Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you."

Devotional Scripture

Proverbs 28:15-16 (KJV):
15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
16 The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.

Proverbs 28:15-16 (AMP):
15 Like a roaring lion or a ravenous and charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16 A ruler who lacks understanding is (like a wicked one) a great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness and unjust gain shall prolong his days.
Thought for the Day

Like ferocious beasts, oppressors prey upon others. Greedy rulers oppress through harsh laws, exorbitant taxes, and merciless treatment, exploiting the poor for their own selfish means. They are "beastly" in nature. In the Book of Revelation, the Lord describes a "Beast" system that will rule the earth. The root of this system is ruled by the love of money; a snare to everyone on the earth. Many today are already spiritually marked with the "mark of the beast,"which is in part, the love of money (Revelation 13:16-17).

Buying and selling is the system of the world. Many Christians are seeking after what the Gentiles were seeking in Matthew 6:31-32: the things of this world. There is nothing wrong with Christians buying and selling, but we are not buying and selling our souls. We are in the world, but we are not of it (John. 17:14-16). We handle the things of this world, but it is not in our hearts. Even so, the "beast" system has infiltrated the church through the influence of carnal Christians. These worldly Christians are puzzled by other Christians not seeking after money. They have sold out to the "beast" system by allowing its pleasures to consume their time and money. They have money for the things they desire, but they do not have the money for God. It is sad to see preachers manipulating God's people to give in order to support their own exorbitant lifestyles. There are pastors who will not deal with an elder's sin because he has a lot of money and gives to the church. Such pastors are not wholly serving the Lord but the "beast" system. Many ministries will go where they can receive the largest offering, rather than where God might ask them to go. Despite these abuses, we are not excused to quit giving. If we fail to give to worthy causes where there is a genuine need, we fail our Lord.

Those who are part of the true church; the bride of Christ, will love and honor God in all areas of life. Believers with the mind of Christ, walking in the Spirit and doing the works of God do not compromise with the world system. Its ways and desires are not in their hearts; its mark is not on them. Because they know that true riches are eternal, and their greatest treasure is their relationship with God, they do not commit spiritual adultery by loving the things of this world, or having any friendship with it (1 John 2:15;James 4:4). They are marked with the love of God upon their minds and hearts. They are able to lay everything down, leaving all behind if necessary, in obedience to God. They worship and remain faithful to the true and living Almighty God. They reflect the character of Christ, not that of a ravaging beast that will leave its mark on them.
Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, I am grateful for Your bountiful provision in every area of my life. Lord, I do not want to cling to the things of this world and lean upon them for my security. May I always know that my security and blessings come from You, and You alone; no matter what source or channel You have chosen to bless me through. Lord, I am grateful for my blessings, but I never want to put them above You. Deliver me from the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life and the love of money. May I always desire the true riches of Your kingdom above any earthly treasures. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Death because of disobedience, Life through Christ

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’

“Cursed is the ground because of you;

through painful toil you will eat food from it

all the days of your life.

18It will produce thorns and thistles for you,

and you will eat the plants of the field.

19By the sweat of your brow

you will eat your food

until you return to the ground,

since from it you were taken;

for dust you are

and to dust you will return.”

He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,a putting them in chains of darknessb to be held for judgment; 5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the fleshc and despise authority.

Warnings From Israel’s History
1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”a 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test Christ,b as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13No temptationc has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be temptedd beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,e he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.


And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

Life Through the Spirit

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set youa free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,b God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.c And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives lifed because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because ofe his Spirit who lives in you.

12Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.f And by him we cry, “Abba,g Father.” 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

God shows no partiality

The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

St Francis of Assisi

While most people today are familiar with the name Francis of Assisi and can identify statues of him in a garden, few know why this small medieval man is so famous or how he spread revival across Europe.

Radical Conversion
Born in 1181/1182 to a wealthy cloth merchant, Pietro Bernardone, and his wife Pica in the town of Assisi, high in the Umbrian hills of central Italy, Francis grew up in privilege. A spoiled young man, he led an extravagant lifestyle, throwing expensive parties for his friends and dressing in the finest silk fashions brought back from France by his father.

Desiring to add knighthood to his station in the world, Francis pursued the glory of battle when he was around twenty. The military forces of Assisi, however, were captured, and the glamour of war quickly faded for Francis as he lay sick for a year in a Perugian jail. Although he began to consider spiritual things during his imprisonment, Francis returned to a life of partying upon his release.

