Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

Esther 4:6-8 "6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate. 7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them. 8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people." Esther went from being an orphan raised by her righteous cousin, Mordecai, to become the queen of Persia! The King, has passed a law that will cause all the Jewish people to be killed. This has Mordecai upset and causing a scene. This has Esther concerned for her cousin and worried the King and others will find out her secret; she is Jewish. Esther can't go to Mordecai, so she sends her faithful servant...

Esther 4:4&5 "4 So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not. 5 Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was." We are studying Women of Faith in the Holy Scriptures, and learning a LOT! There are many accomplished and inspiring women in the Holy Bible. These women of faith are blessed by GOD and should be praised by all of us. As we read from the book of Proverbs, yesterday.  This week we will focus on one of the most famous women of faith; Esther! She went from being an orphan raised by her righteous cousin, Mordecai, to become a queen of Persia! Esther's husband, the King, has passed a law that will cause all the Jewish people to be killed. This has Mordecai upset an...

Proverbs 31:28-31 "28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. 29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates." GOD answered HANNAH'S prayers! This week we studied First Samuel to learn how Hannah prayed to our LORD. We can infer that she spent many hours in prayer because her will was in tune with GOD'S plan. What she wanted, a son, was what GOD blessed her with. That son, Samuel became the great prophet and judge of Israel and restored law, order, and regular religious worship in Israel. Samuel goes on to helping and influencing the Jewish monarchy by choosing and anointing Saul and David as kings of Israel! And, it all started with the humble and fervent prayer of Hannah! This woman had a PROFOUND impact on Jewish hist...

1 Samuel 1:17-20 "17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of Him. 18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. 19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. 20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD." GOD answered HANNAH'S prayers! Samuel means "heard of God." Because his life is given as a answer to prayer. Samuel is dedicated to GOD by his mother as part of the vow she made in her prayers. Then as a child, he was placed in the care of Eli, the high priest at the tabernacle at Shiloh, where she prayed. The Lord called Samuel at...

1 Samuel 1:12-16 "12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. 15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. 16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Like King David, in the Psalms, Hannah has a firm grasp on her own shortcomings and the HOLINESS of GOD. She knows she is a servant to the one true GOD and wants to do her part to advance the Kingdom of God in her world. What she says in her prayer is NOT uncommon. People make promises to GOD in their hour of desperation. It is remarkable that Hannah's will i...

1 Samuel 1:11 "11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thine handmaid, but wilt give unto Thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head." We are studying Hannah in the first chapter of the book of First Samuel. She was a young wife, married to Elkanah, who had another wife named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. This situation weighed heavy on Hannah. The other wife would ridicule Hannah for not having children. This made Hannah ANGRY and STRESSED. This motivated Hannah to PRAYER. Every year this faithful family made a pilgrimage to Shiloh to worship GOD and offer sacrifices. On these trips Hannah is taking the opportunity to pray to GOD at the tabernacle. She caught the eye of the priest Eli, probably her strong crying was inescapable. She would have been bitt...

1 Samuel 1:7-10 "7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. 8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons? 9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore." We are studying Women of Faith in the Holy Bible. This week is we look at Hannah in the first chapter of the book of First Samuel. Hannah was a young wife, married to Elkanah, who had another wife named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. They needed lots of hands to help around the house and farm. In other words they needed lots of children, or very big families. If, for some reason, a couple was not having children it ...

1 Samuel 1:1-6 "5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. 6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb." GOD calls us all to BELIEVE, to have FAITH, and to be SAVED! We get this message again and again as we study Women of Faith in the Holy Bible. From our own experience we know our walk in FAITH is strongly effected by our prayer life. We need to reach out to GOD in prayer, pleading humbly for what we need and want. King David demonstrates this effectively in the Psalms. He communicated the holiness of GOD and his own shortcomings.  We can all aspire to this level of awareness and eloquence when praying. Another great model of prayer life is Hannah in the Old Testament. She is the focus of our study this week in the book of First Samuel. These events occurred around THREE THOUSAND YEARS AGO! Life was different then but people were the same. Hannah was a young ...

