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Praise Devotionals- 1

"Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives." (Genesis 24:27)

Eleazer here is praising God for helping him in his journey and leading him to the house of Abraham's relatives. Abraham had specifically told him, " go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac. (Genesis 24:4)"

"God hears and answers prayer" is very evident in the situation here and Eleazer first mentions God not abandoning his kindness and faithfulness to Abraham even in his old age.

God is faithful; whatever be your age, trust in him. He will be with you till the end, never leaving you nor forsaking you.

Praise Devotionals- 2


She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children. (Genesis 29:35)

Every time that Leah bore a son on the previous three occasions, she had a great expectation that at least then her husband would love her. When she bore the first child to Jacob she named him Reuben saying, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.” When she gave birth to a son again, she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too and she named him Simeon.” When she gave birth to yet another son, her expectations were very high. She said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me because I have borne him three sons. So he was named Levi.

But things did not work out for Leah as she expected. Though Jacob had bodily union with Leah, he did not love her or perhaps his love for Rachel was greater and it was evident to all including Leah.

She finally seems to have accepted her (unloved by husband) situation and so when the fourth son was born, she did not expect Jacob to love her any more than he actually was loving her, but she took a decision to praise the Lord instead.

If some situations in your life are seemingly impossible, it is better to concentrate on the Lord and focus upon his goodness and blessings and praise him rather than grumble/worry unduly about things that have not yet worked out. God can do the impossible, but sometimes we have to wait.

Praise Devotionals- 3

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. (Exodus 15:2)

After witnessing  great miracles (the parting of the red sea, the Israelites walking through the sea on dry ground and Pharaoh and his armies being drowned in the sea while pursuing the Israelites) , Moses here exalts the Lord saying that God is his strength and his song and that God has become his salvation.

Has God become your song??
Young men and women often tend to sing about their love, when in love. Where do they find the words? Where do they find the praise? It just flows out of their heart.

When you delight in someone, words come flowing from the depths of the heart.
Moses, here is rejoicing because he and the Israelites had come out victorious from a seemingly impossible situation. The Red sea in front of them and Pharaoh and his armies behind.

God can do the impossible even when all doors seem closed. He’s the one who opened a way in the sea; a way which none of  them (the Israelites) saw until it was in front of their eyes. A way in which they were already walking before they realized it. A way that closed as soon as they (the Israelites) had crossed over.
A way that was opened only for them.

Search the Red Sea and you wouldn’t find the path the Israelites trod on, because it was just for them. And so it will be for you. A path through the sea (your problem) in front of you. Please expect the unexpected to happen (for your good) because your God is the one who does not change and rejoice like Moses and the Israelites did when you experience the deliverance you longed for so long. Give your God praise. God bless you.

Praise Devotionals- 4

Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. He said, "Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly." Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God. (Exodus 18: 9-12)

Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law or Zipporah’s father praises the Almighty God for his mighty acts in saving Moses and the Israelites from Pharaoh and his army. He has come to a realization here that Moses’ God is greater than all other gods. This happened because of Moses giving his testimony to Jethro. In v. 8 of the same chapter, we read, “Moses told his father-in-law about everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the Lord had saved them.”

Our testimony can work wonders in the lives of people who are yet to know the Lord as we have known. A few words of how the Lord has taken charge of our lives after we have given ourselves to him can sow a seed of the gospel in the hearts of many. Not all may respond positively but we are all called to sow the seed and God will work in his own way in his own time to work out his purposes in that person. Maybe we are the 1st or 15th or 50th person to sow the seed in a person’s heart regarding the agape love of Jesus but it is all very important for God to work in that person’s life. So let’s not shrink back in testifying regarding the wondrous acts of God in our life and let many more praise God and accept Jesus as Savior when they realize the great works of God in our lives. God bless.