In 1205 he set out again to gain fame by fighting against the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor. But God had different plans for the rich young man. Encamped at Spoleto the night before battle, Francis had a dream in which the Lord spoke to him. He turned back from combat, and soon began to follow Christ.

“By their fruit you will recognize them,” declared Jesus in Matthew 7:16. To answer the question whether Francis had genuine encounter with Christ, we need to observe how he produced “fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt 3:8). Repentance is a radical change of mind. It implies turning around 180 degrees and moving in the opposite direction. That is precisely what Francis did.

Renouncing a life of wasteful living, Francis began to give away his clothes and possessions to the poor. Rather than donning the latest silk styles, he took the humble brown robe of the peasant for the remainder of his days. Perhaps most revealing is that instead of partying all night, Francis pulled apart to spend hours with the Lord in prayer.

In addition, Francis began to love the very people who most repulsed him before he met Christ. Lepers were the lowest people in society. Consigned to reside in leper camps in the marshy areas below Assisi, they were the walking dead as their bodies and faces slowly rotted away. Francis—the young man caught up with looks and fashion—had always been revolted by the very sight of them. One day after his encounter with the Lord, however, he was riding his horse in the fields and ran across a leper. Dismounting, Francis had compassion on the man and gave his money to him. More than that, Francis saw Christ in this broken man. As Jesus asserted, “to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine . . . you did it to Me” (Matt 25:40, NAS). Francis reached out to the leper and kissed him.


Call to Ministry
Savoring time with God, Francis often stole away to the small chapel of San Damiano, a crumbling structure about a kilometer below Assisi. Here the young believer dedicated days to solitude with the Lord. At one point Christ spoke to him, “Francis, go and repair my house, which, as you see, is falling into ruin.” Taking Jesus’ words literally, Francis began to restore the dilapidated building.

Needing construction materials, Francis did what he had always done—he dipped into his family’s money. His father had never objected to the expensive parties he threw, so Francis assumed that he would not mind this donation to the church. Taking an expensive bolt of cloth, the zealous young man rode to the nearby market at Foligno where he sold both the cloth and the horse. Returning with a sack of gold coins, Francis presented the funds to the priest at San Damiano to buy building materials. Sensing that something was wrong, however, the priest refused the gift.

When Pietro found out what had happened, he was so enraged that he literally imprisoned Francis in their home. During Pietro’s next business trip, though, Francis’ mother released her son who went right back to his building project. Going from house to house in Assisi, he raised the necessary supplies to repair San Damiano.

Upon returning home, Pietro was infuriated by Francis’ shameless begging. Pietro wanted to put his son on trial. Because Francis was serving the church, however, the hearing went before the bishop. Recognizing that he needed to make a complete break from his family’s money, Francis made a radical decision. In a powerful gesture, the young man dropped all of his clothes at this father’s feet and stepped away from the life of comfort he had always known. Throwing his robe around Francis, the bishop symbolically declared that he was officially under the auspices of the church.


Itinerant Preachers
Returning to the reconstruction of San Damiano, Francis pursued a life of prayer and hard work. Soon several men joined him. Many of the first followers, like Bernard of Quintavalle, came from wealthy patrician and noble families. Laying aside their fortunes, distributing the money to the poor, and taking up the simple life of following Christ, they called themselves the Friars Minor—Little Brothers. Others came from all strata of society to become part of this emergent Christian community.


After Francis and his fellow brothers completed the refurbishment of San Damiano, they discovered that the Lord had a much larger restoration project in mind—the reformation of the whole Church in Europe! In great need of spiritual renewal, medieval Christendom was filled with compromise. In many churches people heard Scripture read only in Latin, which they did not understand, and they seldom received a sermon. Clergy were known for immoral living, and the ecclesial hierarchy pursued wealth and power. In the midst of the Church’s great prosperity, the poor went hungry and the sick had no one to care for them.

Although Francis loved solitude with the Lord, he sensed a calling to something more. One day Francis and two of the brothers sought the Lord for direction regarding their growing community. The Lord answered them in a clear and dramatic way. Three times they opened the Gospels and read the passage that lay before them: “Jesus said, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me’” (Matt 19:21). “He told them, ‘Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic’” (Luke 9:3). “Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’” (Luke 9:23).

With that, Francis and his fellow disciples set off to the various towns across Italy. Traveling two-by-two they preached the Gospel to people in the common language, inviting them into a personal relationship with Christ. Seeking to follow Jesus’ instructions literally, they took no extra clothes or food with them on the way. They received what provisions people donated to them, often giving most of it to the poor and infirm. They slept in homes or barns that were offered for their accommodations—else they spent the night under the stars.

