Prayer Request For My Sweet Family

My sweet precious family is under the weather today.   Poor Elijah is miserable with coughing and congestion and Monica is also very run down, probably on the verge of getting sick, herself.

Friends, please lift them both up in healing prayer today.   Please pray also that I do not get what Elijah has and that I am able to stay healthy so I will be able to minister to Monica and Elijah.   ~Coach Sam

Heavenly Father, You are an awesome God.  You are the Great Physician.  Father please heal my sweet boy.  Guard and protect my wife's health too, Lord.   I lift them up to You, my King.   Love You, Jesus.  And I pray these things in your beautiful name!   ~AMEN.

Book of Jude: Verses 20-23 Coaches Notes.. pt 2

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Verse 20...   But, ye, beloved...   Jude has been contrasting the ungodly and  lost with those who have believed in Christ Jesus and are saved.  ...building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost  ~Growing and building one's faith comes from time spent studying the Word of God and time spent in prayer.  The ungodly do not spend any time seeking God or conversation with HIM.

Verse 21..  Keep yourselves in the love of God...   This is not something we can 'will' ourselves to do.  This is accomplished only through asking God to help us.  This is done through praying to God for a hunger and a thirst for His Word and His Will for your life.  ~Seek Ye first the Kingdom of God.  ... looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.   This is REALLY what EVERYONE needs:  God's Holy mercy and grace unto eternal life.

Verse 22...  And of some have compassion, making a difference...  The 'some' Jude is referring to here are the ungodly and lost.  'have compassion' in this sense means to have pity for.  Friends, please don't forget your own spiritual condition before you knew the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  'making a difference'... God may use you and I to be HIS hands and feet in the lives of the ungodly.   Now I believe acting out this verse needs a certain amount of 'balancing', especially if you are a parent and have responsibilities to a family.  Family is your first ministry. 

Verse 23...  And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.     Some we are to have compassion for, others we are to save with fear, pulling them out of the fire...  To save with fear means we are to give them knowledge of Jesus Christ that will ultimately lead to their salvation.  We should take utmost care to guard ourselves also, lest we fall under the same sin and temptation we are trying to minister to them about. Understand that WE are not saving them, but the Holy Spirit is working through our witness. ...hating even the garment spotted by the flesh....  Keep yourselves at the utmost distance from what is or appears evil, and designing  that others may do so too. Avoid all that leads to sin or that looks like sin.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You Lord for the Divinely inspired teaching of the book of Jude.  Lord help us to walk closely with You and to give us discernment regarding how we should walk regarding our interaction with the world.  We are told to be in the world but not OF it.  Oh Lord I pray that would be true.  Guard me, protect my family, Lord.  Help me to be a Godly witness in all my interactions.  Father God give me patience and humility.  

Above all, give me a hunger and a thirst for Your Word and to know You MORE.  I love You, Lord.  And pray these things in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Coach Sam's Favorite Verses from Jude

Jude is one of my favorite books of the bible.   I like that I can completely read it in one sitting.  And I love the many messages and warnings it conveys.  Here are some of my favorite verses and my thoughts regarding those verses:

Verse 3  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.    We should earnestly contend for the faith...   Friends, 'the faith' is God's holy WORD.  It is the TRUTH.  We have to fight for the Truth.,  If anyone or anything is messing with the Truth, we MUST oppose it.   And HOW are we supposed to oppose it?  ~ EARNESTLY.   What does 'earnestly' look like?    Well 'earnestly' would be trying VERY hard, with the best of our energy and effort.  The opposite of 'earnestly contending' would look something like:  'passively contending', not trying very hard at all, exerting very little or no effort.

Verse 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.  Crept in unawares...   We must be on guard for wolves...  Wolves are enemies of shepherds and sheep.  They will sneak in and surprise you.  .Of course, Jude was writing of false teachers.  There were many in Jude's day and there must certainly be more false teachers some 2000 years later. They are subtle, and use schemes and devices that would deceive the very elect.  That is how our enemy works.

Verse  5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.  Destroyed them that believed not...   In this story, it wasn't just that the people did not believe, it was also that they went after false gods and idols.   Jude is referring to the story of God parting the Red Sea and saving the people from an impossible situation.  And later, some of those same people still went after false gods.  Sadly, such is the nature of man.

QUESTION:  Has God ever parted the Red Sea for You...?  