Praise Devotionals- 5

"When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19: 23-25)

This was one of the laws that were given by God to the Israelites to obey in the Old Testament. Imagine planting a fruit tree and then waiting for 5 years to eat its fruit. That would surely test our patience. The first three years the fruit was to be considered forbidden. Then in the fourth year the fruit became holy, an offering of praise to the Lord. Finally the fruit was ready to be eaten in the fifth year. A tedious process, but one that God planned for blessing them. For he said, “In this way your harvest will be increased.” He would be checking their obedience.

If believers today were called to obey the laws given to Moses and the Israelites, there would be few to run the race. Thanks be to Jesus that he came and fulfilled the law for us, setting us free and giving us freedom. But should we use this freedom to sin? No, never. Instead we should be always grateful and thankful to God that he has set us apart for himself, paying a heavy price wherein his only begotten son had to cry out to his father, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.”

The Bible says, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”(Galatians 5:13)

It also says, “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”(1 Corinthians 6:20)

May the Holy Spirit help us all to be obedient and faithful to God and his Word. God bless.

Praise Devotionals- 6

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. (Deuteronomy 8:10)

The word Deuteronomy means "repetition of the law". Moses and the Israelites were in the territory of Moab and as his final act at this important time of transferring leadership to Joshua, Moses delivered his farewell addresses which were were actually a covenant renewal to prepare the people for their entrance into Canaan. Here Moses exhorts the Israelites to praise the Lord Almighty for the good land that he has given them.

When blessings start flowing into the lives of believers, some often tend to think that it is because of their own goodness or holiness or ability or strength that they are getting these blessings. In the verses that follow the above verse, the Israelites are plainly given a warning. We read in Deuteronomy 8:12-18
"Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today."

Whatever we are today or whatever we have is all because of the Lord. The Bible says,
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."(2 Corinthians 8:9)

So shouldn't we "Through Jesus, therefore, continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name."(Hebrews 13:15)
That would be appropriate I guess. God bless.

Praise Devotionals- 7

He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. (Deuteronomy 10:21)

Moses tells the Israelites that God is their praise and reminds them of the awesome wonders of which they were eye witnesses in Egypt and in the wilderness.

Often we tend to forget the great deliverances that the Lord has wrought in our lives. Maybe we are forgetful or the present problems cloud out the works of the Lord in our not so distant past. If we kept a diary and jot down at the end of each day all that the Lord has done for us that day, there will be much to testify at the watch night service on Dec.31st. Of course there may not be any spectacular event every day, but being able to breathe freely and being able to enjoy the food that we eat each day are itself great things.

Ask the Asthmatic who is on oxygen in the ICU and he will tell you the value of a breath, because he is often short of it. Ask the one who suffers from Gastric Ulcer and Reflux and he will tell you the value of a good alimentary system for he can rarely enjoy the food that he eats.

Have a bed to lie on? Thank Jesus, for there are many who sleep on the streets and outside closed shops. Have a bed and can sleep well? —that’s even a greater blessing for there are many who hardly sleep because of fears.

Jesus is our praise. Let’s look back often and remember the goodness, kindness and compassion that the Lord has had on us and our families.

Small or great! Many are his works in our lives. So let’s praise him all the more.

Praise Devotionals- 8

He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised. (Deuteronomy 26:19)

We read a couple of declarations in Deuteronomy 26 as the chapter ends. The Israelites made a declaration and so did the Lord Almighty. God declared that he was going to set them in praise, fame and honor because of a declaration that the Israelites made. The Israelites had declared that the Lord was their God and that they would walk in his ways, and that they would keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that they would obey him. (Based on Deuteronomy 26:17)

They declared a lot but couldn’t fulfill what they declared. Of course, the Lord was their God, but they ran after idols too. Very soon they would no longer be keeping his decrees, commands and laws. They were disobedient and that is how they landed up serving their enemies. The book of judges is a fine example of how they suffered because of their disobedience. For long years they were afflicted by several enemy kingdoms, but when they repented and cried to the Lord, God raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of their enemies. The book of Judges ends on a sad note. It says, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. (Judges 21:25)”

If we start living as we see fit, we walk away from God’s divine protection over our lives and make ourselves easy prey for the devil. The Bible says, “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear, hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.(Jude1: 20-23)

The Holy Spirit is able to keep us from falling and present us before God’s glorious presence without fault and with great joy, but for that we must be obedient to God’s Word as long as we live. He will then finally set us in praise, fame and honor forever and ever. Praise the Lord.