Psalms 143:1&2 "1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in Thy faithfulness answer me, and in Thy righteousness. 2 And enter not into judgment with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified." Last week we studied Jesus's conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. He called her to BELIEVE, to have FAITH, and to be SAVED! She began to evangelize immediately! She convinced many to leave their midday business and come out to the well to meet the Christ. It all unfolded by GOD'S plan.  Not, covered in the verses that we studied was this woman's prayer life. We can only speculate, it must have been VERY good. It was noted that she had a rough life. Hardship and misfortune will motivate one to pray to GOD for help. I have to believe that her prayers were answered! This week we will focus our study on prayer. One of the best sources for outstanding examples of prayers is the book of Psalms. Today's verses come from the ...

John 4:28-30 "28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto Him." "I Am the Messiah." Jesus told this Samaritan woman. He adds GOD wants worship "in SPIRIT and in TRUTH." GOD doesn't care if you worship on this mountain or the other mountain. God cares that you worship Him in your heart of hearts. And, this unlikely woman, having had her share of sin, as we all are full of sin, she is called to BELIEVE, to have FAITH, and to be SAVED!  She becomes an evangelist immediately, today's verses; "The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, COME, SEE a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the CHRIST? Then they went out of the city, and came unto Him." We imagine the excitement of this woman telling every...

John 4:25-27 "25 The woman saith unto Him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He. 27 And upon this came His disciples, and marvelled that He talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest Thou? or, Why talkest Thou with her?" "I Am the Messiah." Jesus tells this Samaritan woman who comes to the well avoiding the crowds and meeting Jesus. She was thinking of drinking water. When challenged she thought of her people's history. When confronted with the mistakes and challenges of her own life she know she was not speaking to an ordinary man. Jesus had just told her that the world is changing! GOD wants worship "in SPIRIT and in TRUTH." GOD doesn't care if you worship on this mountain or the other mountain. God cares that you worship Him in your heart of hearts. And, this unlikely woman, having had her share of sin, as we all are full o...

John 4:19-24 "23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." Jesus is talking with the woman at the well. She was thinking about drawing water from the well. But, now she finds herself in a deep theological conversation with a man who has insight into her VERY personal life story. He has her attention and she thinks He is a prophet! She wonders about where is the right place to worship? Is it Jerusalem or this mountain? Jesus's answer; "NEITHER." And, He begins to explain Himself to her,  saying "...salvation is of the Jews." It's not completely obvious, yet, He is telling her He is the Messiah.  In today's verses Jesus tell this blessed woman that the whole world is about to change; "But the hour cometh, and NOW is, when the true worshippers shal...

John 4:13-18 "16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly." This woman at the well is litrally thinking about drawing water from the well. This water well is evidence of an UNBROKEN continuity in the history of this place. Which is the point of pain for the Samaritan people because their history was BROKEN. Kind of a community trauma coming out in her casual conversation.  Next, Jesus explains that He is talking about "water springing up into everlasting life." She is still thinking about drinking water. Then Jesus directed the conversation into a more personal direction; "Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have NO HUSBAND. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I ha...

John 4:11&12 "11 The woman saith unto Him, Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast Thou that living water? 12 Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?" This woman at the well is caught up litrally thinking about drawing water from the well. And, in her question she reveals that Samaritans shared many beliefs with the Jewish people. They have many shared ancestors, like Jacob. And, it is fascinating that she emphasized this fact. This water well has abundantly provided water for MANY generations. Jacob had dug this well in his own purchased plot. So that he was not dependent on neighbors who were at times hostile. This water well is evidence of an UNBROKEN continuity in the history of this place. Which is the point of pain for the people because their history as a people was BROKEN. Kind of a community trauma coming out in her casual conversation.  T...

