-Brian Cox

"In the multitude of my [anxious] thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul!" --Psalm 94:19 (AMP)

Anxiety can get the best of us. Whether it be health concerns, financial concerns, relationships, or other matters, many of us are prone to fret over situations outside of our control.

I often think about that great man of faith, Abraham. Interestingly, the Bible shows us that he didn't always act in faith. He ran to Egypt, he lied about Sarah being his wife, and he acted in the flesh regarding Ishmael.

These passages give me hope. It's encouraging to think that, in spite of our lapses in faith, God will continue to work on us. He sees the belief that we have, and imputes righteousness. He calls us faithful in spite of our momentary unfaithfulness. After all, our faith comes from him in the first place (Rom. 12:3).

We know that "without faith, it is impossible to please" God (Heb. 11:6). Paul tells us that "the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." And yet Jesus rewarded the man who confessed, "I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24). This is my constant prayer for all of us: that Jesus continue to build our faith.

Anxiety often comes when our problems become bigger than they actually are. If we have an eternal perspective, nothing is bigger than God. The Eternal, Omnipotent One who created the universe by the word of His mouth is in our corner. Do we believe that? Do we believe the words of God recorded in Jeremiah, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?" (Jer. 32:27).

The enemy will not only enlarge our problems, but he will lie about the nature of God. He will tell you that you aren't important enough to God. I ask you to remember Luke 5:12-13:

¹²While He was in one of the towns, there came a man full of (covered with) leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cure me and make me clean.

¹³And [Jesus] reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed! And immediately the leprosy left him.

And now a word from our Sponsor:

Psalm 55:22 (Amplified Bible)

"Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail)."

Psalm 139:23-24 (Amplified Bible)

"Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Proverbs 12:25 (Amplified Bible)

"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but an encouraging word makes it glad."

Ecclesiastes 7:14 (Amplified Bible)

"In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider that God has made the one side by side with the other, so that man may not find out anything that shall be after him."

Matthew 6:28-34 (Amplified Bible)

"And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the liles of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence, [excellence, dignity, and grace) was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble."

Luke 10:41-42 (Amplified Bible)

"But the Lord replied to her by saying, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; there is need of only one or but a few things. Mary has chosen the good portion [that which is the her advantage], which shall not be taken away from her."

Luke 12:22-23, 25, 26 (Amplified Bible)

"And Jesus said to His disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious and troubled [with cares] about your life, as to what you will [have to] eat; or about your body, as to what you will [have to] wear. For life is more than food, and the body [more] than clothes. And which of you by being overly anxious and troubled with cares can add a cubit to his stature or a moment [unit] of time to his age [the length of his life]? If then you are not able to do such a little thing as that, why are you anxious and troubled with cares about the rest?"

Phillipians 4:6-7 (Amplified Bible)

"Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hears and minds in Christ Jesus."

2 Timothy 1:7 (Amplified Bible)

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control."

1 Peter 5:7 (Amplified Bible)

"Casing the whole of your care[all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully."

Brytni-

"For God so loved the world, that he gave His only son, that WHOEVER believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life!" John 3:16

I am studying Soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) in school right now. We are taking a look at the two major concepts about salvation: Calvinism, and Arminianism! It is amazing how much the two of these are so different from each other, but at the end of the day, I think the verse listed above sets the standard and makes clear all confusion and doubt about the matter! Salvation is for everyone!!! Christ died for the sins of everyone!!

Anyway, I just wanted to give everyone a little something to think about.....................................

Say So, Part II

--Brian Cox

"To be salt and light in the world"

This idea has always fascinated me. Sometimes, the smallest ideas can be the most profound. The words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in Matthew are as follows:

"¹²Be glad and supremely joyful, for your reward in heaven is great (strong and intense), for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you. [II Chron. 36:16.]

¹³You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltiness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.

¹⁴You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

¹⁵Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lamp-stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

¹⁶Let your light so shine before men that they may see your ^a]">[a]moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and ^b]">[b]recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven." Matthew 5:12-16 (Amplified Bible)

SALT

Notice that Jesus didn't say we were the sugar, or the honey of the world. He also didn't say we were the pepper of the world. The function of salt was to preserve the meat from rotting. To prevent corruption and putrification.

Speaking of the condition of the world, the Holy Spirit tells us this:

"²⁹Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

³⁰Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

³¹Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

³²Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:29-32 (King James Version)

This is God's description of a rotting world...a world in need of preservation. We have the answer for this dying world, and His Name is Jesus. If we are not in the world, among the non-believer, what good is our saltiness? A good question to ask ourselves is, "Have we lost our saltiness?"

LIGHT

"I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life."--John 8:12 (Amp)

Again, notice the contrast: salt is the answer for corruption, light is the answer for darkness. The condemnation of the world is not a question, it is a fact. (Rom 1:18) Our light must shine for all men to see. While we must not be a part of the world, we must be in it.

"¹⁴I have given and delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one"--John 17:14-15

We don't buy light or salt for their own sake. No one eats a chunk of salt, or sits down to look at light. However, these are both things that are useful and necessary to live and to appreciate life. The world needs our message, our Savior. It may not taste like sugar (the flesh wars against the Spirit, Gal. 5:17), but it is the Gospel that is the power to salvation (Rom. 1:16).

Say So, Part I

-Brian Cox

Ps. 107:1-9

¹O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. ²Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; ³And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. ⁴They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. ⁵Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. ⁶Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. ⁷And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. ⁸Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ⁹For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. (Psalm 107:1-9, King James Version)


The Chorus of Israel Houghton's song "Say So" encourages the redeemed of the Lord to pronounce their redemption. Verse 2 of Psalm 107 continues to say that He has redeemed us from the hand of the enemy.

Backing up a verse, this is a song of praise to the Lord for His goodness and mercy towards us as is evidenced by his redemption.

Often our "soul faints" when we are "hungry and thirsty" (v. 5), when our situation seems desperate. Our temporal problems often keep us from remembering our eternal salvation. How sad is that?

The very name of Jesus means both "Salvation," and is the concatenated form of "Joshua" ("Yahoshua"), which means "The Lord Who Is Salvation." One of my favorite verses about the Lord is found in Zephaniah 3:17:

^"The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing." (AMP)

Perhaps this is more recognizable in the King James:

"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."

The psalmist's heart toward the Lord is so very evident in verse 8: "Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness." Do we feel that way? We should ache and long for our fellow man to see the goodness and love and mercy and grace of Jesus. We should be constantly reminded of His great love towards us in saving us from death and hell. We should be so convinced of His worthiness that we can't understand why anyone would not fall in love with our Lord.

⁸Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ⁹For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

A final note: Imagine yourself recognizing the greatness of the Lord, and worshiping Him, thanking Him for His goodness and mercy. Now imagine the Lord exulting over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). Creation and Creator singing to each other with joy and love. "He will exult over you with singing."