Exodus 14:19-31, 15:1-13,21-22; Psalms 103:1-13 The Israelites are delivered from Egypt in our Exodus 14 passage by the power of God who turns the Red Sea into dry land which they can cross over safely. Then God causes the waters to come back and drown out all the Egyptians who are chasing them. In chapter 15 they sing a song of praise to the Lord who has triumphed gloriously. From this act of miraculous deliverance, they declare that God is their strength and might. They say that God has become their salvation. Little do they known then that God will later send Christ to bring salvation from sin and the ability to have a personal relationship with God. While the Israelites boast of God’s powerful deliverance from the Egyptians, David in Psalm 103 praises God for the Lord’s compassion and mercy. This is shown in God forgiving all our iniquities, healing all our diseases, redeeming our lives from the Pit, and crowning us with steadfast love and mercy. God’s steadfast love is mention...

Acts 2:1-21, I Corinthians 12:3-13   Our Acts scripture is commonly read on Pentecost Sunday. It tells how the Holy Spirit descended on the believers. One act of the Spirit was to make people filled with it speak languages so all in the diverse crowd were able to hear in their own language. When they are sneered at for being drunk, Peter speaks out and tells how the prophet Joel predicted this, that all people men and women, young and old, slaves and free will have the Spirit poured out on them. Peter quoting Joel mentions one of the spiritual gifts we spoke of a few weeks ago that being prophecy. We saw a list of spiritual gifts when we studied Romans 12. Well, Paul expands them in I Corinthians. Our passage starts by stating that no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. This is the power of the Holy Spirit in us to recognize Christ as Lord. Another aspect of the Spirit is its handout of a varieties of gifts. This magnification of the Spirit is for the commo...

Matthew 16: 21-28, Romans 12:9-21 In Matthew 16 Jesus rebukes Peter and his philosophy that only good things should happen to good people. Jesus tells him he is setting his mind on human things not on the divine which was the plan for Jesus to suffer and die for our sins. He tells how those that save their lives will lose them, but those who lose it for Jesus sake will find it. Forsaking human wisdom and following the divine Jesus and God’s divine plan of salvation one will truly be saved and find a life worth living. This passage ends with Jesus telling them how when Jesus returns he will repay everyone for what they have done. This is one scripture to claim for those who wonder what will happen to the Hitlers of this life. Paul in Romans talks about genuine love and how it is shown by holding on to what is good and to outdo one another in showing honor. We are to continually rejoice in the hope God has given us to be patient in affliction and to persevere in prayer. He lists th...