so save the fifty? Surely you won’t kill the innocent with the guilty. That’s impossible! You can’t do that. If you did, the innocent would be punished along with the guilty. That is impossible. The judge of all the earth has to act justly.”

The LORD answered, “If I find fifty innocent people in Sodom, I will spare the whole city for their sake.”

Abraham spoke again: “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, Lord. I am only a man and have no right to say anything. But perhaps there will be only forty-five innocent people instead of fifty. Will you destroy the whole city because there are five too few?”

The LORD answered, “I will not destroy the city if I find forty-five innocent people.”

Abraham spoke again: Perhaps there will be only forty.”

He replied, “I will not destroy it if there are forty.”
Abraham said, “Please don’t be angry, LORD, but I must speak again. What if there are only thirty?”
He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty.”
Abraham said, “Please forgive my boldness in continuing to speak to you, LORD. Suppose that only twenty are found?”

He said, “I will not destroy the city if I find twenty.”….”What if only ten are found?” The LORD said, “I will not destroy it if there are ten.”
Olog07/06/08 09:10am


THANKSGIVING FOR HELP AND VICTORY


Psalm 18:1-6,16-27,30-33,46

How I love you, LORD! You are my defender.
The LORD is my protector; He is my strong fortress. My GOD is my protection, and with Him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; He defends me and keeps me safe. I call to the LORD, and He saves me from my enemies. Praise the LORD!

The danger of death was all around me; the waves of destruction rolled over me.
The danger of death was around me, and the grave set its trap for me.
In my trouble I called to the LORD; I called to my God for help.
In His temple He heard my voice; He listed to my cry for help.

THE LORD reached down from above and took hold of me; He pulled me out of the deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemies and from all those who hate me - they were too strong for me

When I was in trouble, they attacked me, but the LORD protected me.
He helped me out of danger; He saved me because He as pleased with me.

The LORD rewards me because I do what is right; He blesses me because I am innocent.
I have obeyed the law of the LORD; I have not turned away from my GOD.
I have observed all His laws; I have not disobeyed His commands. He knows that I am faultless, that I have kept myself from doing wrong.
And so He rewards me because I do what is right, because He knows that I am innocent.

O LORD, You are faithful to those who are faithful to You: completely good to those who are perfect.
You are pure to those who are pure, but hostile to those who are wicked.
You save those who are humble, but You humble those who are proud.

This GOD- how perfect are His deeds!
How dependable His words!
He is like a shield for all who seek His protection.
The LORD alone is GOD; GOD alone is our defense.
He is the GOD who makes me strong, who makes my pathway safe.
He makes me sure-footed as a deer; He keeps me safe on the mountains.

The LORD lives! Praise my defender!
Proclaim the greatness of the GOD who saves me.

What Is Needed Is Faith In Jesus Christ
(1 John 5:10-13)

So whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony in His own heart; but whoever does not believe God, has made a liar of Him, because He has not believed what God has said about His Son. The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in His Son. Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I am writing this to you so that you may know that you have eternal life- you that believe in the Son of God.
OLOG06/21/08

All People Shall Receive The Spirit

Joel 2:28-32

“Afterward I will pour out my spirit on everyone: your sons and daughters will proclaim my message; your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. At that time I will pour out my spirit even on servants, both men and women.

“I will give warnings of that day in the sky and on the earth; there will be bloodshed, fire, and clouds of smoke. The sun will be darkened, and the moon will turn red as blood before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.

But all who ask the LORD for help will be saved. As the LORD has said, ‘Some in Jerusalem will escape; those whom I choose will survive’”.

OLOG06/14/08 14:51

GOD, The Supreme Judge
(Psalm 82)

GOD presides in the heavenly council; in the assembly of the gods He gives His decision: “You must stop judging unjustly; you must no longer be partial to the wicked!
Defend the rights of the poor and the orphans; be fair to the needy and the helpless.
Rescue them from the power of evil men.

“How ignorant you are! How stupid!
You are completely corrupt, and justice has disappeared from the world.
‘You are gods, ‘ I said; ‘ all of you are sons of the Most High.’
But you will die like men; your life will end like that of any prince.”

