Devotionals from my Bible app: What Does the Bible Say About Poverty? (Proverbs 19:17)

What Does the Bible Say About Poverty?


What does the Bible say about faith in the context of giving? About God’s heart for the poor?


The Bible is rich in wisdom about God’s love for people living in poverty — and about our responsibility to help. We love the way Jesus showed us how to care for vulnerable and marginalized people. Reflect on these Bible verses about giving and pray for children, families, and communities in need. Here’s what the Bible says about poverty.


“Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”
Deuteronomy 15:10 (NIV)


“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
Proverbs 19:17 (NIV)


“The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”
Proverbs 22:9 (NIV)


“And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.”
Isaiah 58:10 (NIV)


“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Luke 14:13–14 (NIV)


“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:6–7 (NIV)


In reflecting on what the Bible says about faith, let these Scriptures on giving guide our actions and hearts toward compassion and generosity.



Note after sharing the devotional: the day before this devotional popped into my Bible app, God gave me an opportunity to somewhat-minister to someone in this way, as well as to give me some perspective about my current situation. I picked up my wife’s car yesterday from the body shop (it was involved in a collision in December and now finally got fixed) and took it to our regular mechanic for a look-over just to make sure there weren’t any other issues, related or not to the collision. When my Uber driver first picked me up to take me to the body shop, his first comment was about how nice the area we lived in was (we’re in Glendale Heights, one of the relatively newer suburbs in Chicagoland’s west suburbs region). I asked him where he lived. He commented that he lived in Hanover Park, going on to say that the comment he often received from riders when they heard where he lived was, “Oh, I'm sorry.” I guess Hanover Park is not a great place to live... (?) But I wouldn’t know unless I did some research. During the short ride to the body shop, I got a sense that this driver really has had it rough in life, and he was down about it. (I also got the sense that probably made a bunch of bad decisions in his life as well that may or may not have contributed to that.)

Growing up liberal, I was very aware of the importance of helping the poor. But now as a conservative, I have a bit of a different tack on it than I would have had, say, a decade or so ago. The understanding I’ve gained over the years is about how liberals tend to push the narrative regarding helping the poor a certain way, to the point that conservatives naturally bristle at it. I suspect this is because, while the Bible says we must help them, liberals tend to also act as if they think they can dictate correctly who the poor really is vs who they’re not (and truly, they can’t), whereas conservatives have their own preferred methods (and struggling individuals) to help. Below are a couple examples that come to mind:

I remember sometime in my first few years into the adult world (I think after I moved back to Chicago), my former housemate came to visit. At the time, he was the most conservative person I knew. We were downtown (I forget now what we were doing there) and had grabbed lunch at a restaurant. There was a panhandler who was going around begging for money. I think he was really trying to get my former housemate to help him out, but he didn’t budge. Finally, I gave the panhandler a couple bucks, which he gladly received and went on his way. A little while later, my former housemate gave me five bucks for my trouble.

In my second example, someone else I know of a similar mindset doesn’t help panhandlers, but she has faithfully given canned food to a few folks she knows -- families (including single moms of like 6 or so kids) who are working (sometimes multiple jobs) but struggling to put food on the table.

In both the above examples, the issue regarding helping the poor (or not) is not a case where, if one doesn’t help one individual poor or struggling person, somehow they refuse to help anyone who is struggling. This is a case where discernment is involved, including the following questions:

1.) For the person that is struggling, for what reason(s) are they really asking for help? Are they seeking help to pay the bills, or are they seeking money to go buy alcohol and / or drugs?

2.) For the person that is struggling, what is their part in this? What are they doing to try to put themselves in a position / on a path to a better life? Are they working? Are they saving? Are they cutting out bad habits and bad influences (or at least, trying to)? Are they adopting new and good habits and / or good influences?

In defense of other conservatives’ refusal to help those who are struggling but refuse to make changes in their lives, refusing to help such people does not equate to refusing to help the poor at all. After all, God knows everyone’s hearts (including those of the givers or those in a position to give), and ultimately He is the One Who provides.

One last comment from the one Uber driver who lives in Hanover Park, I decided to give him the highest Uber-recommended tip value, not to boast in myself, but rather to recognize that I see the guy is trying to earn a living. He drives for Uber. It’s not an ideal living, but it’s something. He may have made a series of bad decisions in his life, and he may be a complainer (I got a sense of that as well, considering he mentioned that nobody ever tips him (and that only came up because I commented ahead of time that I was going to tip him)). However, there comes a point where it is not for me (or any other human) to judge at which point his complaints stop being legitimate and start being self-indulgent. He’s not happy with his life, but at least he showed me he’s trying to do something. And God used him to remind me of my position as well. I've been guilty of complaining about this and that throughout much of my life. I still maintain that some of it is legitimate. But I also know that I've crossed that same line, too.

After I dropped off the car at our regular mechanic’s shop, I took another Uber ride back home, a much longer ride than the first. I made sure also to tip that guy well.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to follow You to the edges of society, where people are lonely, suffering, and in great need. Let us give freely with appreciation for all You’ve given to us at no charge. In Your name, Amen.

Devotionals from my Bible app: A True Neighbor (Galatians 5:14)

A True Neighbor


Have you ever wondered: “What does God want me to do?”