Movement Explodes
In 1209 Francis and his dozen coworkers went to Rome to receive approval for their ministry. After dismissing the ragged group of brown-robed preachers without even speaking to them, Pope Innocent III had a dream. That night he saw the cathedral of Rome beginning to crumble. Suddenly it was upheld by one of these peasant-looking men in brown robes. Calling Francis and his companions to himself the next day, Innocent gave approval to their ministry.

Revival fires spread rapidly across Italy as the Little Brothers declared the Gospel and invited people into a relationship with Jesus. Lepers were cared for and the poor were fed. Everywhere people began to see the love of Jesus lived out in the ministry of Francis and his colleagues.

Others enlisted, and soon hundreds of Franciscans traversed the countryside. In 1217—after just eight years—no less than 5000 men had joined their numbers as itinerant preachers! Assembling as a whole group that year, the Friars Minor encouraged each other in the Lord and laid plans for ministry across Europe. Over the following decades these traveling evangelists led untold numbers into vital faith in Christ.


From article:
http://www1.cbn.com/churchandministry/the-st.-francis-revival

The Lord is my healer, The Lord is my shield, The Lord is my strength

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. Prov 3:7-8

The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.
Isa 58:11

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. Prov 17:22

My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Prov 4:20-23

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. Exo 20:12

You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.
Deut 5:33

"'Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:31

Someone may say to you, "Let's ask the mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead. With their whisperings and mutterings, they will tell us what to do." But shouldn't people ask God for guidance? Should the living seek guidance from the dead? Look to God's instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. Isa 8:19-20

The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the Lord, but only from the physicians. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes, and they made a huge fire in his honor. 2 Cor 16:11-14

Jehoram King of Judah
4When Jehoram established himself firmly over his father’s kingdom, he put all his brothers to the sword along with some of the officials of Israel. 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 6He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 7Nevertheless, because of the covenant the Lord had made with David, the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David. He had promised to maintain a lamp for him and his descendants forever.

8In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king. 9So Jehoram went there with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night. 10To this day Edom has been in rebellion against Judah.

Libnah revolted at the same time, because Jehoram had forsaken the Lord, the God of his ancestors. 11He had also built high places on the hills of Judah and had caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves and had led Judah astray.

12Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said:

“This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: ‘You have not followed the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. 13But you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your own family, men who were better than you. 14So now the Lord is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. 15You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.’ ”

16The Lord aroused against Jehoram the hostility of the Philistines and of the Arabs who lived near the Cushites. 17They attacked Judah, invaded it and carried off all the goods found in the king’s palace, together with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah,b the youngest.

18After all this, the Lord afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. 19In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, he died in great pain. His people made no funeral fire in his honor, as they had for his predecessors.

20Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
2 Chron 21:4-20

I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
1 Cor 2:5

Reminder

Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."

Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness.

people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Bless the Lord, O my soul

Christian or Catholic?

http://christiannews.net/2015/09/25/i-unite-myself-pope-calls-muslims-brothers-and-sisters-in-message-at-st-patricks-cathedral/


NEW YORK — During a speech at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on Thursday night, the Roman Catholic pontiff known as Francis offered prayers for his Muslim “brothers and sisters” on the Islamic Feast of Sacrifice following word of a deadly stampede during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

“I would like to express two sentiments for my Muslim brothers and sisters,” he began. “First, I send my greetings as they celebrate the Feast of Sacrifice [Eid al-Adha]. I would have my greeting to have been warmer. My sentiments are closeness.”

“I am close to them in the face of tragedy, the tragedy they suffered in Mecca,” Francis continued. “In this moment, I give assurances in their prayers. I unite myself with you all in prayer to Almighty God, all merciful.”

Approximately 700 people were killed yesterday and nearly 1,000 more injured during a ritual in Saudi Arabia called “stoning the devil,” during which participants throw stones at three pillars in a reenactment of Abraham’s alleged stoning of the devil to avoid temptation—according to Muslim tradition. During the ritual, the large crowds began to surge and some fell and were trampled to death.

Stampedes have occurred during the pilgrimage in years past with hundreds being killed, but Thursday’s incident is considered to be the deadliest since 1990.

Jorge Bergoglio, who was selected as the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in 2013, has expressed a desire for ecumenicism toward Muslims from the beginning of his tenure, issuing greetings during Muslim holy days.

“Turning to mutual respect in inter-religious relations, especially between Christians and Muslims, we are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values,” he wrote in a 2013 statement during Ramadan.