Come, O GOD, and rule the world; all the nations are yours.
OLOG06/19/08

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISE
Hebrews 6:10-15

God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to your fellow Christians. Our great desire is that each one of you keep up his eagerness to the end, so that the things you hope for will come true. We do not want you to become lazy, but to be like those who believe and are patient, and so receive what God has promised.

When God made his promise to Abraham, he made a vow to do what he had promised. Since there was no one greater than himself, he used his own name when he made his vow. He said, “Promise you that I will bless you and give you many descendants.” Abraham was patient, and so he received what God had promised.
OLOG 07/06/08 08:41AM

God Will Not Abandon Us
Psalm 16

Protect me, O GOD; I trust in you for safety.
I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; all the good things I have come from you.”

How excellent are the LORD’S faithful people!
My greatest pleasure is to be with them.

Those who rush to other gods
Bring many troubles on themselves.
I will not take part in their sacrifices; I will not worship their gods.

You, LORD, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands.
How wonderful are your gifts to me; how good they are!

I praise the LORD, because he guides me, and in the night my conscience warns me.
I am always aware of the LORD’S presence; he is near, and nothing can shake me.

And so I am thankful and glad, and I feel completely secure, because you protect me from the power of death, and the one you love, you will not abandon to the world of the dead.

You will show me the path that leads to life; your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever.
OLOG06/24/08 08:11am

He Is The Lord Of All Nations And Will Save His People
(Isaiah 43:9:13)

“Summons the nations to come to the trial. Which of their gods can predict the future? Which of them foretold what is happening now?
Let these gods bring in their witnesses to prove that they are right, to testify to the truth of their words.

“People of Israel, you are my witnesses; I chose you to be my servant, so that you would know me and believe in me and understand that I am the only God.
Besides me there is no other god; there never was and never will be.

“I alone am the LORD, the only one who can save you.
I predicted what would happen, and then I came to your aid.
No foreign god has ever done this; you are my witnesses.
I am God and always will be.
No one can change what I do.”
OLOG06/17/08 07:08am

LORD, You Know Everything, Guide Me
Psalm 139

LORD, You have examined me and you know me.
You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.
You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions.
Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.
You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power.
Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.


Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence?
If I went up to heaven, you would be there; if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there.
If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west, you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.

I could ask the darkness to hide me or the light around me to turn into night, but even darkness is not dark for you, and the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.

You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because you are to be feared; all you do is strange and wonderful.
I know it with all my heart.

When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother’s womb, when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there- you saw me before I was born.
The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them ever began.
O God, how difficult I find your thoughts; how many of them there are!
If I counted them, they would be more than the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you.

O GOD, how I wish you would kill the wicked!
How I wish violent men would leave me alone!
They say wicked things about you; they speak evil things against your name.
O LORD, how I hate those who hate you!
How I despise those who rebel against you!
I hate them with a total hatred; I regard them as my enemies.

Examine me, O GOD, and know my mind; test me, and discover my thoughts.
Find out if there is any evil in me and guide me in the everlasting way.
OLOG06/24/08 7:50am


Prayer For Guidance
(Psalm 25)

To you, O LORD, I offer my prayer; in You, my GOD, I trust.
Save me from the shame of defeat; don’t let my enemies gloat over me!
Defeat does not come to those who trust in You, but to those who are quick to rebel against You.

Teach me Your ways, O LORD; make them known to me.
Teach me to live according to your truth, for You are my GOD, who saves me.
I always trust in you.

Remember, O LORD, Your kindness and constant love which you have shown from long ago.
Forgive the sins and errors of my youth.
In Your constant love and goodness, remember me, LORD!

Because the LORD is righteous and good, He teaches sinners the path they should follow.
He leads the humble in the right way and teaches them His will.
With faithfulness and love He leads all who keep His covenant and obey His commands.

