The Master's Mind - Book Review

The Master's Mind: The Art of Reshaping Your Thoughts

In fact, the Master has a whole different list of attributes in mind for us: hope, strength, beauty, joy, love, creativity, freedom, power, peace, patience, goodness, laughter, organization, effectiveness, and purpose.

Between the flesh, the world, and the Devil, we don't know what to think, and, therefore, our lives are filled with hurt, pain, and regret.

Jesus died to save us from our sins and set us free. He made a way for our souls to be rescued from our enemies.

It's time to return to the Master's Mind.

In approximately AD 31, Jesus Christ of Nazareth was asked the seemingly impossible question: "What is the greatest commandment of God?" Jesus simply replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength."

If we can master our minds and bring our thoughts into alignment with the Lord's will and perspective, the rest of our lives will follow suit.

Praise the Lord that He has told us who He is, who we are in the light of Him, and what we have been placed on this earth to do.

God does the rescuing and the saving. Our job is to steward what He has given us.

What we think determines our action. Martin Luther King Jr. determined that he would not rest until all people were viewed as God intended - equal. Mother Teresa determined that the poor would not be forgotten. Our Lord Jesus Christ walked His entire life on earth with a focus on completely obeying His heavenly Father, including the determination to end up on the cross to save us from our sins, as we see in this passage from Luke: "When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51).

The Bible tells us of an ancient high-ranking official who made a personal choice that would dictate the rest of his life and effectiveness. His name was Naaman, and he was a Syrian army commander who had leprosy, a terrible skin disease. Knowing that he was desperate for healing, his little servant girl told him of a prophet in Israel who could heal him by God's power. Figuring that it was worth a shot, Naaman went to see the prophet Elisha. Elisha sent a messenger to tell Naaman that he would be healed if he washed seven times in the Jordan River.

Naaman was furious. He believed that the prophet was simply going to "call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure" him (2 Kings 5:11). When things didn't go the way he thought they should, he stormed off in a rage.

His attendant hurried after him and convinced him to reconsider. Sure, washing seven times was unorthodox, but what if it could heal him?

He relented - and came out healed from leprosy.

Naaman's false assumptions, ignorant thoughts, and prideful heart almost cost him his healing. What are we believing today that is keeping us from God's best?

It's true of God: Isaiah 14:24 tells us, "The LORD of hosts has sworn: As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand."

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place. (Acts 17:26)

Before the New York firefighters and police officers ran into the collapsing Twin Towers on the fateful day of 9/11, they thought about it. Their heroic choice to risk their lives to protect others from a burning building was the result of truly stunning thoughts: Their job is to rescue others and put them before themselves. They would not let fear dictate their response.

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasures produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45)

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who was explaining that our characters and beliefs determine the lives we live. Doing one thing on the outside doesn't make up for thinking another on the inside.

And when it comes to matters of faith, we spend the majority of our energy on sin management, completely avoiding the core issues. We'll never experience transformation until we address the thoughts at the root of our problems.

Bad thinking is dangerous. Wrong thinking can keeps us ineffective, wasting time on things that aren't important instead of living the lives God has for us.

Paul wrote in Romans about the distorted thinking common to humans and the consequences it brings. Since our sin nature is rooted in how we think our thoughts continue to be the primary block between us and God.

Jesus spoke about lust being equated with adultery.

Adam and Eve were the best of us: unadulterated humanity, good, pure, and perfect. But the day they ate the fruit that God told them not to eat, all of that changed. With their rebellion, sin entered the world and chaos was unleashed.

If you do not know the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love He demonstrated on the cross by dying for your sins, now is the time to engage with that truth.

God knows our plight. He knows we are hopelessly lost. When Adam and Eve threw away our birth right, He launched a redemption plan. The plan came to fruition approximately two thousand years ago, when God entered humanity and joined us where we were, in all our messiness. Doing all that we could not do, the God-man, Jesus Christ, offered up His perfect life - not only to satisfy our debt sin, but also to trade with us, the lost, so that we might be found and set free. We acknowledge that He is the King and His way is right. We offer open rights in which He can dwell by the power of His Holy Spirit so that we are never alone - not now, not ever.

"The most important thing about us is not what we do, but who and whose we are in Christ."