The pontiff also met with Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), later that year and visited Turkey’s Blue Mosque last November, expressing reverence during a moment of prayer observed by the nation’s grand mufti, who led him on a tour of the Islamic facility.

Mike Gendron of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries of Plano, Texas notes that harmony with Muslims is consistent with Roman Catholic doctrine.

“The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 841, reads, ‘The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims … together with us they adore the one, merciful God,’” he told Christian News Network. “This is a blatant rejection of the teachings of Christ, who declared He is the only way to the Father. Those who do not believe Jesus is God will die in their sins.”



Christian or Catholic?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 841, reads, ‘The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims … together with us they adore the one, merciful God,’” he told Christian News Network. “This is a blatant rejection of the teachings of Christ, who declared He is the only way to the Father. Those who do not believe Jesus is God will die in their sins.”


Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6


The Vine and the Branches

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunesa so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.


5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
John 15:1-8


To the seven churches in the province of Asia:


Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spiritsa before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.


To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.


7“Look, he is coming with the clouds,”b

and “every eye will see him,

even those who pierced him”;

and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”c

So shall it be! Amen.

8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Rev 1:4-8


For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:2


11For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

15These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
Titus 2:11-15

The Lord, not idols

Isaiah 44:6-17New King James Version (NKJV)
There Is No Other God

6 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
‘I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.
7 And who can proclaim as I do?
Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me,
Since I appointed the ancient people.
And the things that are coming and shall come,
Let them show these to them.
8 Do not fear, nor be afraid;
Have I not told you from that time, and declared it?
You are My witnesses.
Is there a God besides Me?
Indeed there is no other Rock;
I know not one.’”
Idolatry Is Foolishness


9 Those who make an image, all of them are useless,
And their precious things shall not profit;
They are their own witnesses;
They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10 Who would form a god or mold an image
That profits him nothing?
11 Surely all his companions would be ashamed;
And the workmen, they are mere men.
Let them all be gathered together,
Let them stand up;
Yet they shall fear,
They shall be ashamed together.

12 The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals,
Fashions it with hammers,
And works it with the strength of his arms.
Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails;
He drinks no water and is faint.

13 The craftsman stretches out his rule,
He marks one out with chalk;
He fashions it with a plane,
He marks it out with the compass,
And makes it like the figure of a man,
According to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.
14 He cuts down cedars for himself,
And takes the cypress and the oak;
He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest.
He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.

15 Then it shall be for a man to burn,
For he will take some of it and warm himself;
Yes, he kindles it and bakes bread;
Indeed he makes a god and worships it;
He makes it a carved image, and falls down to it.
16 He burns half of it in the fire;
With this half he eats meat;
He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
He even warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm,
I have seen the fire.”
17 And the rest of it he makes into a god,
His carved image.
He falls down before it and worships it,
Prays to it and says,
“Deliver me, for you are my god!”

16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

24“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’b As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’c

29“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33At that, Paul left the Council.34Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Acts 17:16-34


“ ‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.
Lev 19:4


The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcomea it.

6There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) 16Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God andb is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John 1:1-18

3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11:3

It is I who made the earth
and created mankind on it.
For this is what the LORD says-- he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited-- he says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other.
Isa 45:12,18

The Supremacy of the Son of God
15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Col 1:15-20

Job 38-41New King James Version (NKJV)
The Lord Reveals His Omnipotence to Job

38 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:


2 “Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.


4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?


8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
9 When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
10 When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
11 When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves must stop!’


12 “Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?
14 It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
15 From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the upraised arm is broken.


16 “Have you entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?
17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.


19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
20 That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
21 Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?


22 “Have you entered the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
24 By what way is light diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?


25 “Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
26 To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
27 To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
28 Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
30 The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is frozen.


31 “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the belt of Orion?
32 Can you bring out Mazzaroth[a] in its season?
Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?
33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?


34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
35 Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
36 Who has put wisdom in the mind?[b]
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
38 When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?


39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
40 When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
41 Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?


39 “Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young?
Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?
2 Can you number the months that they fulfill?
Or do you know the time when they bear young?
3 They bow down,
They bring forth their young,
They deliver their offspring.[c]
4 Their young ones are healthy,
They grow strong with grain;
They depart and do not return to them.


5 “Who set the wild donkey free?
Who loosed the bonds of the onager,
6 Whose home I have made the wilderness,
And the barren land his dwelling?
7 He scorns the tumult of the city;
He does not heed the shouts of the driver.
8 The range of the mountains is his pasture,
And he searches after every green thing.