Keep Your promise, LORD, and forgive my sins, for they are many.
Those who obey the LORD will learn from Him the path they should follow.
They will always be prosperous, and their children will possess the land.
The LORD is the friend of those who obey Him and He affirms His covenant with them.

I look to the LORD for help at all times, and He rescues me from danger.
Turn to me, LORD, and be merciful to me, because I am lonely and weak.
Believe me of my worries and save me from all my troubles.
Consider my distress and suffering and forgive all my sins.

See how many enemies I have; see how much they hate me.
Protect me and save me; keep me from defeat. I come to you for safety.
May my goodness and honesty preserve me, because I trust in you.

From all their troubles, O GOD, save your people Israel!
OLOG06/18/08


The Lord’s Coming
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Our brothers, we want you to know the truth about those who have died, so that you will not be sad, as are those who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in Him.

What we are teaching you now is the Lord’s teaching: we who are alive on the day the Lord comes will not go ahead of those who have died. There will be the shout of command, the archangel’s voice, the sound of God’s trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first; then we who were living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. So then, encourage one another with these words.

ACT ACCORDING TO OUR DIFFERENT TALENTS
Romans 12:3-8

And because of God’s gracious gift to me I say to every one of you: do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you. We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions. In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body. So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God’s message, we should do it according to the faith that we have; if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach; if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully.

ADAM AND CHRIST
Roman5:12-21

Therefore, just a sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned – sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man’s trespass, that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. But law came in with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

AN ANALOGY FROM MARRIAGE
Roman 7:1-6

Do you not know, brothers and sisters – for I am speaking to those who know the law – that the law is binding on a person only during that person’s lifetime? Thus a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is discharged from the law concerning the husband. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress.

In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.

BE ALERT, YOU DO NOT KNOW THE HOUR
Mark 13:32-37

“No one knows, however, when that day or hour will come- neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son: only the Father knows. Be on watch, be alert, for you do not know when the time will come. It will be like a man who goes away from home on a trip and leaves his servants in charge, after giving to each one his own work to do and after telling the doorkeeper to keep watch. Watch, then , because you do not know when the master of the house is coming – it might be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or at sunrise. If he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep. What I say to you, then, I say to all: WATCH!”

BE ONE IN SOUL AND MIND
Philippians 2:1-4

Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit, and you have kindness and compassion for one another. I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look our for one another’s interests, not just for your own.

BE ONE OF MIND, HAVE COMPASSION
1Peter 3:8-12

To conclude: you must all have the same attitude and the same feelings; love one another as brothers, and be kind and humble with one another. Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you. As the scripture says,

“Whoever wants to enjoy life
and wishes to see good times,
must keep from speaking evil
and stop telling lies.
He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must strive for peace with all his heart.
For the Lord watches over the righteous
And listens to their prayers;
But he opposes those who do evil.”

BE PERFECT FOR THE LORD
1 King 8:54-61

After Solomon had finished praying to the LORD, he stood up in front of the altar, where he had been kneeling with uplifted hands. In a loud voice he asked God’s blessings on all the people assembled there. He said, “Praise the LORD who has given his people peace, as he promised he would. He has kept all the generous promises he made through his servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us; may he make us obedient to him, so that we will always live as he wants us to live, keeping all the laws and commands he gave our ancestors. May the LORD our God remember at all times this prayer and these petitions I have made to him. May he always be merciful to the people of Israel and to their king, according to their daily needs. And so all the nations of the world will know that the LORD alone is God- there is no other. May you, his people, always be faithful to the LORD our God, obeying all his laws and commands as you do today.”

CHOICE OF FRIENDS
Sirach 9:10-16

Do not abandon old friends, for new ones cannot equal them.
A new friend is like new wine; when it has aged, you can drink it with pleasure.

Do not envy the success of sinners, for you do not know what their end will be like.
Do not delight in what pleases the ungodly; remember that they will not be held guiltless all their lives.

Keep far from those who have power to kill, and you will not be haunted by the fear of death.
But if you approach them, make no misstep, or they may rob you of your life.
Know that you are stepping among snares, and that you are walking on the city battlements.