John 4:9&10 "9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water." We have returned to the Gospel of John to read the record of GOD seeking and helping a non-Jewish woman; the woman at the well! This is an event only recorded in John's Gospel. This Gospel was the last to be written, even after Paul's letters were recived. John took the opportunity to fill in events that the other writers didn't record.  For this event Jesus and His Disciples were traveling through Samaria. A place all other Jewish people avoided. And, even more shocking that a Rabbi would be alone with a Samaritan woman, AND talk to her! Jesus is NOT AFRAID to shock or offend ...

John 4:7&8 "7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink. 8 (For His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)" Last week we studied Hagar in Genesis. A non-Jewish woman who was a slave. She was abused. She ran away. But then she is FOUND by GOD. SEEN by GOD! We observed that God here in the beginning of the Old Testament is looking for faithfulness that is transparent to the rest of the world. And, Jesus in the New Testament wants us to show our faith and allegiance to Him. We will be asked verbally and non-verbally again and again by the world. We have many opportunities to "CONFESS" our belief. This week we turn to the Gospel of John to read another record of GOD seeking and helping a non-Jewish woman! This time it's the woman at the well. This is an event only recorded in John's Gospel. This Gospel was the last to be written, even after Paul's letters were recived. John has the opportunity to ...

Matthew 10:30-33 "30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven." This week we have studied Hagar in Genesis. A woman who was a slave. She was made a surrogate by her mistress. She was abused. She ran away. She at times felt unseen. But then she is FOUND by GOD. SEEN by GOD! This bloodline that comes through Hagar goes on to become original tribes of the Arab people! They are very nomadic in character and fiercly independent. Hagar's son will be named ISHMAEL, as God directed.  Sometimes people differentiate between Jesus and the God of the Old Testament. If we read carefully we will see that they are in fact one GOD! Even before the chosen people were created GOD was only asking for people...

Genesis 16:13&14 "13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after Him that seeth me? 14 Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered." "Thou God seest me!" Hagar was a slave. She was made a surrogate by her mistress. She was abused. She ran away. She at times felt unseen and most recently felt like hiding. But now she is FOUND by GOD. SEEN by GOD! The Angel of the LORD, the pre-incarnate Jesus, promised her that her descendents will "NOT be NUMBERED for multitude." This bloodline that comes through Hagar goes on to become original tribes of the Arab people! They are very nomadic in character and fiercly independent. Hagar's son will be named ISHMAEL, as God directed.  We need to be reminded that we are seen by God. Sarah thought she was forgotten. Hagar was abused and put upon. Abraham was caught in between. Very few of us will put ourse...

Genesis 16:11&12 "11 And the Angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." This is the preincarnate Jesus talking to Hagar! Hagar was a believer. She lived with Sarai and Abram for years as Sarai's slave. Sarai suggested that Hagar could be their surrogate to HELP fulfill the Lord's promise to them. That's when things went a little sideways and Hagar runs away in fear for her life. The Angel of The LORD catches up with her at this water well on her way home to Egypt.  The Angel of the LORD promised her that her descendents will "NOT be NUMBERED for multitude." This sounds a lot like the promise made to Abram. Since the child Hagar carries in her womb is Abram's, this is his p...

My most recent art; "Samson Junior." The events around Samson in the Book of Judges in Holy Scriptures has fascinated me my entire life. For this illustration I wanted to portray the strength and wildness of Samson at a more youthful age. I like this work even though I faced challenges doing it with the software I was using.  This will be my last work done in Clip Studio Paint. In full disclosure it's not really finished. I abandoned it weeks ago. During my active work on it I experienced this bug in the program where it didn't work right with the auto save function. It required shutting down the app and rebooting it constantly. It was more than a little frustrating. It made it impossible to work on the art. Then a few weeks later; it was time to renew the subscription. Clip Studio Paint sent numerous reminders for me to renew at the regular price of $72 per year. And, that's a little steep for me. I'm only using it part time for fun and it was not working rig...

