Old Testament Scripture Reading: Isaiah 55:6 – 9 (KJV)
Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
New Testament Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 4:1 – 11 (KJV)
1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
1Ti 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
1Ti 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
1Ti 4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
1Ti 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
1Ti 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
1Ti 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
1Ti 4:11 These things command and teach.
Transforming Power Statements:
1) God caused Israel to exist through miraculous intervention as He called Abram from out of the Gentiles, a man seventy five years old, with a wife Sarai, who was barren and very old, from which God caused this “odd couple” to become the origin of not only Israel, but also of multitudes of other middle-eastern peoples, which was a tremendous miracle, so that God Himself could send Jesus His Only Begotten Son to save all who believe from the tyranny of the sin of Adam!
2) Winston Churchill said “If you are going through hell don’t stop!” Likewise we are living in a very evil time just as the Apostle Paul warned Timothy his son in the faith, that perilous times would come and shared with him what the signs of this evil time would be, and we can clearly see that these are the days of which he spoke!
3) As we see how things are going, let us evaluate everything through the Word of God and prayer, and let us be guided by the Holy Spirit so that we can make proper decisions about all the challenging things that we have to deal with in these evil days and difficult times, knowing that Jesus Who alone rose from the dead has promised that He will be with us Always to the end of the world!