If you’re looking for a verse that summarizes the commands in both the Old and New Testaments, here’s what Paul wrote to the believers in Galatia…


“For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Galatians 5:14 NLT


Paul’s words echo a command Jesus gave when He was asked what the most important commandment was (Matthew 22:37-40). What they’re both essentially saying is: beyond loving God with everything in you, you should love your neighbor as yourself.


Who is your neighbor? A Jewish expert in religious law once asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29) So Jesus told him a story about a man who was beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. Both a priest and a Levite walked by and ignored the man—but it was a Samaritan who sacrificed his time and money to help him heal.


For many reasons, Samaritans were despised by Jews. But that didn’t stop the Samaritan in this story from showing compassion. What Jesus wanted the Jewish expert (and us) to hear is that anyone, anywhere is our neighbor—and everyone is worthy of our sacrificial love.


How do you love yourself? When you have a need of any kind, you work hard to meet it. You don’t have to think about how to treat yourself; it’s just something you do. The care we unconsciously show ourselves is also how we should care for others.


How can you love your neighbor as you love yourself? If someone needs help with their home, job, or children, you can serve joyfully. If a family is struggling financially, you can give generously. If there’s someone in your life who doesn’t have a godly example to look up to, you can step into the gap.


Being a true neighbor is not always convenient and it will likely cost you, but you can still choose to love them as you love yourself. And when you serve others in this way, you are serving Jesus, too.


Today, take a moment to consider the people around you who could use your help. Then, ask God to reveal how you can love and serve them this week.

Note after sharing the devotional: I’ll share more in tomorrow’s post, as this devotional and that devotional are both very similar in theme. I have some stories to illustrate the last point of the devotional here. What stood out to me today was how the name “Samaritan” and specifically “The Good Samaritan” has taken on new life in today's day and age. Whereas during the time when Jesus was here on the earth, Samaritans were looked down upon; today, to call someone a Samaritan means to exalt them. (Simultaneously, in the world, Christians are not only looked down upon but ostracized in the best-case scenarios and outright vilified in the worst-case scenarios.)

In the parable of the Good Samaritan and in other similar moments, Jesus’ answer to the question: “who is my neighbor?” challenges us all to move past the literal definition of “neighbor” and show us that anyone of us can be anything to anyone at any time. Even Apostle Paul comments on this:

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, NKJV

While being a neighbor doesn’t mean we compromise our faith and what we believe is truly right vs wrong, it does require some flexibility on our part to surrender extraneous ideas of right vs wrong that we might wrongly exalt to the level of Scripture. For example, family. There are people who believe in helping family and only family, and completing ignoring others strictly because they're non-family. (These same people also expect others to do the same for them!) And yet, below is what Jesus had to say about family:

46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:46-50, NKJV

And, in case I’ve lost anyone down this rabbit trail, this is the same guy who also said:

29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke 10:29-37, NKJV

And in case there’s any confusion about the authority of Jesus regarding any of the words He said, this is what God the Father has to say about God the Son:

1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Matthew 17:1-5, NKJV

Prayer: Jesus, You showed me what love means when You sacrificed Yourself to save us. Please give me the boldness to love others like You have loved me. Make me aware of Your Holy Spirit, and show me what other people need. Allow me to meet the needs of others by loving them sacrificially. Amen.

Devotionals from my Bible app: The Power of Stillness (Psalm 46:10)

Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalm 46:10, NKJV

Note before sharing the devotional: I saved this post for a bit because I had some thoughts circulating when I was first considering blogging about this. But as I approach this writing yet again, I’m finding I don’t. And maybe it’s because the best thing to do is to be still. If I’m pontificating, I’m not actually being still. Ultimately, God is God and I am not. And more importantly, I need Him and I need Him to be Him. Amen.

The Power of Stillness


We’re busy people.


Between work and home, family and friends, full schedules and unending tasks, it’s tempting to hurry through our days without even stopping to look up.


But, speaking through the psalmist, God said:


“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalms 46:10 NIV


When was the last time you were intentionally still (and not just when you were sleeping)? When was your body and mind quiet enough to acknowledge that God is God?


Regardless of the past, what will you choose today? You can close this app, check “time with God” off your to-do list, and continue on with business as usual. Or, you can allow the knowledge and truth of God to bring peace to your restless heart.


There’s something about stillness that compels us beyond ourselves. There’s something about stillness that heightens our awareness of and need for God.


It’s one thing to acknowledge God with our words, but another to put Him above every other good, bad, and distracting thing in our lives—to live in a way that honors and magnifies Him.


There will come a day when, ready or not, God will reveal Himself fully. There will come a day when, willing or not, every secret will come to light. There will come a day when, like it or not, He will be exalted above the nations and honored throughout the world.


But you don’t have to wait to worship Him. You don’t have to wait to call Him your God. You don’t have to wait to make Him the Lord and King of your life.


You can be still —right now—and know that He is God.

Prayer: God, You alone are all-knowing, present, and powerful. You are the God who created the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, and all of creation. All people will come to know Your glory and goodness. Please help me to submit my will to Yours so that I can fulfill the purpose You have created for me. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Sermons from Good News: The right response releases God's power.

Church 2/23/2025


Sermon message:


Today could be a change in our lives if we lock in.


Thesis: The right response releases God’s power.


This includes the right attitude.


Isaiah 1:19

If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;

2 Corinthians 9:7

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Story of Joshua leading the Israelites in following God’s instructions in conquering Jericho.


Our response can release the power of God in all areas of our lives.


Consider Abraham when he believed God when He told him he would have a child in his old age.