All He asks is that we stop fighting and let Him do what He does best - be our Savior and King. Paul the apostle wrote, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God" ((Romans 5:1-2).

By definition, grace is "undeserved favor." Grace isn't earned; rather, it's given out of the goodness of someone else's heart.

Grace even cuts at the heart of the oldest and greatest of sin: pride. The same sin that caused the fall of Lucifer stirs in our souls. Once grace takes hold again, we experience peace.

God is working in us, and we can have faith in that process. But we also need to be aware of the biggest enemy of them all: the Devil.

The Devil is real, and he's a bad guy. He introduced the sin that brought down our world, he's a bully who picks on us every day, and he doesn't fight fair.

Listen to the apostle Peter: "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith" (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Sin takes us from where we should be to where we should not be. Sin ruins our thoughts and poisons our hearts.

Sin is godlessness.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Therefore, God will never lead someone to sin; doing so goes against His very nature. He will test believers by putting them through difficult training that will strengthen them and reveal their current conditions (like a refiner's fire).

Satan seeks to harm.

God's intention is always for believers to emerge from a trial better than when they started, either in strength or in knowledge. He promises that every situation will have a way out - an escape hatch that can be utilized through obedience.

As we've seen, the Bible says that Jesus was tempted, yet was without sin. It also says, "In your anger do not sin" (Ephesians 4:26 NIV).

Acting on sin is temptation.

Praise the Lord that He is with us and that the Holy Spirit is helping us navigate all of this!

Nebuchadnezzar made a name for himself as a warrior king. He won the famous battle of Carchemish against the Egyptians the year he was called to throne. He fused his alliance with the Medes by marriage and expanded his territory by military force until he controlled much of the Middle East and all the trade routes across Mesopotamia.

He was so impressive that Saddam Hussein sought to claim his reincarnated personality. Hussein named one of his guard divisions after the ancient king and began rebuilding ancient Babylon in his honor, inscribing on the bricks, "To king Nebuchadnezzar in the reign of Hussein."

This great and powerful king lost his mind.

God leveled Nebuchadnezzar for pride and arrogance, and once that was done, he lifted his hand immediately and miraculously. Nevertheless, his story reminds us that even the might fall sometimes, and no mind is invulnerable.

Everybody remembers Mister Rogers' Neighbor right? But did you know that it aired from 1968 to 2001, produced 895 episodes, and earned four Emmy awards?

There's a reason that a Presbyterian reverend from Pennsylvania received the coveted Peabody Award, the Ralph Lowell Award, more than forty honorary degrees, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

He wanted to use children's imaginations as God intended them - to think through new perspectives.

You and I are precious - and so is every human on earth.

On the day Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they sold their souls to the Enemy.

Jesus Christ needed to come to set us free. We are free to become what He created us to be and not be forced into the mold of our enemies.

Our Master paid for us.

Even if we are free, we still need a Savior. We are still designed for relationship with God as our Father. We are still built for His glory. We are not our own.

We long to worship.

Christianity needs to be a thriving relationship with God filled with the Holy Spirit and all the incredible blessings He has given us. We need to be so filled up that the Holy Spirit forces out evil.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit gives us "living water."

Paul says that we have been raised with Christ, which means we are a new creation, born again with all the sin of our lives dead and gone.

Transformation always begins in our thoughts.

When Jesus told His listeners to "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2), He did not simply mean "feel terrible for your wickedness now that I'm here." Repent doesn't only mean to turn away but to change one's mind and start agreeing with God.

Jesus Christ is the One who can set us free, not just when we get to heaven, but increasingly so right here on earth.

God will hold us accountable for how we manage our minds and handle our hearts.

One of the precious tools God has provided is supernatural protection for His children. The apostle Paul called it the armor of God in Ephesians 6:11-18.

Lance Hahn is the senior pastor of Bridgeway Christian Church in Rocklin, California. His first book, How to live in fear mastering the Art of Freaking Out, Chronicles his personal struggles with panic disorders and offers tools for thriving through fear. A popular speaker who enjoys writing, Lance is a husband to Suzi and father to two daughters.

5 of ... The Heart: The Key to Everything in the Christian Life - Book Review

The Third Soil of the Heart: The Choking Weeds - Five Thorns to Avoid

Let us examine the third soil of the heart and what happens when the Word of God is sown into it.