As much as you can, aim to know your neighbours, and consult with the wise.
Let your conversation be with intelligent people, and let all your discussion be about the law of the Most High.
Let the righteous be your dinner companions, and let your glory be in the fear of the LORD.

CONCERNING SEXUAL SINS
Sirach 23:16-27

Two kinds of individuals
Multiply sins,
And a third incurs wrath.
Hot passion that blazes like a fire
Will not be quenched until it
Burns itself out;
One who commits fornication
With his near of kin
Will never cease until the fire
Burns him up.
To a fornicator all bread is
Sweet;
He will never weary until he dies.
The one who sins against his
Marriage bed
Says to himself, “Who can see me?
Darkness surrounds me, the
Walls hide me,
And no one sees me. Why
Should I worry?
The Most High will not
Remember sins.”
His fear is confined to human eyes
And he does not realize that
The eyes of the Lord are ten
Thousand times brighter than the sun;
They look upon every aspect of human behaviour
And see into hidden corners.
Before the universe was created,
It was known to him, and so it is since its completion.
This man will be punished in the streets of the city,
And where he least suspects it, he will be seized.

So it is with a woman who leaves her husband
And presents him with an heir by another man.
For first of all, she has disobeyed the law of the Most High;
Second, she has committed an offence against her husband;
And third, through her fornication she has committed adultery
And brought forth children by another man.
She herself will be brought before the assembly, and her punishment
Will extend to her children.
Her children will not take root, and her branches will not bear fruit.
She will leave behind an accursed memory and her disgrace will
Never be blotted out.
Those who survive her will recognize that nothing sweeter than to
Heed the commandments of the Lord!

CONTINUE PREACHING DESPITE SUFFERING
Acts 14:19-23

Some Jews came from Antioch in Pisidia and from Iconium; they won the crowds over to their side, stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, thinking that he was dead. But when the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he and Barnabas went to Derbe.

Paul and Barnabas preached the Good News in Derbe and won many disciples. Then they went back to Lystra, to Iconium, and on to Antioch in Pisidia. They strengthened the believers and encouraged them to remain true to the faith. “We must pass through many troubles to enter the Kingdom of God,” they taught. In each church they appointed elders, and with prayers and fasting they commended them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

DREAMS MEAN NOTHING
Sirach 34:1-8

The senseless have vain and false hopes, and dreams give wings to fools.
As one who catches at a shadow and pursues the wind, so is anyone who believes in dreams.
What is seen in dreams is but a reflection, the likeness of a face looking at itself.
From an unclean thing what can be clean? And from something false what can be true?
Divinations and omens and dreams are unreal, and like a woman in labour, the mind has fantasies.
Unless they are sent by intervention from the Most High, pay not attention to them.
For dreams have deceived many, and those who put their hope in them have perished.
Without such deceptions the law will be fulfilled, and wisdom is complete in the mouth of the faithful.

FALSE FRIENDS
Sirach 37:1-6

Every friend says, “I too am a friend”; but some friends are friends only in name.
Is it not a sorrow like that for death itself when a dear friend turns into an enemy?
O inclination to evil, why were you formed to cover the land with deceit?
Some companions rejoice in the happiness of a friend, but in time of trouble they are against him.
Some companions help a friend for their stomachs’ sake, yet in battle they will carry his shield.
Do not forget a friend during the battle, and do not be unmindful of him when you distribute your spoils.

FEAR THE LORD
Sirach 34:14-20

The spirit of those who fear the Lord will live, for their hopes is in him who saves them.
Those who fear the Lord will not be timid, or play the coward, for he is their hope.
Happy is the soul that fears the Lord! To whom does he look? And who is his support?
The eyes of the Lord are on those who love him, a mighty shield and strong support, a shelter from scorching wind and a shade from noonday sun, a guard against stumbling and a help against falling.
He lifts up the soul and makes the eyes sparkle; he gives health and life and blessing.

FOLLOW CHRIST WITH ALL OUR STRENGTH
Philippians 3:12-16

I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. Of course, my brothers, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above.

All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you. However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now.