Praise Devotionals- 9

I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! (Deuteronomy 32:3)


That’s one of the great decisions that a person can take in his/her life. One of the meanings of the word proclaim is “to announce officially and publicly” and if that’s a decision that we have taken regarding our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ it will surely bring glory to the Lord. Some may ask, “Will it do any good?” It will surely.

So when was it that you announced publically what the Lord has done for you? Of course, some may tend to see only the bad things that have happened to them and ask, “How can I when so many adverse situations plague my life?” That’s understandable and the Lord understands too, but praising him in adversity and proclaiming his name in adversity can bring great peace into our lives- the peace that passeth all understanding.

David sang to the Lord in his time of adversity saying, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. (Psalm 34:1). This he sang when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.

Here’s a passage from the gospel of Luke of how the Lord values our praises.
“When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (Luke 19:37-40)
If we keep quiet, as the Lord said, “the stones will cry out”. So shall we proclaim the name of the Lord day in and day out, for surely he is worthy of all the praise that we can give him.

Praise Devotionals- 10

On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: "When the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves, praise the Lord. (Judges 5:1, 2)

The question is: “Do we offer ourselves willingly to the Lord or do we submit reluctantly?”
Some believers give themselves wholly to the Lord and allow the Lord to run their lives while others though they say they have submitted their lives into the Lord’s hands still run their own lives.

When we try to run our own lives without obeying the Word or taking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, things start going awry. A little allowance here and a little allowance there in regards to walking the ways of the flesh and the world ruins our relationship with the Lord.

Only each of us and the Lord Jesus knows how much of our lives is submitted to the Lord. Our thoughts, looks, words & actions often betray our proclamation that we are the Lord’s.

Often we are reluctant to even do the work of the Lord giving excuses like some tribes of Israel did when they were called by Barak & Deborah to join the army to fight against the enemy.

Regarding Reuben, Dan & Asher, Deborah and Barak sang, “Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of heart. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves.” (Judges 5:16, 17)

But good things were sung about Isaachar, Zebulun & Naphtali. “The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley. The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field.” (Judges 5:15, 18)

Are we among the ones who offer themselves willingly to the Lord or are we among the ones who shrink back and take the back seat? Good if each one of us could evaluate ourselves. Praise the Lord.

Praise Devotionals- 11

The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth." (Ruth 4:14, 15)

Finally a time of rejoicing had come into the life of Naomi after all the anguish that she had endured in her life. She was a widow and had lost both her sons and the only thing that she had solace in was her daughter-in-law Ruth who had taken a decision to stay with her come what may.

Naomi had returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?" "Don't call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."

Wonder whether the Lord had much to do with all the misfortune that she talked about; perhaps it was the agony that she was going through that made her say all that. Nevertheless, the Bible affirms that, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and also that, “As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”(Psalm 103:8, 13)

This is vividly seen in the restoration that the Lord worked out in the life of Naomi. The coming of Boaz into Ruth’s life was no chance happening but all engineered by the Lord. Naomi didn’t want to marry again. She would never enjoy the love of a husband again but God gave her a child (Obed- Boaz & Ruth’s child) in her arms to forget the pains that she had gone through.

God works in mysterious ways. The pain/anguish that you are passing through today can be healed by the Lord in his perfect way. So trust in him. God bless.