Consider Abraham’s wife Sarah. She believed also.


Consider Moses as he was standing before the Red Sea. He believed also.


Believe the word of God.
Do what the word of God says.
Do what the word of God says with a right attitude.
Then the power of God of will move.


Point #1: Believe when we meet together it releases God’s power.


Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 10:25

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

God is here at church when we gather.


Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Point #2: Jesus went to church.


Luke 13:10

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

Hebrews 13:8 again

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Point #3: Jesus ministers to the hurting at church.


Luke 13:11-13

11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

Hebrews 13:8 again

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Point #4: Jesus explains the Lord’s day is a great day to release God’s power.


Luke 13:14-16

14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

Point #5: The Bible explains prayer meetings release God’s power.


Acts 4:23,31

And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Suggestion: when holding a prayer meeting, leave an empty chair for Jesus to sit in.


Point #6: Let’s believe when we meet that God’s power is released.


Mark 9:23

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Matthew 18:20 again

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Hebrews 13:8 a final time

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Note after sharing the sermon: Lately I’ve seen more devotionals in my Bible app talking about practicing being peacemakers in difficult situations and loving difficult people. My thoughts toward these topics tend to be toward avoiding having to actively do these things. I can love difficult people from far away, I say, and I can do it by praying for them and wishing their good. And it is true - we must forgive others and pray for their good.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32, NKJV

However, I had a great phone conversation with someone later in the day that I love and miss dearly. (I won’t reveal this person’s identity because I believe that the content of our conversation as it pertained to practicing God’s Word is too valuable and precious not to share with you all.) A few of the verses from this sermon applied here:

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25, NKJV

Although the person with whom I spoke has professed faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as his Savior and Lord, he has been very resistant to attending a church at all, let alone regularly. As such, I find the below verse to be of help so that the above verse doesn’t turn into a condemnation:

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20, NKJV

I didn’t set out to think of it this way, but I brought church to him (via the telephone). Another way where God showed up was a bit earlier in the conversation when we were beginning our catching-up, one of the things this other person led off with was his dislike, worry, and fear of our country having a second term of Donald Trump as president. And as he rattled off the different things that Trump and his team have been doing, I was disappointed to hear that he had a problem with each of the different things. All I could do in the moment was give a light grunt periodically to acknowledge his statements. (For the record, I voted for all this and am very pleased, knowing the truth about what’s really going on. But that’s not the point of today’s post.)

During this time, I was praying and asking God to give me something to say (I wasn’t particularly interested in revealing my cards to this person) -- and toward the end, I felt Him give me an opening. The person with whom I was speaking then said a line that, although I wholeheartedly disagree with it, it provided me insight as to one of the spiritual root causes. His line was that he wholeheartedly believes that Donald Trump is “deranged.” Having become familiar with TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome), myself, I felt God allow me to see a couple things: 1.) although this person and I disagree on where the derangement is truly coming from, we both agree that there is indeed derangement. 2.) Off the first point, I can understand where the fear comes in.

As a person who largely prefers to be non-confrontational, my tactic is deflection. I didn’t want to get into an intellectual discussion about Trump -- something which tends to be conservatives’ first response (and unfortunately, a terrible tact if one is also trying to witness Christ to non-believers or even people who have professed faith but may not show many of the fruits of it) -- and so I focused on the fear from a spiritual angle and went into attempting to encourage this person via a couple Bible verses that, as I shared and explained them, I indicated that these tended to help me when I find myself in a similar place. The two verses were as follows:

casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7, NKJV

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12, NKJV

I shared the first of the above verses to encourage the other person on the line that we not only can ask God for help, but we are also bidden to cast our cares on Him and not try to carry them for ourselves. The other part of that verse I note is the second half which says that God cares for us. This includes people who for some reason or another think Trump is evil and are scared. God invites them to cast that burden on Him as well. (From my vantage point, the thought “Trump is evil” is a lie from the pit of hell and is as such an undue burden; but the overarching point about casting all our burdens on Him, regardless of what they are, still stands.)

I brought up the second verse simply because it popped in my head. I didn’t have a specific agenda in the moment while on the call, but upon further reflection, I see more how this verse was to play a role in the ministering I was attempting to do. Regarding the mutual point of agreeing that derangement currently exists in our country’s politics (while disagreeing on its origins let alone its current location), I felt like sharing the verse from Ephesians opened up a larger opportunity (which I took) to defend Paul’s writings. The person on the other line in the past has expressed extreme skepticism regarding the validity of Paul’s epistles as true Scripture (while defending the Gospel accounts). The above verse opened up this general topic about Paul, and our conversation soon moved to another point that I felt God lead me to bring up another verse to hopefully soften my fellow’s heart on him as well (first, the context; second, the highlight):

and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 2 Peter 3:15-16, NKJV

in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 2 Peter 3:16B

I remember when this verse first jumped out to me last fall -- Apostle Peter stating that Apostle Paul can be hard to understand! When I shared that with the person with whom I was sharing the phone call, he had a good laugh at that (I suspect he may not have ever heard this verse before, himself!). But I also made sure to point out the second part, that many people twist Paul’s words (just like the rest of the Scriptures). It’s common to twist (even unintentionally) what we do not understand. I’m sure that I have been guilty of precisely this (regardless of whether it’s Paul’s epistles or anywhere else in the Bible). It’s why humility is paramount. I hope I show that I can be humble and admit when I’m wrong. It’s also another layer with my spiritual wrestlings with certain individuals in my life the last few years. Not that I had never experienced it before, but until the last year, I was in the longest such season of my life being surrounded by -- and having to endure -- people who not only don’t admit when they’re wrong (including when confronted) but then somehow expect me to still trust them, let alone as any kind of advisory role in my life.