In this third soil of the heart, the seed of the Word of God fell among the seeds of thorns and both began to grow in this fertile soil. This word "thorn" in the Greek means a thorny plant, a bramble bush, briers, and thistles.

Israel in Bible times had a great variety of these thorny weeds throughout its land. Giant thistles, growing to the height of a man on horseback, frequently spread over regions once rich and fruitful. Prickly roses abound on the lower slopes of Hermon.

Thorns are carriers of spiritual disease and allow rebellion, lust, and idolatry to ride into the human heart.

The First Thorn: The Cares of This World. (Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19). The Greek word for "cares" in these verses means an anxious worry that distracts and divides the mind. These anxious worries and cares are indicative of a heart that does not trust God.

Unrepentant sin is a major cause of anxiety in the heart. Anxiety, worry and fear are sin, and should have no place in the heart of a christian.

The Second Thorn: The Cares of This Life. The second thorn in the Parable of the Sower is "the cares of this life." The same Greek Word is used for "cares" so these are still anxious worries that divide and distract the mind and agitate the heart with fear, but it is a different category of cares.

Jesus perfectly illustrates these anxious cares in the Sermon on the Mount and commands these worries have no place in the heart of the child of God.

The Third Thorn: The Deceitfulness of Riches. Millions of people have been corrupted, ruined and destroyed by the deceitfulness of riches. Riches can turn the heart away from God quicker than almost anything on earth.

John Wesley said wealth had destroyed the godliness of more people than other things. This thorn illustrates the eternal truth in the Sermon on the Mount that "where your treasure is there your heart be also" (Luke 12:34).

The Fourth Thorn: The Lust for Other Things. The fourth thorn in the Parable of the Sower are "the lust for other things."

Lust is excessive desire that has gone overboard and adrift from the heart of God that seeks self-satisfaction, self-gratification and self-pleasure as its ultimate thrill ride. Lust has no perception of eternity and no realization of its deadly consequences to the heart.

The Fifth Thorn: The Pleasures of This Life. The fifth and final thorn in the Parable of the Sower is the "pleasures of this life." The Greek word for "pleasures" is "hedone" which means delight, pleasureable, sensation, and sensual pleasures. Hedone is an unrestrained pursuit of anything that over stimulates the senses, stopping at nothing to gorge the body's sinful inner cravings.

Tim Rowe, the author, has a doctorate of jurisprudence and a bachelor's degree in biblical studies, history, and classics. He is the president of Goodness of God Ministries and lives with his wife and son.

Sunday - Samson's Call - Judges 13:1-7, 24-25 - 6/25/17

The Philistines lived on the west side of Canaan, along the Mediterranean seacoast. From Samson's day until the time of David they were the major enemy force in the land & a constant threat to Israel. The Philistines were fierce warriors; they had the advantage over Israel in numbers, tactical expertise, & technology. They knew the secret of making weapons out of iron. But none of that mattered when God was fighting for Israel.

Once again the cycle of sin, judgment, & repentance began. The Israelites would not turn to God unless they had been stunned by suffering, oppression, & death. This suffered was not caused by God, but resulted from the fact that the people ignored God, their Judge & Ruler. The warnings in God's Word are clear; if we continue to harden our hearts against God, we can expect the same fate as Israel.

The angel of the Lord could have been a special divine messenger sent from God or a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus Christ. The reason for the angel's visit was to give Samson's parents the vital news that Samson would begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.

Samson was to be a Nazarite - a person who took a vow to be set apart for God's service. Samson's parents made the vow for him. A Nazarite vow was sometimes for him. A Nazarite vow was sometimes temporary, but in Samson's case, it was for life. As a Nazarite, Samson could not cut his hair, touch a dead body, or drink anything containing alcohol.

Although Samson often used poor judgment & sinned terribly, he accomplished much when he determined to be set apart for God. In this way he was like the nation Israel. As long as the Israelites remained set apart for God, the nation thrived. But they into terrible sin when they ignored God.

Manoah's wife was told that her son would begin to rescue the Israelites from Philistine oppression. It wasn't until David's day that the Philistine opposition was completely crushed. Samson's part in subduing the Philistines was just the beginning, but it was important nonetheless. It was the task God had given Samson to do. Be faithful in following God even if you don't see instant results, because you might be beginning an important job that others will finish.