Praise Devotionals- 12

David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.” (1 Samuel 25:32-34)

Nabal was a stubborn character who had scant respect for David though David and the men with him were a shield to the flocks of Nabal. David had decided to take revenge because Nabal had insulted him. He said, “, "It's been useless--all my watching over this fellow's property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!” (1 Samuel 25:21, 22)

To the rescue came Abigail, Nabal’s wife who hastened to meet David while he and his men set out to kill Nabal and all the males in his family. She fell at his feet and begged for mercy. She dealt wisely with him and said, "Now since the LORD has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, may your enemies and all who intend to harm my master be like Nabal. And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my master, be given to the men who follow you. Please forgive your servant's offense, for the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORD's battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live. Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God. But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. (1 Samuel 25:26-29)

Abigail’s words were like a balm for the hurts that David had sustained because of Nabal’s insulting behavior. She was able to persuade David from destroying her entire family though Nabal died because of God’s judgment coming upon him. David praised God for her good judgment and for keeping him from bloodshed. He blessed her for acting wisely.

We read in the book of Proverbs that, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11). How true when we think of how this woman spoke to bring deliverance for her family. Praise the Lord.

Praise Devotionals- 13

I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. (2 Samuel 22:4)

David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. David had a lot of enemies beginning with Saul and continuing with characters like his own family members especially his son Absalom who wanted to usurp his authority as king and rule the land instead. But the delivering mighty arm of the Lord was always with David and though he had to go through some very difficult situations, God finally gave him victory after victory when he cried out to the Lord.

The enemy of all believers- Satan is always out to defeat us in one way or the other. Jesus said, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)Satan is jealous of “the fullness of life” that Jesus wants to give us. That’s why he brings varied temptations in our lives making us to sin and then he accuses us about the sins that we commit.

The Apostle Paul exhorts believers in the book of Ephesians, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:11-13)

God will give you victory over all the satanic forces that are tormenting you and your family. Stand firm, rooted in the Word. Continually worship the Lord, pray at all times with every kind of prayer and meditate on the Word of God regularly, holding on to the promises written in it. Remember, the Lord gave David victory over all his enemies. He will do the same for you and your family too. God bless.

Praise Devotionals- 14

"The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior! He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me, who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. (2 Samuel 22:47-50)

Some pure praise from a man, of whom God said, “'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' (Acts 13:22) David already praising the Lord starting verse 47 takes a decision again; to praise him even more. Praises and more praises to the God who is taking care of every aspect of his life.

Our praises should multiply as we see the glorious work of God in our lives. He is there by our side at all times whether we feel his presence or not. When we feel his presence it’s great, but when we don’t feel his presence for whatever reason, he is still there by our sides as the one and only “Immanuel”.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)" All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us." (Matthew 1:22, 23)

Prophesied and fulfilled.

As David says in the above verses he is indeed our Lord, God, Rock, Savior, Avenger, Subduer, Deliverer & Rescuer. And he is a lot more. So shall we give more praises? Let’s praise his name for he is worthy to be praised. God bless.

Praise Devotionals- 15

And the king bowed in worship on his bed and said, `Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.” (1 Kings 1:48)

David here praises the Lord when Solomon, his son from Bathsheba is enthroned as King of Israel. David was old and one of his other son’s Adonijah desired to be the next king. So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David's special guard did not join Adonijah. Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah who were royal officials, but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.

Then Nathan the prophet asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David's knowing it? Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. Go in to King David and say to him, `My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?' While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said."(1 Kings 1:11-14)

So Bathsheba went to see the aged king and reminded him of his oath to her and while she was speaking, Nathan, the prophet gave his confirmation of the same. The king then took an oath: "As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place." King David called Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada and said to them: "Take your lord's servants with you and set Solomon my son on my own mule and take him down to Gihon. There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, `Long live King Solomon!' Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah."

Adonijah feared for his life when this happened and he caught hold of the horns of the altar to escape death. Solomon had him brought done from the altar and sent him home.