I want to interrupt myself to say something positive about the worship leader at my church: he’s humble, he’s gracious, he listens, and he still demonstrates the strength as a leader to make the final call regarding songs, the keys of the songs, and other music-related or personnel-related decisions. I confess I had some private anger at him regarding a personnel-related decision that was looming (the particular decision was short-term, but the underlying issue is longer-term and has stemmed back a few months already) -- but we had a great communication session where I was able to express what I needed from him, and he was able to state his thoughts as well on everything that was going on related to the situation. The bottom line was that we came to an agreement quickly. Praise the Lord! This is a leader I want to follow. Yes, sometimes I do need to be put in my place (that didn’t happen here, but it could at any point if necessary). But a person that is humble, gracious, who listens, and still does his job, that is someone I will respect and follow any day. Praise the Lord, indeed, for this man. After he and I chatted, I made a point to tell his wife who was right there how awesome her husband is. 

And this moment was like a switch flipped for me: prior to it, I was in the midst of my wrestlings with all the various thoughts I was wrestling with, and then we had church (with the above sermon, to boot), and then the conversation. I couldn’t help but contain the gratitude and joy inside afterwards! Praise the Lord!

It was from this overflow place that I had the privilege of the aforementioned phone call where I was able to encourage the other person on the line in the Lord. Our discussion continued from the above regarding Apostle Paul and his epistles, where I shared my journey with a particularly challenging verse for me (Philippians 4:13, which I’ve talked about on this blog quite a few times) and how I’ve since been able, with God’s help, to come to terms with it and start to receive it.

Our conversation moved on to other things, and before we knew it, we had been on the phone for well over two hours! But I share all this to say that I got to experience glimpses of God’s power being released in multiple different instances on the rest of this day, and God gave me a roadmap for what loving difficult people looks like. Some of the people I do love and care about are difficult maybe not for me but for yet others to love. I think about the person I was on the phone with; as a non-Trumper, he and others I know would be very difficult for Trumpers I know to practice love, and vice versa.

Praise God for breakthroughs! And praise God for breakthroughs yet to happen!

Eunice Kathleen Waymon’s sad story – and a reminder of real hope

 The search bar on my “Windows” laptop typically displays a theme for each day, whether it’s “National [This] Day” or “World [That] Day,” and sometimes it will display the name of a famous artist, scientist, politician, or other person that contributed something major to modern Western society. Recently, the person that came up was a 20^th-century black American musician with the stage name “Nina Simone.” She was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933, and passed away in 2003 from breast cancer.

You can read the full Wikipedia biography here, but as I was reading through it, I felt moved to highlight a few things from her life:

Waymon was born and raised in the Methodist church, where her mom was a preacher. Her talent at the keyboard was discovered super-early on, not unlike, say, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and was subsequently enrolled in piano lessons to develop her skills. Despite many different challenges along the way, she went on to have a modestly successful career as a musician, as a pianist, singer, and composer/songwriter.

But despite that success, and especially despite her full immersion in the church growing up, she made several key decisions in her life that drew her away from God, and despite reaping many of those consequences during her time here on earth, it doesn’t appear she ever repented or even considered repenting.

Waymon adopted a stage name (“Nina Simone”) so that her mom, who was a devout Christian and concerned about her daughter being influenced by the world (especially by fame), would not be able to detect that she was indeed taking gigs that may not have been honoring to the Lord. Her Wikipedia biography even had this to say: “Knowing her mother would not approve of her playing “the Devil's music,” she used her new stage name to remain undetected.”

[As an aside, I do believe that most if not all musical styles are neutral. Whether I play classical or jazz or blues or rock, I don’t believe the style matters. What does matter are two things: 1.) the lyrics, and 2.) the venues in which such music is being performed. I would add a third thing as well: with whom one is performing the music. I say this because I’ve come across the phrase “the Devil’s music” to refer to any kind of popular music that was outside the church especially in the 20^th century, and I think the term gets thrown around a bit too loosely. After all, there are way too many churches these days where they honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him, and other cases where it is they who play “the Devil’s music”! I say this to address bluntly that far more spiritual discernment is needed before calling something a thing.]

Another key moment in Waymon (aka “Nina Simone”)’s life was when she wrote the song “Mississippi [blasphemy redacted]” in 1964. Wikipedia calls it “her “first civil rights song”. Composed in less than an hour, the song emerged in a “rush of fury, hatred, and determination” as she “suddenly realized what it was to be black in America in 1963.”” I’m sure that a topic like this is much easier to view in hindsight in 2025 than it would have been back in the 1960s, but looking back (with aforementioned hindsight) it is clear that, for many, the outrage at Jim Crow-era racism turned into hatred and revenge. I even commented on some of what I was seeing in 2020 in the aftermath of the Derek Chauvin vs George Floyd incident as going way beyond understandable and acceptable outrage. But it started in the 1960s. And the writing of this song (and the entire album on which it was released) put her on a trajectory of bitterness and hatred, under the deceit of pursuing “social justice.”