Samson's tribe, Dan, continued to wander in their inherited land, which was yet unconquered. Samson must have grown up with his warlike tribe's yearnings for a permanent & settled territory. Thus his visits to the tribal army camp stirred his heart, & God's Spirit began preparing him for his role as judge & leader against the Philistines.

God uses a variety of means to develop & prepare us: hereditary traits, environmental influences, & personal experiences. As with Samson, this preparation often begins long before adulthood. Work at being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading & the tasks God has prepared for you. Your past may be more useful to you than you imagine.

Samson's Ventures: He grew up in Zorah & wanted to marry a Philistine girl from Timnah (Timnath). Tricked at his own wedding feast, he went to Ashkelon & killed some Philistine men & stole their coats to pay off a bet. Samson then let himself be captured & brought to Lehi where he snapped his ropes & killed 1,000 people.

Reference summary used from Life Application Bible, KJV, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL

Sunday - God's Reconciling Love - Romans 5:6-11; 8:31-39 - 4/23/17

Christ in his death has borne the consequences of our sin & thus reconciled us to God. Note that the apostle Paul never speaks of a reconciliation of God to us; it is we who were estranged. Being now justified (& reconciled) by Christ's death, we shall ... be saved in the final Judgment by his life, through our participation in his present life as the risen Lord. Now, under the gospel.


Our confidence in God. To be a Christian in the first century was both difficult & dangerous. Neither death, nor life, whether we live or die we shall not be separated. Angels ... principalities ... powers are supernatural beings, whether evil or good, & or various ranks. Height & depth, the highest point to which the stars rise & the abyss (A deep crack or gap in the earth earth) out of which they were thought to to ascend; no supposed astrological power can separate us from Christ or defeat God's purpose for us.

Reference summary used from The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha Expanded Edition,An Ecumenical Study Bible, RSV

Wednesday - Grace Abounded through Jesus Christ - Romans 5:18-21 - 4/19/17

Acquittal and life for all followed upon Christ's perfect obedience. Law ... to increase the trespass, this is explained in 7:7-13.


Romans 7:7-13: The law & sin. Though the law is holy ... and good, it not only makes man conscious of sin (Galatians 3:19), but also incites to sin (coveteousness; compare Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21). Probably a reminiscence of a thoughtless, carefree boyhood brought to an end (death) by the dawning sense of moral obligation & guilt. The real enemy is sin, which uses even what is good (the law) to make a man more sinful than he would otherwise be.

Reference summary used from The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha Expanded Edition, An Ecumenical Study Bible, RSV

Friday - Practice Mutal Discipline - Matthew 18:15-20 - 2/24/17

These are Jesus' guidelines for dealing with those who sin against us. Jesus' words are not a license for a frontal attack on every person who hurts or slights us. They are designed to reconcile those who disagree so that all Christians can live in harmony.

By contrast, we should go to the person first, as difficult as that may be. Then we should forgive that person as often as he or she needs it.


Ideally, the church's decisions should be God-guided & based on discernment of his Word. Handling problems God's way will have an impact now & for eternity.


Jesus looks ahead to a new day when he will be present with his followers not in body, but through his Holy Spirit. Two or more believers, filled with the Holy Ghost, will pray according to God's will, not their own; & thus their requests will be granted.

Reference summary used from Life Application Bible KJV, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois

Saturday - Led by the Spirit of Christ - Romans 8:12-17 -2/11/17

"Mortify the deeds of the body" in verse thirteen means to put to death or regard as dead the power of sin in your body.


The apostle Paul uses adoption to illustrate the believer's new relationship with God. In Roman culture, the adopted person lost all rights in his old family & gained all the rights of a legitimate child in his new family. He became a full heir to his new father's estate. Likewise, when a person becomes a Christian, he gains all the privileges & responsibilities of a child in God's family. One of these outstanding privileges is being led by the Spirit. We may not always feel like we belong to God, but the Holy Spirit is our witness. His inward presence reminds us of who we are & encourages us with his love.


Because we are God's children, we share in great treasures as joint-heirs. God has already given us his best gifts: his Son, forgiveness, & eternal life; & he encourages us to ask him for whatever we need.