Everything was done as David desired and he was happy and praised the Lord for setting Solomon on the throne.
The Bible says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)
How very true.

Praise Devotionals- 16

Then he said: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. (1 Kings 8:15)

The project that Solomon set out to complete i.e. building a temple for the Lord, was a mammoth one and in the process he realized that it was not his hands that had worked out the whole thing but the hand of God. Thus he praised the Lord for the same and also proclaimed that God had fulfilled his promise to his father, David.

Sometimes people think it is their education or skill or talent that has made them what they are; as some say, “He’s a self made man” meaning, “worked it out all on his own.” Yet, we must never forget that it’s all the grace of God that has made us what we are.

God reminded the Israelites of this before they entered Canaan. He said, “You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. (Deuteronomy 8:17, 18)

God also advised them saying, “Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. (Deuteronomy 8:11-16)

Never forget the beginnings dear friend. Always give the glory to God for all things achieved, for without him, we are nothing. Always be bold and humble enough to say, “It’s all the grace of God.”

Praise Devotionals- 17

When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. The Levites thirty years old or more were counted and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand. David said, "Of these, twenty-four thousand are to supervise the work of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges. Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose." (1 Chronicles 23:1-5)

Towards the end of the above passage we read that David set apart 4000 Levites for worship. They were supposed to praise the Lord with musical instruments that David had provided for this purpose.

That must have been a sizable crowd at every worship session not counting the commoners.

Worship has great importance in God’s presence if offered with a pure heart. The psalmist sang:” Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. (Psalm 33:1)Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. (Psalm 33:2)Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. (Psalm 33:3)

3 exhortations are given in the above verses: 1) If we worship God, it must be with a pure heart.2) Let the worship be accompanied with musical instruments.3) Let the worship be fresh and strong.

It doesn’t mean that worship without instruments is not pleasing to the Lord. Neither does it mean that singing old songs make the worship dull. It’s all a matter of the heart. God looks at our hearts while we lift his name with praises. If our hearts are pure, our worship is acceptable. If we are not right with God or we live in disobedience to his Word, the worship becomes meaningless.

Yet, it is remarkable that David should set apart 4000 Levites for this purpose. God inhabits the praises of his people, so shouldn’t we praise him all the more? Yes, we should.

Praise Devotionals- 18

David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, "Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. (1 Chronicles 29:10-13)

One of the great assets in the life of David was his zeal to praise the Lord and glorify him whenever the opportunity arose. Not that one needs an opportunity to praise God. He is worthy to be praised at all times and in all seasons. Not climatic seasons, but seasons of joy, seasons of grief, some good seasons when praise comes spontaneously while some bad seasons when we may not even feel like praising him because of adverse circumstances in our life.

One of the phrases we read here is “everlasting to everlasting” i.e. David acknowledges the eternal nature of God. In the few verses of praise above David acknowledges his God to be omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. Yes, our Lord is all in all, yet he loves his creation and has mercy and compassion on them. David also acknowledges God as the great giver here..the giver of wealth, honor, strength and exaltation.

David was never ashamed to glorify God publicly. In fact his zeal for worshipping and glorifying God brought some adverse comments from his own wife. All to her loss, because she remained childless all her life. We read in the 2nd book of Samuel;
“David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. (2 Samuel 6:14-16)

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel - I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. (2 Samuel 6:20-23)

Notable here is David’s decision despite the insult: “I will celebrate before the LORD.”

Some people may make a hue and cry when you set out to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Most of the objections come from close family and friends. Let your decision be firm and always be bold enough to say like David said, “I will celebrate before the LORD.”

Praise Devotionals- 19

And Hiram added: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the LORD and a palace for himself. (2 Chronicles 2:12)

Hiram, king of Tyre had earlier built a palace for King David. When he heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David. When Solomon set out to build a temple for the Lord, he asked for help from Hiram.

