The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

Thank you for stopping in for another visit. Today I have a powerful verse that has a great impact from God’s Word. This is very important for every unbeliever to hear and every believer to focus upon. This verse gives direction for here and now as well as eternity. Let me share with you and this think of this for just a few minutes.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37).

The unbelieving man sat at his desk and looked at his checkbook. To be honest with you, he was pretty pleased with the very significant amount of cash he had accumulated. That day he decided to add up his entire net worth. Taking all the funds in his portfolio, checking account, CDs, and combining them with the value of his home and possessions, he thought within himself, “You’ve done pretty well for yourself, old man. Lots of folks would want to trade places with you!”

A very short time later he and his wife were going out to dinner. Just ahead of him the traffic light turned red, and his eyes went to a large sign a little past the intersection. It said, “If you gain the whole world and die without Jesus, YOU LOSE EVERYTHING!” Wow! What a powerful impact that had on him that day.

May I ask about you my friend? Do you know the Lord as your Savior and have you settled the question of where you will spend eternity? If you are not sure, please go to www.michaelpeck.org and click the banner HEAVEN. Tomorrow I will share with you about the believing man who sat at his desk.

For today: I need the Lord’s help to keep my priorities in right perspective. How about you?

I shared a precious verse with you yesterday. It so spoke to my heart and mind that I want to explore it with you just a little more today. Thanks for stopping by. Please let me share the verse with you once again.

“Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of Hosts is His name…” (Jeremiah 50:34).

Though because of their sin and refusal to turn back to Him the children of Israel would experience captivity, that is not the end of the story. I am so grateful that with the Lord there is wonderful forgiveness and restoration. Think of the names Jeremiah uses.

“Redeemer” which gives the picture of the close relative, the kinsman redeemer, who makes the payment to buy back and restore all that had been lost by someone he cared about.

“LORD of Hosts” Yahweh Sabaoth is a powerful and wonderful name revealed to the children of Israel concerning their God. The word “LORD” is Yahweh or Jehovah and is the personal name of our God. It is found over 6,500 times in the Old Testament and means “the self-existent, eternal, unchanging God.” The word “Hosts” is Sabaoth and means “armies.” Our God is the eternal unchanging God Who is over all armies of men, hosts of angels, over all creation and the God of every battle His people face.

What a wonderful reminder for every Christ-follower. For those who know Christ as Savior, there’s one more thought in this verse. It is the word “strong”! In the happiest of days or the most difficult of days, our Redeemer, the Sovereign over all, is strong! He is stronger than any obstacle, battle, or worst of days. He can be trusted. He really can.

I’m sure that it has happened to you as well.

Today I was reading my Bible in my morning quiet time in the book of Jeremiah. It happened again to me. I know that I’ve read that passage many times. In fact, according to my notes, I used this text as one of my Daily Prescriptions years ago. But it seemed like this verse jumped from the pages of my Bible as if I had never read it before. I stopped, and you will probably laugh at me, but I shouted out loud, “YES, LORD! YES!” Let me share the verse with you and then a brief thought.

“Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of Hosts is His name…” (Jeremiah 50:34).

Though the Lord pleaded with His people to turn from their idolatry and wickedness, they refused. He sent prophets and warnings; they rebelled even further. As a result, they would go into Babylonian captivity for seventy years. But hope was not lost. In fact, Jeremiah proclaimed the Word of the Lord that the time would come when God’s people would turn back to Him and they would discover anew and afresh that indeed He is their very strong redeemer. Tomorrow we will come back to this text and I want to show you several really, really precious things about these names!

Just before you leave me today: perhaps you or someone you know is living far from a close walk with the Lord right now. There is still hope right now today, friend, because this same Lord wants to show Himself to be that strong Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts. There is great joy in His forgiveness.

Toothpaste? Yes! Toothpaste and a great Sunday school class and lesson.

“Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).

My sister Kimberly was teaching the little boys and girls in her Sunday school class about the importance of our words. What a clever idea she had in purchasing enough small travel tubes of toothpaste for each child. Sitting at their table she told them to squeeze all the toothpaste out of the container. When they finished, she told them, “Now I want you to take your finger and put it back in the tube!” Of course, that was impossible.

The lesson is, once we say something hurtful, we can be forgiven, but we can’t take it back! What a vivid illustration for each of us.

This is my goal, especially today: I want to be careful in my choice of words as well as the tone of my speech. My words can be hurtful or helpful. Do you remember the children’s chorus that says, “O be careful little tongue what you say….”

“Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him, talk ye of all His wondrous works” (1 Chronicles 16:8-9).

It was a great day in the land of Israel. The ark of the Lord had been restored, and in great celebration the people gathered to give thanks to the Lord and sing to Him. When you have time, you can read more fully the great celebration and worship that took place that day by reading the rest of the chapter. Oh, how the Lord answered the prayers of the children of Israel and how they gloriously celebrated that day. Let me share with you about another day. This took place in a Sunday morning worship service (all the names are changed).

Three people stood out in the mind of Pastor Kenward on that Sunday. The congregation was singing “How Great Thou Art,” and it could not have been any more powerful or moving than it was that day. About halfway back on the outer bank of pews, Mary stood singing with her family. The Lord had recently answered her prayers with a significant “no” as she didn’t get the job opportunity she so much desired. And yet Mary was signing praises to the Lord.

Right up front in the center section of pews stood Steve. He was close enough to the platform that Pastor Kenward saw Steve crying as he was singing. That week the Lord had given Steve a great big answer “yes” to his prayers. What looked like cancer turned out to be benign, and Steve was singing praises to the Lord.

Then the pastor’s eyes drifted to his newest counseling person who was attending for the first time. Anna Maria didn’t know how her prayers were going to be answered. She was in a waiting situation, and yet she was really moved with the words of this powerful hymn. The lesson for each of us is, regardless of how the Lord has answered our prayers, we need to be praising Him, singing to Him, and giving thanks to Him.

I just can’t help but wonder: How will this play out in your life and mine today?