There is a price for being identified with Jesus. Along with the great treasures, the apostle Paul mentions the suffering that Christians must face. In many parts of today's world, Christians face pressure just as severe as those faced by Christ's first followers. Even in countries where Christianity is tolerated or encouraged Christians must not become complacent. Nothing we suffer however, can compare to the great price Jesus paid to save us.

Reference summary used from the Life Application Bible KJV, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois

Friday - The Spirit Brings Life - Romans 8:1-11 - 2/10/17

The "flesh" as used throughout this chapter refers not to our human bodies, but to the principle & power of sin. Sin is present & often operating in our body, not to be equaled with the body.


"Not guilty; let him go free"- what would those words mean to you if you were on death row? The fact is that the whole human race is on death row, justly condemned for repeatedly breaking God's holy Law. Without Jesus we would have no hope at all. But thank God! He has delivered us not guilty & has offered us freedom from sin & power to do his will.


The Spirit of life is the Holy Spirit. He was present at the creation of the world, & he is the power behind the rebirth of every Christian. He gives us the power we need to live the Christian life.


Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins. In Old Testament times, animal sacrifices were continually offered at the Temple. The sacrifices showed the Israelites the seriousness of sin: blood had to be shed before sins could be pardoned. But animal blood could not really remove sins. The sacrifices could only point to Jesus' sacrifice, which paid the penalty for all sins.


Daily we must consciously choose to center our lives lives on God. Use the Bible to discover God's guidelines, & then follow them. When the Holy Spirit points out what is right, do it eagerly.


A Christian is anyone who has the Spirit of God living in him. If you have sincerely trusted Christ for for your salvation & acknowledged him as Lord, then the Holy Spirit has come into your life, & you are a Christian. When the Holy Spirit is working within you, you will believe that Jesus Christ is God's Son & that eternal life comes through him; you will begin to act as Christ directs; you will find help in your daily problems & in your praying; you will be empowered to serve God & do his will; & you will become part of God's plan to build up his church.


The Holy Spirit is God's promise or guarantee of eternal life for those who believe in him. He is in us now by faith, & by faith we are certain to live with Christ forever.

Reference summary used from the Life Application KJV Bible, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois

Choices & Consequences ... 9/15/2013

Genesis/Bereshith . Deuteronomy . Exodus . Acts of the Apostles . Eve . Serpent . scapegoat (Leviticus 16:20,21; Isaiah 53:6) . Leviticus (Day of Atonement) . Hebrews 9 . Hebrews 10

The Sunday School Lesson is shared from Genesis 3:8b-17 (Background Scripture: Genesis 3; Devotional Reading: Deuteronomy 30:11-20)

Eve (life or living), created, (Genesis 1:27; 2:18). Her fall & fate (Genesis 3)

Serpent, cursed by God, (Genesis 3:14; II Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:9). Devil/Satan (Revelation 20:2)

Hebrews 9 & 10, Imperfection of legal sacrifices. Christ's atonement & priesthood.


Genesis 3:8b-9

Verses 8,9 ... Fallen Man; Nature & Genesis (Origin/Beginning) Of Sin; The First Transgression (sin/disobedience), The Trial & Judgment

(Genesis 3:7; 2:17; 2:25; Job 38:4; Isaiah 6:8; Ezekiel 37:3 ... Reference Scripture in Sunday School Book)



Verses 10-13 ... Fallen Man; Nature & Genesis Of Sin; The First Transgression; The Trial & Judgment

(Genesis 2:25; 2:16-17)


Verses 14-17

Verse 14 ... Angels; Evil; Satan; Satan in the Form of a Serpent

Verse 15 ... Jesus Christ; Prophecies Concerning Christ; Humanity. Jesus Christ; Prophecies Concerning Christ; Christ's Humanity; Christ's Humanity

Verse 16 ... The Family; Married Life; Duties of Wives

Verse 17 .l.. Industrial Employments & Products; Tilling The Ground; The Curse, Inflicted

(Genesis 3; Romans 5:10; Revelation 12:9; 20:2; Matthew 4; Romans 16:20; Hebrews 2:14)

Monday - September 9, 2013 - Obeying God's Voice - Exodus 19:3-8

God's message to the people. Exodus 19:4-6 ... The Lord's Love & Care for His Children. (Horeb/Sinai ... The mountain from which the law was given)