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19, NKJV

Regarding our country’s history of slavery, unjust segregation, and any other form of racism, below is what God’s Word has to say regarding what we need to do, concerning the above and any other situation of injustice.

if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14, NKJV

God is just, and He cares about injustice. But we have done a terrible job of allowing God to be judge and to administer justice His way. The Bible is littered with what He has to say about injustice and how to administer justice:

You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’ Deuteronomy 1:17, NKJV

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. Deuteronomy 10:17, NKJV

You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Deuteronomy 16:19, NKJV

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. Acts 10:34, NKJV

For there is no partiality with God. Romans 2:11, NKJV

And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. Ephesians 6:9, NKJV

Another area was how Waymon handled her private life. She regretted marrying her first husband and ultimately divorced him. (There doesn’t appear to be any incident of adultery occurring that sparked this.)

But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. Matthew 5:32, NKJV

She married her second husband who was abusive, but her response to his ongoing abuse was, even after fleeing him, to take it out on her (their) daughter, straining their relationship to the point that she left her nothing in her will when she died.

you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, Exodus 20:5, NKJV

keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:7, NKJV

‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ Numbers 14:18, NKJV

you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, Deuteronomy 5:9, NKJV

A significant part of Waymon’s legacy unfortunately is that she continued patterns of abuse, heaping bitterness upon bitterness. She let herself become deceived by aspects of civil rights (which did on the whole need to happen) that were more marked by seeking and pursuing vengeance (aka Malcolm X) than by being the offering/sacrifice (aka MLK Jr). Her breakout song involved profaning the name of the Lord. She went into music to be a classical pianist; she unfortunately never quite accomplished that. She wrote music supporting what she thought was for civil rights, only to be hooked on the anger and hatred and vengeance (in the name of social justice), only to be left behind once the same people who supported her work fled and began protesting the Vietnam War instead. She married two different men without putting them through a proper vetting process (one was a beatnik; the other was an abuser) and ended up replicating on her daughter what her second husband (and daughter’s father) had done to her.

God gave Waymon 70 years, which is a lot longer than many of her contemporaries, including Billie Holliday, Janis Joplin, et al. But she never repented and therefore was never saved. Her daughter, on the other hand, is still alive. I know not whether she is continuing any of the same sins as those of her mother (or her father, for that matter), but there is still hope here.

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. Ezekiel 18:20, NKJV

For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2, NKJV

And there is still hope for you as long as you are still alive.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9, NKJV

Devotionals from my Bible app: How Weakness Becomes Strength (2 Corinthians 12:9)

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV

How Weakness Becomes Strength


Think of a situation you wish you could change, and then imagine what the apostle Paul must have been going through in 2 Corinthians 12.

Paul was suffering, and so he repeatedly begged God to remove his pain. But God doesn’t change Paul’s situation. Instead, God tells Paul that His “grace is enough” for him.

"Charis," the ancient Greek word for “grace,” conveyed the favor God showed humanity when He sent Jesus to earth for us.

Before Jesus, people couldn’t draw near to God on their own. But Jesus made a way for anyone to experience intimacy with God. A relationship with God isn’t something we earn—it’s a free gift we receive when we accept that Jesus died for us and rose from the dead.

So when God tells Paul that His “grace is sufficient,” what He’s essentially saying is: “I am enough for you.”

God could meet Paul’s needs because God was all Paul needed—and God was with Paul. The influence Paul had was only because God chose to show off His power through him.

Like Paul, we can then boast about how weak we are so that way God gets the credit for every great thing that happens to us.

Our situations might not change, but our cry often changes from, “God please remove this suffering,” to, “God, when I suffer—show me how You are using this for Your glory and my good.”

So whatever you’re facing, know that God is near. He sees you, and He loves you. Take some time today and ask God to show you how He is empowering you. Draw near to Him, and let Him strengthen you.

Note after sharing the devotional: today’s focus verse is what helps me begin to embrace Philippians 4:13, which I’ve not-so-secretly wrestled with here on this blog. Before I proceed, I want to share both verses so you, the reader, can see them together in the same context as I do:

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13, NKJV

The tip of the resentment I’ve felt regarding Philippians 4:13 has had to do with other people abusing this verse to equate their own expectations of me with that of God’s (regardless of whether or not their expectations actually align with His). The root of the resentment goes back to a lifetime of wanting to be able to do all sorts of different things; but for one reason or another, I have either not been able to perform it, or I was eventually able to accomplish it but only on a much slower timeline than expected or hoped. Then there’s the struggle of whether the expectations of people I don’t completely trust should be considered superior to mine. Oh, so You won’t let me do it for me, but You’ll force me to somehow be able to do the same thing for them?? That kind of mindset. (By the way, that’s not a Godly mindset! I’m only sharing it to expose to the Light some of the darkest thoughts that have come up. So of course, I choose to repent of it, and the unbelief that exists at its root, so as to allow the Lord of my life to change and transform me.)

Then, finally, there’s the context of having generally been smaller and weaker than almost every other kid I grew up with, even more stark when considering that, due to being held back in kindergarten, I spent most of my schooling years a year older than almost all of my peers -- and still being shorter, smaller, and weaker than almost all of them. Every day I have been reminded of my weakness, even well into adulthood, even though the reasons have changed over the years. It’s still to the point that, even now when I am placed in a situation where I happen to be stronger, more intelligent, more skilled, and even in some cases more accomplished than my peers, aspects of it still don’t feel real.