When Hiram heard Solomon's message, he was greatly pleased and said, "Praise be to the LORD today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation." So Hiram sent word to Solomon: "I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and pine logs. My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food for my royal household." (1 Kings 5:7-9)

In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and pine logs he wanted, and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year.

Hiram took great interest in this project that Solomon had undertaken and on Solomon’s request sent him Huram-Abi, a man who was highly skilled and experienced in all kinds of gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone and wood work. He worked with the craftsmen of Solomon and was a great help in building the temple.

In the title verse, we read of how Hiram praised the Lord of Israel, though he was a gentile king. The awesome power with which the God of Israel had delivered his children time and again was well known among the nations and Hiram did not hide his admiration for the God of Israel. He acknowledges that the God of Israel is the maker of heaven and earth. He praised God for giving David a wise son and for having endowed him with intelligence and discernment.

The praises of our God, the great “I am” flows out from all corners of the earth from the mouths of people of all nations, literate and illiterate and it will continue forever and ever. Let’s continue to praise him all the more as we see our redemption drawing near.

I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:3)

Is the Lord worthy of praise? Yes, he is! The psalmists definitely thought so. That's why they sang,
Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. (Psalm 48:1)
For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. (Psalm 96:4)
Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. (Psalm 145:3)

They affirmed that God was not only worthy, but most worthy.

The writer of Hebrews says, Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. (Hebrews 3:3)

Why? Because "He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. (Hebrews 3:2)Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. (Hebrews 3:5, 6a)

And then this beautiful part in the book of Revelation;
And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. (Revelation 5:2,4,6,7)

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. In a loud voice they sang: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" (Revelation 5:9,12)

He truly is worthy of praise, your praise. Yes; your praise will bring him glory. So do not keep silent.

Praise Devotionals- 21

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. (Psalm 150:6)

Lot's of exhortations in this psalm. The final one being, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."

Many things to be noticed here in this psalm and all about praise.
1. Praise God in....verse 1...Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. (Psalm 150:1)

2. Praise God for....verse 2...Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. (Psalm 150:2)

3. Praise God with....verses 3-5...Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. (Psalm 150:3-5)

The "Praise God with.." part is the largest in this series. The psalmist is considering maximizing his praise and worship with the use of all kinds of musical instruments and with dancing. He intends to be loud with his praise and worship and also is exhorting others to do the same.

"Praise him with resounding cymbals" he says.
Worship is something personal to each of us. Some like to quietly worship the Lord while others like to make much noise. The psalmist here seems to be in the second category. He likes to enjoy his worship by making it lively with the use of many instruments and also by dancing to the tune. He seems to be delighting in the Lord.

Do you delight in the Lord while you praise and worship him? Try it, it can bring you a joy that you may have never experienced.

 

Praise Devotionals- 22

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7)

Can we accept each other as our brothers and sisters in Christ? There may be differences in our doctrines even when they may seem sound to each of us (not talking about false doctrines--which we all must abhor) and differences in the way of worship and lots of other differences, but we should be able to accept one another because we all have the same factor that will give us eternal life- Jesus.

The New Testament is believing in what Jesus did by offering himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins and the resulting eternal life with him if we live for him after accepting him as Savior.

Perhaps you may never have spoken in tongues or do not believe that that gift exists or any other gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 exists; still you should accept others who do believe in and exercise these gifts.

You may be a pre-tribulationist and you are sure that that is the right doctrine; still you should accept others who are post-tribulationists or mid-tribulationists for that matter because Jesus does not despise them because they believe so.

You may believe that your church or denomination has the perfect worship; still you should accept others from other denominations or churches despite their imperfections because Jesus still loves them.

You may have faith to move mountains; still you should not look down upon some other believer who cannot exercise as much faith as you.

Christ has accepted us with all our imperfections and he has given us the Holy Spirit and the Word of God to cleanse ourselves. We all are imperfect in one way or the other and so we should be able to accept one another as Christ accepted us. That will bring praise to God.