ANOTHER QUESTION:  Are you facing a 'Red Sea' situation, now...?

If you can't think of a situation or circumstance in your life where God has showed up in a dramatic fashion such as the parting of the Red Sea, don't forget Romans 5:8:  that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Friends, I believe God will allow us to get ourselves into an impossible situation, so that we will have no other choice but to turn to Him.   If we do not turn to Him, the consequences are steep.

I think I will close here for the sake of brevity, but will visit this topic again because I am not finished studying the book of Jude, yet.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your precious holy Word. It is alive and it breathes life to all who take it in.  Lord I pray a blessing over my house this morning. I stand in the gap for Elijah, Connor and Monica today and every day. 

Father I also lift up my friends and extended family in the body of Christ today.  I pray that we all draw close to You and stand strong in this evil day.  Lord I love you.  I pray a hedge of protection around my day today, also. 

 I pray You would go before me and order my steps.  Help me to be a blessing and an encouragement to those around me.  And I pray these things in the power of the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN.

Psalm 5:11-12

11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.


Prior to these two verses, the Psalmist was speaking of wickedness, evil, foolish people, workers of iniquity, liars, and bloody deceitful men.  He says the Lord 'abhors' those kinds of behaviors and will destroy those kinds of men.

The word 'BUT' which begins verse 11 denotes a huge contrast between the outcomes of the 'workers of iniquity' and the 'righteous'.

QUESTION:  Who is righteous?   In the New Testament the Apostle Paul says no man is righteous!.  

Romans 3:10-11...

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Friends, at our core nature: we are all wicked sinners in need of a Savior.  Everyone of us are evil, foolish people, workers of iniquity, bloody, deceitful men.   We are ALL sinners in desperate need of a SAVIOR.

But when we know Jesus and come into a relationship with HIM we are saved.  Through a relationship with HIM we are transformed and made NEW.  We are a NEW creation in Christ.

This is called the GOOD NEWS.   So:  Let all that put their trust in thee rejoice...!


Heavenly Father:

God you are so good to your children.  Lord please  forgive me from my daily failures.  Help me to walk in You.  Guard and protect my family and friends in these evil days. Transform our hearts Lord,  Give us a hunger and thirst for you that exceeds all our other desires and interests.  Lord lead us and make our paths straight and sure.  

I pray a special hedge of protection around Elijah, Monica and Connor today. I bind the enemy and declare in the name of JESUS that Satan has no authority in my life or the lives of my family.

Lord I delight in You.  I praise your holy name: JESUS. And I pray these things in your precious holy name, Amen.

The Heart Of The Matter... Part 1

Pastor Craig Baird of Cornerstone Church of the Nazarene in Lake Jackson is conducting a study on Wednesday Nights.  He is going through the book of 1 John.  I am going to begin publishing my notes from this study but am just going to start today with a familiar Pastor Craig Quote:

'...The heart of the matter:  is a matter of the heart...'

How's Your Heart, Friends...?

The bible tells us to guard our hearts with all diligence...  What does that look like?

Let's begin with a sincere prayer for God to draw us close to him.

Heavenly Father,  

Thank you for Pastor Craig and his Wednesday night study.  Lord help my heart to love with Your Love.  Lord please give me a hunger and thirst for Your Word.   Father let Your Holy Spirit go before me and lead me.  Draw me close to You, Sweet Jesus.   Help me to be a leader to my family and a blessing to those around me.   Father You are so Good and I thank You for all my blessings. Most importantly I thank you for your son, Jesus.   

I pray these things in Jesus' Name.

To be continued...

Psalm 3 ~Coach's Notes

1    Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.  Wow!  I feel just like David did as he penned this message many years ago.  There are a great number of people out there who who think differently than I do.  There are many who do not even believe in Jesus Christ, and then there are many who do 'follow' the name of Jesus but are lost to false doctrine.
 
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.   I do not listen to these mockers and scorners but am moved to pity for them that they do not know the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.    Big Amen to this verse.  God is my refuge.  PRAISE HIM

4   I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah   God has always been faithful, even when I have not been.  I can recount numerous times God has come through for my family and I and has saved the day in dramatic and miraculous fashion.   

5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.  Peaceful, restful sleep come to those who trust in the Lord.

6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.  I am astounded when I think of the insurmountable odds that the Psalmist David must have faced.  But I rest in the fact that nothing is impossible for God.  If God be for us WHO can be against us?    When you have the creator of the universe on your side you are sitting pretty.