[Interruption: here is where I might expect someone to chime in and say something along the lines of: Faith over feelings. Don’t let your feelings dictate your faith; you need to make your faith dictates your feelings. My response to that is simply this: I’ve had faith regarding quite a few impossible hopes and dreams for much of my life, thanks to Luke 1:37 which I’ve been familiar with almost all my life. I’ve even had stubborn faith regarding quite a few of these things. And yet, not only has life still not worked out to where the things for which I’ve had stubborn faith have come to pass, but also that 1.) the answers to far too many prayers concerning things that were important to me were “no”, and 2.) when God did answer them (besides just saying “no”), His response was often also to challenge the roots and the circumstances in which I had held that aforementioned stubborn faith. As such, many of the feelings I’ve had regarding some of these things of which I speak were borne out of these moments. In conclusion, my counter-argument to the above statement faith over feelings, etc is that, actually, a lot of my feelings about things were borne from forced correction of previous thinking and feeling in which many of my previous hopes and expectations were created. At the end of the day, when I run into someone new in my life who has no context for previous seasons in my life, and that person attempts to play the faith over feelings card or the Philippians 4:13 card, I am in no way inclined to believe or trust that they are operating within God’s will, and rather that they are operating on their own personal feelings and agenda but pretending as if they were speaking on God’s behalf.]

So as not to end this post on a bitter note, I want to share what God has done in my heart to allow me to receive Philippians 4:13 in such a way that He can continue His work within me. The next batch of verses (especially first couple) have become part of a cache of key verses to help me understand and trust what God is doing:

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; Philippians 1:6, NKJV

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13, NKJV

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13, NKJV

During my early years at the Vineyard, I often heard the phrase that in my weakness Christ is strong. Given my having lived a lifetime of being (and being considered) weak compared with just about everyone else in my life (family members, teachers, peers, other types of mentors) on all sorts of levels (and not just physically), the Biblical truth of Christ being perfected in our weakness was and still is a message of hope for me. I cannot compete with anyone else -- and for years, nay, decades, I tried and tried and tried, thanks to that stubborn faith -- and have had to learn to be content with my weakness as the tool to be used for God’s glory.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13, NKJV

Closing statement of truth: Therefore I will gladly boast in my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me and strengthen me.

Prayer: God, thank You for giving me Yourself. Thank You for empowering me to face whatever comes my way. Help me to remember that even when I’m weak, You are still strong. And You can take the hardest of situations and turn it around for Your glory and my good. So please help me to glorify You with all that I am. Let my weaknesses become windows that Your glory shines through. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

The Return of Ring Shout ("Sons Of," apparently)

After a very long wait, Ring Shout has a gig today! It will be at a restaurant in Forest Park.

If I sound excited, it's because I am. The last time I performed with them was in February 2020, right before COVID shut everything down. Plus, lots of things in my life changed as well. (See 2020 Reflections, Parts One, Two, Three, and Four here.) But, in the last year, things started moving again. For starters, Mark passed away almost a year ago (a year ago tomorrow, to be precise), leading to most of us to reconvene at his wake and dinner at a nearby restaurant afterward. At this point, I hadn't seen quite a few of the guys in a few years, including some not since 2020 or before! As such, a lot of catching-up occurred. Then, a rehearsal (or more likely a jam session) with 4 of the men. Then, another one two months later. And a third another couple months later. Although there was a tentative gig scheduled toward the end of last summer, it got postponed a couple times and ultimately completely cancelled. After another couple months' layoff, the group has been getting together more frequently, sometimes once a month, and sometimes once every couple of weeks. After another cancelled gig last month, this one finally has come and looks to be actually happening.

That all said, I need to temper my own excitement. There were reasons I walked away. Sure, just having begun date a woman who made it clear that I needed to change my career was a convenient opportunity for me to do so, and COVID did provide the perfect cover for me to make it happen. Those were reasons to walk to something new. But there were also reasons for me to begin to walk away, even before it happened. Ring Shout was never the issue, but the entirety of the music scene I had become a part of was: unmet expectations; certain toxic, passive-aggressive, manipulative individuals holding much more sway over my work life than they should have; and other trials and disappointments stacked on top of one another, the last of which was a series of besetting financial difficulties that pulled out from under me the appearance of security that I had been allowed to enjoy for the six years that I pursued this.

The issue came up recently at home regarding my participation with Ring Shout. I'm enjoying practicing and performing with the guys that are there now -- the toxic, passive-aggressive, manipulative (and most significantly, spiritually oppressive) individuals are all gone from the group -- but the one question that I am not presently able to satisfy is the one about the long-term worthwhileness of this endeavor. I made a promise to my love that, as part of changing careers, I would continue my education and pursue a degree to back up the experience that I have been gaining in a field, any non-musical field, that will sustain me professionally and financially through all my working years. Physical health issues and constant stress while enduring my previous living situation (which I've talked about at length on this blog previously) derailed my schooling. Since I got married, I've been in this place of "I should go back to school, but I don't know for what." For a short term, that may be considered acceptable (I've needed to recover), but there comes a point where staying in this mental place will no longer be acceptable.