Tuesday - September 10, 2013 - The Blessing Obedience - Deuteronomy 11:26-32

A blessing & a curse is set before them. Blessing of obedience. (Gerizim ... mount of blessing. Ebal ... a mountain of 3,077 feet high near Shechem, from which curses were pronounced)


Wednesday - September 11, 2013 - Choosing the Life of Obedience - Deuteronomy 30:11-20

The commandment is manifest. Life & death are set before the Israelites


Thursday - September 12, 2013 - Obeying God Above All - Acts 5:27-42

The apostle imprisoned, but delivered by an angel. Counsel of Gamaliel, a doctor of the law. Acts 5:38,39 ... Victory over troubles & enemies


Friday - September 13, 2013 - The Enticement to Disobey - Genesis 3:1-7

The serpent deceiveth Eve. Man's fall.


Saturday - September 14, 2013 - The Punishment for Disobedience - Genesis 3:20-24

Punishment of mankind. Their first clothing. Their casting out of paradise


Sunday - September 15, 2013 - The Consequences of Disobedience - Genesis 3:8b-17

Man's fall; God arraigneth (indict/find fault/accuse) them. The serpent is cursed. The promise seed. The punishment of mankind ... Man's fall: God arraigneth them. The serpent cursed; his overthrow by the woman's seed. Mankind's punishment.


Scripture reference used/taken from: The International Teacher's Handy Bible Encyclopedia/Concordance KJV Precious Promise Bible, KJV Topical Edition Bible & Reader's Digest Oxford Complete WordFinder

We Will Have Consequences of Our Sin/Wrong Doing ... 8/9/2007

Psalm 18 . King David. Sin . El Elyon . Pray . Tragedy . Sunday School Lesson . Book of Job . Ezekiel 18 . Suffering . Storms . Jesus . Lord . Repent . Ezekiel/Yehezkel

The below is not a new article, but an article I shared at a website 8/9/2007.

I pray that we have been seriously in prayer for all the Tragedy that have taken placed. Is The Most High God - El Elyon Sleep? No HE is not. Genesis 14:18 - 20, Isaiah 14:14b.

And yes my heart has been heavy this week from all that I could see going on but I know that angels are holding back the 4 winds of heaven (Revelation 7:1). Keep praying and look up. (My newsletters will not be this lengthy every week)

My Sunday School lesson notes is coming first in this newsletter and I do pray that someone is encouraged, helped in their christian walk, their personal walk, their job, their career and their business walk.

I am still looking at the Book of Job. As Job we are to trust God through the storms/the things we do not understand.

All suffering/storms do not mean that someone has done something wrong it can be "tests." Do we have the patience of Job? Matthew 8:23-27 Tells me about the Disciples and Jesus in the storm. Jesus does have the power to speak and yes even the wind/storm/sea will obey HIM.

Angela's Sunday School Lesson Notes for 8-12-07

Devotional Reading - Psalm 18:20 - 24

Background Scripture - Ezekiel 18

We Will Have Consequences of Our Sin/Wrong Doing

Psalm 18: 20 - 24

A Psalm of David, who spoke unto the LORD, that the LORD would deliver him from the hand of all his enemies

verse 20 - Obeying God, Rewards of Obedience

verse 21, 22, 23 - Obeying God, Examples of Obedience

verse 24 - Works of God, Their Prosperity

Ezekiel 18:4, 20 - 23, 30 - 32

Ezekiel/Yehezkel (name meaning strengthen by God) He was a prophet, and his wife took sick and she died. His message was twofold (1) coming destruction (2) comfort and looking for the Kingdom of God.

verse 4 - Behold, """all"""" souls are mine; - God the absolute owner of man

verse 20 - Other sins not to be suffered for

verse 21, 22 - Repentance, Encouragement to repentance, promises to the penitent(those who repent from sin/wrong doing)

verse 23, 31, 32 - The Purposes of God, Has no pleasure in their death

verse 30 - Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the LORD God.

"Repent," and "turn" yourselves all your transgressions (sins/wrong doing); - Repentance, Repentance a Duty

Scripture reference taken from Crusade Publishers, Inc. Mt. Juliet, Tn