Amen Brother

I can and do accept all Born-Again Christians as Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

On the other side of the coin, I do NOT accept the FALSE teaching of speaking in tongues --  name it and claim it doctrines --  health and wealth doctrines  -- and any other doctrine that is completely contrary to God's Word. These doctrines are NOT taught here, and they won't be taught here.

Our Fellowship Here is not based on denominations, rather the GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD, JESUS CHRIST and the CROSS, THE GOOD NEWS. The Statement of Faith for those who pay the bills on Christians Unite is prominently posted, and the rules for the use of the forum are also prominently posted. There are NO pulpits here for false religions or false teaching, and we make no apology for that. We are NOT ashamed of the GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD.

If someone posts false teaching here, we won't be bashful about it. There isn't any choice on the user's part of whether false teaching will be posted here or not. We give warnings that are impossible to misunderstand, and it then becomes a choice for the user to either abide by our rules and stay OR leave or be banned if they wish to continue posting false teaching. There are no other choices regarding the use of the forum outside of the forum rules.

I already know that you want to teach some things you've already been warned about numerous times. The answer is still NO. If you want to teach these things, it will have to be elsewhere.

Moderator

cc:  Other Moderators

Brother Tom, what false teaching is there in this post of mine? Why are you so angry?

There is no anger displayed here by Brother Tom. Just a simple statement of the truth. He clearly told you what was false teachings in your post. I will try to simplify it though in words that perhaps you can more readily understand. The teaching of accepting speaking in tongues, health and wealth, name it and claim or any other such thing that is associated to that is not allowed here and will not be done here. You have been given more than sufficient warnings on this subject. There will be no more warnings.

Hell Jeremiah7 and All,

I'm not angry about anything. In fact, I'm having a wonderful day studying God's Word and reflecting on the wondrous Riches of CHRIST!

Further, I've been trying to concentrate this morning on the Christian's Citizenship in Heaven. That's what I was busy doing when you made your post. Further, I was also busy praising God for His countless blessings to me and my family.

I am RICH beyond measure and human imagination, but I'm not talking about the gold and earthly possessions that the world covets.

My SPIRIT is healthy because of the Grace of God and the Righteousness of CHRIST! However, the temporary body that I'm in that God compares to a "tent" is ill and broken. BUT, I give thanks for it and know it's all I need until GOD takes me HOME. I give thanks that my citizenship is in Heaven, and I give thanks that GOD has promised me a Glorified BODY like the one CHRIST has. I will spend eternity with JESUS CHRIST in a BODY without illness or pain. I don't have illness and pain because of a lack of faith in GOD. I have illness and pain because I'm a human being, and I'm still present in this short life. I certainly don't blame GOD for my pain and illness. GOD has given me all good things according to HIS PERFECT WILL. As a result, I am happy and give THANKS!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Philippians 3:7-21 NASB  But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  8  More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,  9  and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,  10  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;  11  in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  12  Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.  13  Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,  14  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  15  Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;  16  however, let us keep living by that same  standard to which we have attained.  17  Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.  18  For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,  19  whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.  20  For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;  21  who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.


2 Corinthians 1:1-11 NASB  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:  2  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,  4  who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  5  For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.  6  But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;  7  and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.  8  For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;  9  indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;  10  who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,  11  you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.


Romans 8:16-28 NASB  The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,  17  and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.  18  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  19  For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.  20  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope  21  that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  22  For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.  23  And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.  24  For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?  25  But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.  26  In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;  27  and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  28  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.