Gratefully, I've been able to catch up on my music-writing even more. Since January 1st, with God's help, I've been able to accomplish the following:

• Finish compositional sketches for Piano Sonata No. 4 in C III. Redemption and get the piece copyrighted
• Create, finish, copyright, and release a recording of Boppin' On Up
• Create, finish, copyright, and release a recording of It's A Stretch
• Release a recording of The Original Rocky Road (currently in the process of getting it copyrighted)
• Copyright and release a recording of The Battle
• Copyright and release a recording of Esmeralda's Jazz
• Compose, record, mix, copyright, and release an update to On The Other Side (now titled with the "Married Life Version" tagline)
• Finish editing/mixing and release a recording of Piano Sonata No. 5 ("Joy") I. The Joy of Redemption
• Finish editing/mixing and release a recording of Piano Sonata No. 5 ("Joy") II. The Joy of Eternal Life
• Finish editing/mixing and release a recording of Piano Sonata No. 5 ("Joy") III. God's Joy as Strength
• Create, finish, copyright, and release a recording of Piano Sonata No. 6 ("Love") III. Making It Right
• Compose and copyright To You O Lord I Lift Up My Soul (Psalm 25:1-11)
• Compose Strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10, Psalm 91:1-2,5,7,11-12)
• Compose Sing, Shout, Be Glad! (Zephaniah 3:14-17)
• Recompose Mighty Warrior, God Is

The above list doesn't include a few re-releases of existing tracks (in which I did at most some mild editing/remixing), which I have also done in the last month-and-a-half.

Since my conversations with my love that began a couple weeks ago as of this post, I did jog my memory regarding some things I wanted to do differently regarding the music portion of my life as of the end of 2019/beginning of 2020. My love did point out one key aspect of this, which was the question of investing time (and money) into something that wasn't necessarily going to pay me money. I'm not sure what today's gig will yield financially. Will it be worth my time? Emotionally and musically, yes, since, aside from church, I really haven't done music in this manner creatively in a very long time. But I had also come to a point where my time and use of talent is worth a lot higher than what I was valuing it.

My next step -- prayerfully -- is to sit down with the band at our next rehearsal (and I'm hoping and praying for it to be when all six of us will be there!) and invite each man to share his vision for what he wants Ring Shout ("Sons Of," apparently) to become at this stage. I have my vision, and I know a couple other guys have occasionally spoken up about what they want to see. If push comes to shove, I'll have to consider explaining to them that, now as a married man, I cannot devote as much time to them without a focused purpose like I used to be able to do when I was a bachelor. But my desire is to hopefully come to enough of an agreement between the other men and myself regarding our respective visions in order to justify continuing to patiently invest in this.

But we'll see. Since the initial discussion with my love, two small moments/events (potential signs) have occurred en route to rehearsal that are worth noting. Upon arriving at the first of the two most recent rehearsals, I was the last to arrive, and found the door to the house locked. This was rare. In all my times coming to this house since the first rehearsal 12 years ago, I may have come across a locked door once before, if that. After ringing the doorbell multiple times and texting the group, I finally called my bandmate who owned the house to inform him I was right outside. He of course promptly let me in, but I thought this moment was notable, spiritually speaking.

Ahead of the second rehearsal, which was during the week, a couple mild issues arose that didn't outright impact my ability to make it, but caused incredible frustration in one instance and a need for vigilance and prayer on my part in the other. Because my love and I have been down to one car between us, I needed to take an Uber to and from rehearsal. Thankfully, two of my bandmates were generous to pay for my rides (I had originally indicated I just wasn't going to come). However, the first bandmate ran into an issue on his app trying to book me a ride on the way there that frustrated him enough to ask a second person to book in his stead. After a brief back-and-forth negotiating between bandmate #2 and myself regarding a few small details (which ultimately led him to be willing to pay a higher price to accommodate my schedule), my ride was successfully booked. However, once in the ride, I quickly noticed that the driver wasn't exactly the safest on the road, and I realized I needed to be alert for this ride, steadfast in prayer (which I was), and speaking the name and blood of Jesus over myself, over my driver, and over his car practically the entire ride there. To boot, the guy even made a wrong turn when we were halfway there! Of course, there were no issues whatsoever regarding the ride home, praise God.

As of the posting of today's post, I have not made the pilgrimage to the venue. I realize I must remain watchful and prayerful: that the ride to the venue is safe and smooth; that I have all the gear I need; that we are received well at the restaurant (it is a new venue for us all); but especially the crowd. I've been hearing through the grapevine that several ex-bandmembers and other musicians via the community are planning to attend. I must remain watchful.

So far, the signs I've been seeing that I mentioned above are somewhat reminding me of the beginnings of my year-and-a-half in Minnesota after college. Briefly, they are as following: 1.) When I first moved up, I darn near completely ran out of gas (and money) when I arrived at my new home. 2.) When I was driving back from Christmas break a few months later, I was involved in a minor collision on the interstate after having spun out in the middle of an ice storm. 

I really wanted to be in Minnesota for the beginning of my full-fledged adult years: there, I felt like an adult; in Chicago, I felt like a child. And yet, at the end, God arranged it so that I would have to move back. And I've remained in this area ever since. This is not to say necessarily that my involvement with Ring Shout will go the way that my post-college era in Minnesota did. It might; and it might not. 

But I would be remiss if I didn't also mention this: I think there is one key difference between the two situations mentioned above. God had to pry Minnesota out of my heart; here, I am willing to let go of Ring Shout and stop participating in it if need be. I married my wife, not this band (or any band). But, I'm not necessarily hearing that I should just up and leave the band, either. These signs strike me as spiritual attacks, but I'm currently unclear whether or not these attacks are indicators that I am doing the wrong thing, or the right thing.