9 “Will the wild ox be willing to serve you?
Will he bed by your manger?
10 Can you bind the wild ox in the furrow with ropes?
Or will he plow the valleys behind you?
11 Will you trust him because his strength is great?
Or will you leave your labor to him?
12 Will you trust him to bring home your grain,
And gather it to your threshing floor?


13 “The wings of the ostrich wave proudly,
But are her wings and pinions like the kindly stork’s?
14 For she leaves her eggs on the ground,
And warms them in the dust;
15 She forgets that a foot may crush them,
Or that a wild beast may break them.
16 She treats her young harshly, as though they were not hers;
Her labor is in vain, without concern,
17 Because God deprived her of wisdom,
And did not endow her with understanding.
18 When she lifts herself on high,
She scorns the horse and its rider.


19 “Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with thunder?[d]
20 Can you frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.
21 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He gallops into the clash of arms.
22 He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.
23 The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.
24 He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.
25 At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.


26 “Does the hawk fly by your wisdom,
And spread its wings toward the south?
27 Does the eagle mount up at your command,
And make its nest on high?
28 On the rock it dwells and resides,
On the crag of the rock and the stronghold.
29 From there it spies out the prey;
Its eyes observe from afar.
30 Its young ones suck up blood;
And where the slain are, there it is.”

40 Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said:


2 “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”
Job’s Response to God

3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:


4 “Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
God’s Challenge to Job

6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:


7 “Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me:


8 “Would you indeed annul My judgment?
Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
9 Have you an arm like God?
Or can you thunder with a voice like His?
10 Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor,
And array yourself with glory and beauty.
11 Disperse the rage of your wrath;
Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low;
Tread down the wicked in their place.
13 Hide them in the dust together,
Bind their faces in hidden darkness.
14 Then I will also confess to you
That your own right hand can save you.


15 “Look now at the behemoth,[e] which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18 His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
19 He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
20 Surely the mountains yield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
21 He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
23 Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24 Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.


41 “Can you draw out Leviathan[f] with a hook,
Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
2 Can you put a reed through his nose,
Or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3 Will he make many supplications to you?
Will he speak softly to you?
4 Will he make a covenant with you?
Will you take him as a servant forever?
5 Will you play with him as with a bird,
Or will you leash him for your maidens?
6 Will your companions make a banquet[g] of him?
Will they apportion him among the merchants?
7 Can you fill his skin with harpoons,
Or his head with fishing spears?
8 Lay your hand on him;
Remember the battle—
Never do it again!
9 Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false;
Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
10 No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up.
Who then is able to stand against Me?
11 Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under heaven is Mine.


12 “I will not conceal[h] his limbs,
His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.
13 Who can remove his outer coat?
Who can approach him with a double bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his face,
With his terrible teeth all around?
15 His rows of scales are his pride,
Shut up tightly as with a seal;
16 One is so near another
That no air can come between them;
17 They are joined one to another,
They stick together and cannot be parted.
18 His sneezings flash forth light,
And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Out of his mouth go burning lights;
Sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke goes out of his nostrils,
As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath kindles coals,
And a flame goes out of his mouth.
22 Strength dwells in his neck,
And sorrow dances before him.
23 The folds of his flesh are joined together;
They are firm on him and cannot be moved.
24 His heart is as hard as stone,
Even as hard as the lower millstone.
25 When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid;
Because of his crashings they are beside[i] themselves.
26 Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail;
Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
27 He regards iron as straw,
And bronze as rotten wood.
28 The arrow cannot make him flee;
Slingstones become like stubble to him.
29 Darts are regarded as straw;
He laughs at the threat of javelins.
30 His undersides are like sharp potsherds;
He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
31 He makes the deep boil like a pot;
He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 He leaves a shining wake behind him;
One would think the deep had white hair.
33 On earth there is nothing like him,
Which is made without fear.
34 He beholds every high thing;
He is king over all the children of pride.”


God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
Romans 1:18-23

Psalm 96
1Sing to the Lord a new song;

sing to the Lord, all the earth.

2Sing to the Lord, praise his name;

proclaim his salvation day after day.

3Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous deeds among all peoples.


4For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;

he is to be feared above all gods.

5For all the gods of the nations are idols,

but the Lord made the heavens.

6Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and glory are in his sanctuary.


7Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

8Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

bring an offering and come into his courts.

9Worship the Lord in the splendor of hisa holiness;

tremble before him, all the earth.

10Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”

The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;

he will judge the peoples with equity.


11Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;

let the sea resound, and all that is in it.

12Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;

let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

13Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,

he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

and the peoples in his faithfulness.