Week Forty, 2023
I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
Has anyone noticed that on older quarters the head faces toward “IN GOD WE TRUST,” but on the new 2022 quarters he turns his back to “IN GOD WE TRUST?”
Is that a mistake is the government conveying an anti-God message?
Do you think that our government is suggest the new quarter reflects modern society turning its back on God. I say we need every head on everything to be turned towards God, now more than ever!
The U.S. Mint released the coin with Washington’s profile facing right as part of its “American Women Quarters Program.”
Well, rather by intent of a design message to America or by natural error, the message is still the same. It is a reminder that as Christians, our focus should be that in God we trust. Originally used on coins during the Civil War and later adopted as the official motto of the United States in 1956, the meaning of “In God We Trust” denotes that the political and economic prosperity of the nation is in God’s hands. Adopted in 1956 as the official motto of the United States, the coin change was made to affirm the difference between the atheist and communist Soviet Union, the great enemy of the US in that period of history. Are we not afraid of anyone anymore?
In God, whose Word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. Psalm 56:4. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5). The verse instructs us to put all our trust in the Lord and not our own knowledge. The verse tells us not to be reliant on our strength and knowledge, but to trust in the Lord.
Nothing can be more certain than that our country was founded in a spiritual atmosphere and with a firm trust in God. There are numerous biblical warnings against trusting in anyone but God. Job explained that trusting in wealth is an iniquity tantamount to denying God (Job 31:24–28). Solomon cautions that the one trusting his own heart is a fool (Proverbs 28:26). Jeremiah records God’s warning against trusting in humanity: the one who trusts in “flesh” is like a bush in the desert, while the one who trusts in the Lord will be like a tree planted by water (Jeremiah 17:5–8).
The Bible is replete with teachings and experiences that show the need and value of trusting the Lord.
Should we as a country focus on anything less?
SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES
Words of Wisdom from Edgar Aponte:
• We do not build the kingdom, we proclaim the kingdom.
• Jesus is the expected Messiah-King who brings the light and the power of the Kingdom reversing the effects of sin and death.
• Sometimes God manifests His grace in the least likely of places.
• The call to follow Jesus is a call to help others to follow Jesus.
• Evangelize and disciple others.
• A call to Jesus is a call to disciple-making.
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When I was about to be sent to Vietnam, I confidently told my family that “I’ll be back”. It was the same thing when I was sent to Morocco without them. Obviously, I had every intention to live up to my promise. But the truth is, I may not have.
We all make promises like that with the best intentions. It may even be a promise to come home right after work or showing up for a ballgame. In every case, those to whom the promise was made had every expectation of it coming to fruition. Unfortunately, those promises were made by finite people who could not necessarily control all the variables.
Jesus made the promise of returning to gather all those who had placed their trust in Him. In this case, the promise was given to us by the infinite Sovereign of the universe Who does control the variables. So, it is a done deal.
Just as my family prepared for my return, believers must be prepared for Jesus’ return. Make sure we have placed our full trust in Him. Keep going about the work He has given us by making disciples. And live each day as though this is the day of His return.
Are you ready? Rich Jensen
WHY TRIALS IN LIFE?
1. To test the strength of our faith.
2. To wean us from worldly things.
3. To humble us and remind us of our dependence on the Lord.
4. To call us to eternal and heavenly hope.
5. To reveal what we really love.
6. To teach us the value of God’s blessings.
7. To develop strength for greater usefulness.
8. To better help others in their trials. Jim Wilson
— o —
Gallup tells us that the share of US adults who are “extremely proud” to be American sits at 39 percent, essentially unchanged from last year’s 38 percent record low and down 31 percent from its high of 70 percent in 2003. The share of young adults who are “extremely proud” to be American has especially plummeted to 18 percent today. Americans fifty-five and older are nearly three times more likely to be extremely proud of their nationality than younger generations.
QUOTES YOU CAN USE
I want to be a blank slate or a blank page for God. Where He can write His story on me. Where He can mold and make me into the man that He wants me to be. Marty Stubblefield
The greatest chapters in history always begin with risk, and the same is true with the chapters of your life. Mark Batterson
The “worldly” vs. the “sacred” calls on our lives find us in a daily struggle. Scott Whitaker
It’s not about you. It’s all about Jesus. Paul Pervis
Patience does not mean passive tolerance but active perseverance. Jim Wilson
Remember, happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think. Dale Carneigie
Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it.” Winston Churchill
Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. Mark Twain
Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility. Peter Drucker
The older I get the more wisdom I find in the ancient rule of taking first things first. A process which often reduces the most complex human problem to a manageable proportion. Dwight D. Eisenhower
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Thomas Edison
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. Albert Einstein
If we can’t say no to self, we can’t say yes to Jesus. Andrew Evans
God’s hand is in every disruption and every detour. Dan Shock
Let your pain make you feel better, not bitter. The Preacherman
Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will evade you, but if you notice the other things around you, it will gently come and sit on your shoulder. Henry David Thoreau
If you want to know the greatest thrill of giving, make sure that all of your gifts are given without anyone knowing their source! Dwight Short