Psalm 125

Dear Brethren:

Do you trust in the Lord? If you truly trust in the Lord, then you cannot be moved. The write of Psalms 125 wrote, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever." As long as we trust in the Lord, then no one can move us from our spiritual stance and position. Trusting in the Lord serves as an anchor to keep us stationary in our fellowship with the Lord.

If you trust in the Lord, then the Lord will surround you and protect you. The writer of Psalm 125 continued, saying, "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever." What a great comfort to know that the Lord surrounds us, protecting us from enemies who would try to take away our freedom. The Lord will protect and defend those who serve Him and who are "upright in heart."

Here is Psalm 125 presented for your consideration.

Psalm 125

1 Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.

3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.

4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, And to those who are upright in their hearts.

5 As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel!

In Love,

John Duvall

John 1:29-36

Dear Brethren:

In the beginning of John's gospel account, in chapter 1, John refered to Jesus as the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." In the book of Revelation, John, in a vision, saw Jesus appearing as a Lamb that had been slain. (Revelation 5:6-10) Jesus came to this world to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Those who rejected Jesus crucified Him upon a wooden cross. They shed the blood of Jesus, the Lamb slain for our sins.

As you go about your busy day, take a minute to thank the Father in heaven for the wondeful sacrifice, for the price paid by Jesus Christ. Because of the death of the Lamb, our sins have been washed away. We have been redeemed. Rejoice and praise the Lord for His great gift of salvation.

Here is John 1:29-36 presented for your consideration.

John 1:29-36

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'

31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.

33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'

34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.

36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

In Love,

John Duvall

Romans 8:12-17

Dear Brethren:

As Christians, we are debtors. That is to say, we are in great debt to someone. I am not talking about financial debt. (That is a different matter altogether.) As Christians, we are in great debt to God.

This spiritual debt is not a debt that we can pay back. We can no longer be out of this type of debt, nor should we want to be. However, we can live our lives in faithful service to the One to whom we are debtors. In order to live such a faithful life to God, we must live "by the Spirit." According to the apostle Paul, if we live "by the Spirit," then we will "put to death the deeds of the body." When we allow ourselves to be "led by the Spirit of God," then we are living as "sons of God" and "joint heirs with Christ."

Here is Romans 8:12-17 presented for your consideration.

Romans 8:12-17

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

In Love,

John Duvall

Genesis 6:1-8

Dear Brethren:

When the Lord God looked upon the earth during the days of Noah, He saw wickedness. The wickedness was so great that every intent of man's thoughts was continually evil. Earth during the days of Noah was a terrible place. God destroyed every man and animal that walked upon the dry land of the earth with a great flood, with the exception of Noah and his family -- eight souls.

How do you think the earth of today measures up to the earth of Noah's day? Without a doubt, there is a great amount of wickedness on the earth. There are people who commit murders, sexual sins, thefts, extortions, crimes of all types, abuse drugs and alcohol, etc. Marriages are following apart, divorce is rampant, teenage pregnancies is common, homosexuality is the norm in many places . . . yes, we live in wicked times. However, the difference between the days of Noah and today is the presences of righteous followers of God. During the days of Noah, only eight people served God. Today, it is different. While we, as Christians, cannot necessarily remove the wickedness from the world, we can do our part to see that righteousness abounds. We can teach other people about Jesus Christ and His word. We can be righteous examples to the world in hopes that the world may look to Jesus. We can raise our children in the way of the Lord, showing them how to live righteously.

While the Lord promised to never destroy the world by water, He is going to one day destroy the world by fire. The day of judgment will come and all of mankind will stand before the judgment seat of God. While we have life within our bodies, let us do all we can to teach others about righteousness found only in Jesus Christ.

Here is Genesis 6:1-8 presented for your consideration.

Genesis 6:1-8

1 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them,

2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.

3 And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

7 So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

In Love,

John Duvall