Genesis 16:9&10 "9 And the Angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 10 And the Angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude." This is the first time in Holy Scriptures that "The ANGEL of The LORD" appears! And! It's to a Gentile woman! Please, appreciate that "The ANGEL of The LORD," we interpret to be the preincarnate Jesus! (This is huge!) We infer that she is a believer in God. The spring of water is a well know place of refreshment on a journey that would be long and dangerous. If not deadly. It looks like Hagar is trying to go home to Egypt. But, GOD has other plans for her. Today's verses; "And the Angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the Angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed EXCEEDINGLY, that it SHALL NOT be NUMBERED for multitude....

Genesis 16:6-8 "6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. 7 And The Angel of The LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 8 And He said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai." The pain that Sarai experienced did NOT justify what she did to Hagar... Sarai had the idea of using her slave, Hagar, as a surrogate. Her husband, Abram, went along with the plan. Once Hagar was pregnant; it gave her a sense of superiority over Sarai. She "despised" Sarai! Hagar changed how she interacted with Sarai. Surely Sarai was feeling jealous, what was happening for Hagar was all the blessings that Sarai had hoped and prayed for and had NOT received. Sarai was hurting.  The pain that Sarai experienced did NOT justify what she did to Ha...

Genesis 16:3-5 "3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee." As we continue to study Women of Faith, we are studying Hagar, the slave of Sarai, Abram's wife. This is an event that records a lot of human pain balanced it with some of God's grace. God had promised Abram that he would have MANY descendents. Only Abram was getting old. It looked like they would have no children. Sarai has a plan to have children through a surrogate; her slave Hagar.  Abram listed to and followed through with Sarai's plan in today's verses; ...

Genesis 16:1&2 "1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai." We are continuing to study Women of Faith. Last week we looked at the famous sisters from the Gospel events; Mary and Martha. From those verses we learned that we want to chose the GOOD PARTS and we want to focus on on what is positive and best. This we we will study Hagar, the slave of Sarai, Abram's wife. This is an event that records a lot of human pain balanced it with some of God's grace. God had promised Abram, or Abraham, that he would have MANY descendents. Only Abram was getting old. It looked like they would have no children. In today's verses we read that Sarai has a plan to have children through a surrogate; "Now Sara...

Philippines 4:8 "8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Martha complained about her sister, Mary, not helping her. Martha made choices all along the way AND was not happy with the results. It was not Mary's fault that Martha was unhappy. Jesus is not going to take away from Mary just so Martha can feel better. "Mary has chosen the GOOD PART." We are familiar with this event in the Gospels. Still, we forget this example and neglect to let it inform and influence our lives. And, it's an idea expressed in other parts of the Holy Scriptures. Like today's verses from the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippines; "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are TRUE, whatsoever things are HONEST, whatsoever things are JUST...

Luke 10:42 "But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Martha was not rejoicing. She was missing her opportunity to be with Jesus. Jesus sees her heart and mind. Jesus can feel her stress and He wants to HELP her. There is a personal bond between these two, where they can talk to each other. BUT, He is not going to take away from Mary just so Martha can feel better. "Mary has chosen the GOOD PART." Martha invited Jesus into her home and her sister Mary did not help; so, she complained! What she did was something she would not do to ANY OTHER guest in her home. Martha ORDERED Jesus to tell Mary to HELP her. Martha made choices all along the way and was not happy with the results. It was not Mary's fault that Martha was unhappy. We can each guard our thoughts so we do not go down the same path that Martha has. While we want to aspire to be hospitable and serve our friends and family like Martha, we also ...