Here is a helpful guideline I've heard to help regarding discernment:

• Spiritual attacks that occur when I'm doing the right thing will not last very long, because when I'm doing the right thing I'm moving in faith and obeying God.
• Spiritual attacks that occur when I'm doing the wrong thing will last as long as I continue doing the wrong thing, because here I'm not moving in faith and instead disobeying God.

I'll have to put in that for now, but I at least wanted to reference the above. 

So, I am excited about today's gig. It is a very long time coming, and I personally believe it will mark the beginning of a better era than the previous one. Two questions: first and foremost, what is God's will in this? And secondly, where do I need to be watchful and prayerful?

Sermons from Good News: is God waiting on you?

Church 2/16/2025


Sermon message:


Thesis: is God waiting on you?


Consider Naaman. Naaman had to do a thing in order to receive healing.


Consider the wedding feast at Cana. Jesus’s first miracle.


Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Consider even Jesus who paid the price for all sin. But we still have to receive Him.


Ephesians 3:20

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Consider Elisha.


2 Kings 2:9-13

9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”

Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.

There was never merely a time of miracles; there only is a God of miracles.


Point #1: believe more can be done.


Elisha believed more can be done.


2 Kings 2:9

And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”

Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”

Mark 9:23

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

John 14:12

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

Point #2: put confidence in God’s Word


Elisha put confidence in God’s Word


2 Kings 2:8 - Elijah

Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

2 Kings 2:13-14

He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.

Philippians 4:9

The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Do what you saw other anointed men & women of God do.


Don’t fall into unbelief.


Psalm 78:41

Yes, again and again they tempted God,

And limited the Holy One of Israel.

Mark 6:5

Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.

Matthew 19:26

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Back to Elisha:


2 Kings 2:15

Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him.

Point #3: Have courage to release God’s miracle power.


Elisha had courage to release God’s miracle power.


Remember Joshua, and the battle of Jericho.


Joshua 6:26

Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, “Cursed be the man before the Lord who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with  [at the cost of]  his firstborn, and with  [at the cost of]  his youngest he shall set up its gates.”

1 Kings 16:34 (the fulfillment of Joshua 6:26)

In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the Lord, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun.

Pause: there was a curse placed in mankind. Jesus, God’s firstborn, paid the price of that curse.


Galatians 3:13

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

2 Kings 2:18-21

18 And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho, he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.”

20 And he said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’ ”

We can turn curses around in Jesus’s name.


2 Kings 2:22

So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.

And we can speak blessings in Jesus’s name.


What will you do?


Mark 16:17-20

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

This is an old photo (from 2019), but the image/thought of a double portion/blessing came to mind toward the end of hearing the above sermon at church. I don’t drink anymore, so it’s no longer about the wine, but the double portion aspect of this image still speaks to me.

Reading through the Bible 2025: Laws of Sexual Morality (Leviticus 18)

Basically, incest is immoral and unacceptable to God. Let’s not overcomplicate this.

Laws of Sexual Morality

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord. ‘None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the Lord. The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness. The nakedness of your father’s wife you shall not uncover; it is your father’s nakedness. The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover. The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for theirs is your own nakedness. The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, begotten by your father—she is your sister—you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s sister; she is near of kin to your father. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister, for she is near of kin to your mother. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law—she is your son’s wife—you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near of kin to her. It is wickedness. Nor shall you take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/114/lev.18.1-18.NKJV

Regardless of who the sexual act is committed with, the underlying argument, often used is one of victimhood: “they just can’t help it.” The Bible makes it clear the following:

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”

‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/114/jas.1.13-14.NKJV

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/114/1co.10.13.NKJV

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/114/php.4.13.NKJV

Therefore, when we see a verse like the one below, the argument is not to shame a person while they are wrestling with sin, but rather to point out that sin is not their identity, and that they can break free, if they do desire and choose. But one has to desire to align their hearts and lives to God’s Word and to choose to put themselves through whatever it takes in order to break free from the cycle.

“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭18‬:‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/114/lev.18.22.NKJV

Real, true Bible-believing Christians who love Jesus do not “pick on the gays.” But it is critically important to point out that homosexuality is no different from any other form of sexual immorality. And for those who claim that Jesus has nothing to say about gay marriage, the below verse sets the record straight:

“And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭19‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.19.4-6.NKJV

Astute Bible readers will note that the context in which Jesus says the above has to do with divorce, and not gay marriage. And they would be correct in doing so. However, to limit the truth spoken from Jesus’s mouth, assuming that he would only address the immediate issue at hand would be misleading. The truth is, according to what Jesus said above, which is directly lifted from Genesis 2, any form of union that contradicts this particular passage is an abomination to the Lord. Any form of union outside of God’s design for marriage, which consists of one man and one woman, is sin in God’s eyes. As such, this must include any sort of homosexual union. I would even go one step further and declare that any form of homosexual union would be considered a form of adultery against whatever plans that God did have for the parties involved. At its root, any form of sin, sexual or not, is rebellion against God.


Leviticus 18 was part of this day’s reading, which is why I am blogging about it at all. As I continue to move through the “Torah” portion of scripture, I continue to be reminded anew of God’s plan for creating a just society, including one that honors Him above all else. God pays attention to details. He is very detail-oriented. Let us today acknowledge and honor Him for caring to know and be involved, should we let Him, in every detail of our lives.

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.6.26.NKJV