2 Corinthians 5:1-21 NASB  For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  2  For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,  3  inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.  4  For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.  5  Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.  6  Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--  7  for we walk by faith, not by sight--  8  we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.  9  Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.  10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.  11  Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.  12  We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.  13  For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.  14  For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;  15  and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.  16  Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.  17  Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.  18  Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,  19  namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  20  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  21  He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Amen! Those are indeed beautiful portions of scripture and wondrous statements of the true Gospel of Salvation. Salvation does not bring us health, wealth or anything else of this world. Such teachings that do include worldly things is nothing but a teaching of a false salvation. Salvation does bring us riches untold and perfect health eternal but not in this world. Just to be in the presence of Jesus, to be able to bow at His feet and praise Him in person eternally is all the riches that a person needs.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

The Apostle Peter sums up why God transformed 'some' according to his liking to become a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation & a people belonging to God- To declare the praises of the one who called them out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Is praising God justified? Yes it is. John the Apostle tells us why.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
and 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. (Revelation 1:5, 6)

Because of his great love for us, he freed us from our sins by shedding his blood on the cross. And why did he do it? To make us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father.

The love that Jesus showed has no comparisons except what the Father also did. About the love of Jesus the Bible says,
"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)

And about the love of the Father the Bible says,
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

We who were once "not a people" have now become "the people of God". And having become "the people of God", our aim in life should be to sing the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Praise be to the Lord now and forever.

Praise Devotionals- 25

With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: "He is good; his love to Israel endures forever." And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. (Ezra 3:11)

After 70 years of Babylonian exile, the Israelites were back in their land, but without a temple, for the earlier temple had been destroyed and Jerusalem burnt with fire by King Nebuchadnezzar during his 3 invasions of the land.

The elders who had witnessed the glory of the former temple built by Solomon wept and the younger generation rejoiced that the new temple foundation was being laid.

When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David king of Israel. (Ezra 3:10)

They were starting the new project by praising God, trusting that he would help them complete.

Who would have ever thought that the wonderful temple built by Solomon would be laid waste? It had taken 7 years to build and it was a magnificient monument. Nothing could match it's grandeur in that era.  But King Solomon  married foriegn women who worshipped idols and he was no longer faithful to God who had given him everything from knowledge and wisdom to riches and fame. Of the kings that followed Solomon's reign, only a few were faithful to the Lord.

Sin had led to punishment- an exile and now they were being restored by God himself. Joy and sorrow were both witnessed at this solemn occasion.

Many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. (Ezra 3:12, 13)

They praised God vociferously hoping and trusting that what they were starting would be brought into completion by God. And God was faithful. He did not leave them nor forsake them. The temple was built. Praise the Lord.

Praise Devotionals- 26

Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name. (Psalm 74:21)

A cry from the heart of the psalmist. The world is one of the rich and mighty and justice often evades the poor. They are oppressed and suffer. Disgrace is often their food. Yet when the Almighty rises to fight for the oppressed believer, the Pharaohs of the world sink in the Red Seas.

All through the psalms, we read of cries for God to rise up and fight for the oppressed....You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? (Psalm 43:2)
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. (Psalm 82:3)
....and also the declarations that he is the helper of the oppressed.
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)
The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. (Psalm 103:6)
Jesus himself said this about those who are his:
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:7, 8)

Of course, faith is what is he always seeks in our lives as believer's. The Bible says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Jesus will not let you down. Cry out to him in your oppression. He will set you free. He will not let the enemy make you retreat in disgrace. Instead he will deliver you and you will praise him all the more.

This applies only to what God has promised, and men twist Scripture to indicate Promises that God never made.

Were the writers of the New Testament MARTYRED? Were men and women of great faith in the Bible ever hungry, suffer illness, or suffer from a variety of other needs? Was Stephen stoned? Was Jesus Christ Crucified?

Are Christians of great faith, including missionaries, being killed, beaten, imprisoned, starved, and hunted as I type this post? YES! God never promised Christians an easy time in this short life. GOD'S Promises to Christians are MUCH greater than this for ETERNITY. This short life is like the blink of an eye, and GOD promised Christians a hard time in this short journey through this short life.

Matthew 10:38-39 (AKJV)38 And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.

Philippians 4:12-13 (AKJV)12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.