Luke 10:41 "And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:" When Martha invited Jesus into her home and her sister Mary did not help; she complained! With Mary's attention on Jesus, she would be surprised by her sister's complaint. Martha asked Jesus if He cares? Does GOD care? Of course He cares! He would not be incarnate and walking into her home if He did not care. Martha was swept up in the emotions of the moment. What she did was something she would not do to ANY OTHER guest in her home. Martha ORDERED Jesus to tell Mary to HELP her. In today's verse begins Jesus's to answer her; "Martha, Martha, thou art CAREFUL and TROUBLED about many things:" Notice how Jesus repeated her name. In the Jewish culture this was and expression of a close relationship. There is a personal bond between these to where they can talk to each other. Jesus can feel her stress and He wants to HELP her. God repeated ...

Luke 10:40 "But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to Him, and said, Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me." We are studying the Mary and Martha. This is their famous moment when Martha complained that Mary was not helping her! We do need to appreciate the tough spot Martha is in. She is possibly a widow, with her brother Lazarus and younger sister Mary living with her. Martha would have been the head of the household. She has a full plate and then she welcomed Jesus and His Disciples into her home. That most likely brought more people in the home than any of us would be comfortable with. As all that is unfolding Mary is enthralled with ever word and absorbed in every moment of Jesus visiting their home. She may not fully comprehend that it is GOD that is with them, but she does know this person is VERY special. With Mary's attention on Jesus, she is bound to be surprised by her sister's c...

Luke 10:39 "And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His word." This week we are studying the famous sisters from the Gospel events; Mary and Martha. What we read about in the Gospel record is the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus's birth and life. The doctrine that Jesus taught and the miracles He performed. All of this is PRICELESS. Unique events.  From the other Gospel accounts we know Martha is the sister of Lazarus, who Jesus will raise from the dead. And, we know this village is Bethany, not very far away from Jerusalem. We perceive that "Martha" was the mistress of the house. Possibly she was a widow, and her brother Lazarus and younger sister Mary lived with her. Martha welcomed Jesus and His Disciples into her home. Her expression of Middle Eastern hospitality would have included a meal. And, we can imagine that there would be more people in the home and trying to get into the home than any of us would be comfortable w...

Luke 10:38 "Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house." This week we will study the famous sisters from the Gospel events; Mary and Martha. Jesus's ministry is in full swing. A lot is happening before the eyes and ears of the Disciples. What we read about in the Gospel record is the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus's birth and life. The doctrine that Jesus taught and the miracles He performed. All of this is PRICELESS.  It's a gift from GOD! Luke is protecting the details of this family that was friends with our Lord and Savior. From the other Gospel accounts we know this is the sister of Lazarus, who Jesus will raise from the dead. And, we know this village is Bethany, not very far away from Jerusalem. We perceive that "Martha" was the mistress of the house. Possibly she was a widow, and her brother Lazarus and younger sister Mary lived with her. Martha welcomed ...

Luke 10:23&24 "23 And He turned Him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." We are continuing to study Women of Faith. This week we will feature the famous sisters from the Gospel events; Mary and Martha. And, today we will review the background that these events in the Gospel of Luke, chapter ten. Jesus's ministry is in full swing. He sent out the seventy and they healed people and cast out demons! Right before Jesus arrives at Martha's home He will share the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Right in the middle of all this we see today's verses; "And He turned Him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many PROPHETS and KINGS have desired to se...

John 3:17 "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." The scribes and Pharisees wanted to stone a poor woman to death. Jesus saved her! Jesus did NOT CONDEMN her. She is free to go and sin no more. We are all saved and free! As a result we need to change our ways. Try as we might, we won't be sinless, but we can sin less. People are attracted to sin. Some of us may even be compelled to sin. Our will power is all too often weak. We need to ASK Jesus for help. We need to BELIEVE Jesus is our help. We need to CHANGE our ways. Out of LOVE and RESPECT for Jesus. For all He has done for us. God completely forgives you of your sins. "For God sent NOT His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be SAVED." These daily devotionals are inspired by the sermon at Holy Ghost Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg Texas. You can watch it here... https://www.youtube.com/live/VYlr...