PRAYER REQUEST

“That the LORD your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do” (Jer. 42:3 NKJV).

With the fall and destruction of Jerusalem, many people taken captive by Babylon, the remnant that were left in Israel came to the prophet Jeremiah with a prayer request. While not made with the best of intentions (42:20), we want to note that the request for guidance spoke of the source of guidance and the specifics for guidance.

Source of guidance – “That the Lord your God may show us.” The request is asking for Divine guidance. There is no better Person to seek guidance from, than from God. And because God is all wise, He is able to give the best answers for guidance in life. Today we can seek His guidance through His Word and prayer. Seeking guidance for our life from the world’s counselors is the wrong place to seek guidance. The world’s counselors ignore the Word of God and when we ignore the Word of God, we cannot give good guidance about life to anyone.

Specifics for guidance – “Show us the way in which we should walk, and the thing that we should do.” Those making the request to Jeremiah, asked for guidance in two specific areas - their course and their conduct. Their course: “The way in which we should walk.” Where should we go? The remnant wanted to know if they should stay in Palestine or move to Egypt. Every person needs to know where they are to go, where to live, where to attend church, where to be employed, and where to go to school. God has the answer. Seek Him for the answer. Their conduct: “The thing we should do.” How are we to act? How are we to conduct ourselves? God has the right answer, and we need to seek Him for the answer. The world’s counselors do not have the right answers. Their answers will not tell us how to conduct our lives in a godly manner, and their guidance will lead to ungodly conduct. The best guidance will always come from God. We need to seek Him daily to guide our life aright.

(Adapted from Butler's Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Prayer crowns God with the honor and glory due to His name, and God crowns prayer with assurance and comfort. The most praying souls are the most assured souls!”

Thomas Brooks (1608 – 1680)

English Non-conformist Puritan Preacher and Author

Word Study

Dominion

In 1 Peter 5:11 we read, “To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (NKJV).

Dominion is the Greek word kratos (κράτος =krat'-os). It means strength, might power, authority and denotes the presence and significance of force or strength rather than its exercise. In classical Greek kratos refers to strength or power. In the sense of strength it can be used to describe the physical strength of a man, the material strength of a substance such as iron, or more abstractly to refer to military strength. In the sense of power, it often is used for the authority granted to certain men by the gods, thus political power, rule, sovereignty. In the Septuagint kratos is used to refer to the strength of men or other created things. However, it is most often used of the authority and power of God. In the New Testament, kratos always refers to authority above that of humans.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Conspiracy to kill the Messiah (Jer. 11:21)

New Testament Fulfillment – (John 7:1; Matt. 21:38)

Did You Know…

In the Bible it states that the disciples bear witness of Jesus Christ (John 15:27).

Bible Quiz

According to the Book of Joshua, what did Rahab do to put a marking on her home saving it from destruction?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Who pretended to be mad to avoid capture and death at the hands of the enemy king Achish? David (1 Sam. 21:13).

Names of the Lord Jesus Found in the Bible

“Shiloh”

"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people!” (Gen. 49:10 NKJV).

1. Meaning – The word “Shiloh” may be translated as to whom the scepter belongs, or as a name derived from the Hebrew word for peace. Thus the Lord Jesus is our promised peace.

2. Insights – The Lord Jesus fulfills the prophecy by being the King to whom the scepter belongs and our Prince of Peace.

3. Related Titles – Messiah (Dan. 9:25; John 1:41; 4:25); Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6).

Did You Know – Christian History

Thomas Campbell was born February 1, 1763 in County Down, Ireland. He was a Presbyterian minister who became prominent during the Second Great Awakening of the United States.

Campbell was raised Anglican, and was ordained a minister in the Scottish Seceder Presbyterian Church. Campbell left Ireland for the United States in April 1807. At this time in the United States there was a movement to return to primitive Christianity. Campbell was a leader in this movement. He taught that denominations should enjoy unity with each other; that scripture should be the final arbiter of differences in belief rather than church confessions; that there should be an end to creeds as tests of fellowship; and that ministers should have freedom from various restrictions created by religious organizations to control those who held pulpits.

This led to a difference of opinion, and the expulsion of Campbell from the Seceder Presbyterians. In 1809, Campbell published The Declaration and Address of the Christian Association of Washington, a document stating his ideas about how the Christian faith should be practiced. At this time, the Christian Association of Washington was not a church but an association of persons seeking to grow in faith. As their motto, they adopted the phrase, “Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.”

In 1810, Campbell and his son Alexander tried to unite their society with the Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterians rejected their overtures. So, on May 4, 1811, the Christian Association of Washington, reconstituted itself as a congregationally governed church. Campbell and his followers were invited to join fellowship with the near-by Redstone Baptist Association. This was the starting point for the Campbell–Stone Movement, which led to development of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Churches of Christ and the Christian churches and churches of Christ.

Campbell and his son Alexander continue to work within the Redstone Baptist Association during the period 1815 through 1824. While both the Campbells and the Baptists shared practices of baptism by immersion and some congregational unity, it was soon made clear that the Campbells and their associates were not traditional Baptists. Within the Redstone Association, some of the Baptist leaders considered the differences intolerable when Alexander Campbell began publishing a journal, The Christian Baptist, which promoted reform. The Campbells anticipated the conflict and moved their membership to a congregation of the Mahoning Baptist Association in 1824.

A Little Humor

A pastor was shy about meeting a young lady. He opened the songbook to “I Need Thee Every Hour” and handed it to her. She took it and turned to “God Will Take Care of You” and handed it back to him.

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Jesus Christ: not a law-giver, a life-giver”