7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.   This verse is saying to all the bad guys:  '...You better watch your mouth...!'

8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.   Praise be to our Lord and Savior: Jesus Christ...!

Dear Heavenly Father,   I thank YOU and praise YOU for YOUR WORD.  Lord it is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.   Help me to walk in YOUR ways, Father.  Help me to lead my family to follow YOU.   Father God, please continue to go before me.  Lift me up, hold me up, place my feet upon YOUR solid ground!  I love You Lord.  I wait on You.   In Jesus' name I pray,   AMEN.

---

Let the Holy Bible be your Teacher.

What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.  Psalm 25:12

Friends, I encourage you to let the Holy Bible be your teacher.   Let the King James Bible be your instruction manual for life.

'When followed with understanding, Scripture can direct your activities on a horizontal plane: marriage, parenting, sex, business, finances, even aging. It informs you of your inner self, too, dealing with depression, anger and self-worth. Most importantly, God gives instructions on the vertical relationship between you and Him, with everything from tutelage in worship to the promise of chastisement for disobedience. And He has not left you on your own to figure things out. His Holy Spirit is your guide and personal tutor.   We are told this in John 16:13-14.'     ~Taken from the Presidential Prayer Team Daily Devotional, January 8.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, help me to be a leader to my family.  Help me to follow the truths you specifically wrote down for my edification, penned through Holy Men divinely inspired.  Lord help me to stand in this day of increasing darkness.  I want to stand in the gap for my family and friends,  Father let Your light shine through me, even though I am an unworthy vessel.

Bless my precious wife and sons.  Guard and protect us.  Draw us close to you, my King.   I thank you for your WORD.  I thank you for your SON, JESUS.  And I pray these things in Jesus' Name,  Amen,

Psalm 2 ~ Coach's Notes

Psalm 2    ~ Coach's  Notes

Psalm 2 is an account of  David's

Psalm 2:1 opens with: Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing…?

HE'ATHEN, n. [Gr. from heath, that is, one who lives in the country or woods, as pagan from pagus, a village.]

1. A pagan; a Gentile; one who worships idols, or is unacquainted with the true God. In the Scriptures, the word seems to comprehend all nations except the Jews or Israelites, as they were all strangers to the true religion, and all addicted to idolatry. The word may now be applied perhaps to all nations, except to Christians and Mohammedans.

Heathen, without the plural termination, is used plurally or collectively, for Gentiles or heathen nations.

Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance. Ps.2.

Heathen, however, also has a plural, expressing two or more individuals.

Example in ‘plural’ tense:  If men have reason to be heathens in Japan--

The precepts and examples of the ancient heathens.

2. A rude, illiterate, barbarous person.

HE'ATHEN, a. Gentile, pagan; as a heathen author.

‘rage’  =   ragash  (raw-gash')    to be tumultuous -- rage.

‘Vain’ as it is used here does not mean ‘pride’ as I had always thought, it means ‘empty’ or ‘worthless’.  http://biblelexicon.org/psalms/2-1.htm

Who are the 'people' who imagine a vain thing...?   Are they different from the 'Heathen'...?  Some commentators say the people and the heathens are the same.  Others refer to the 'people' as the Jews.  

Another interesting note is that  'imagine' in the original text was 'hagah'  (daw-gaw') means to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by implication, to ponder -- imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, sore, speak, study, talk, utter.

Psalm 2:2-3 says: The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

My Question is: ~Are these verses speaking about America...? (No prayer in our schools. Banning the 10 commandments from public places. Pro Abortion. Pro Sodomy. And Don't Forget: Our President also proclaimed we are no longer a Christian Nation.)

Psalm 2:4 says: He that sitteth in the heavens laughs and shall have them in derision.

Derision =  1. The act of laughing at in contempt.  2. Contempt manifested by laughter; scorn.  I am in derision daily. Jer. 20.   3. An object of derision or contempt; a laughing-stock.  I was a derision to all my people. Lam 3. http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/search/word,derision

Psalm 2:5 says: Then shall he speak to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Wrath =  Anger

Vex = trouble, disturb, distress, afflict.

Sore = exceedingly great, severe

Finally, Psalm 2:9 says: Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.

Summary: I think God has probably had just about 'enough' of all this nonsense.  Friends, please stand with me in prayer for America and its leaders...!