Midweek Meditation

2 Chronicles 9:8 "Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the LORD your God! Because your God has loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness." NKJV   King Solomon was one of the greatest kings of Israel. During his reign, Israel experienced a great time of peace and prosperity. In  2 Chronicles 2 , we see that Solomon asked the Lord for wisdom to rule the people, and in response to this request; God blessed him with riches and honor like no other before or after. Solomon's wisdom was known throughout the world and rulers like the queen of Sheba, came to hear his words and see his wealth. Much like Solomon, God has blessed each and every one of us with something. It may not be the great power and wealth that Solomon had, but everything we have can be used for Him. When we use our time, money or words to be a blessing, we are living out the Gos...

By Rev. Gregory L. Edmond 2 Chronicles 11:12 "Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side." NKJV Are you ready? They're coming. No matter your age or status, as a follower of Christ, you will face battles. Sometimes these battles are unexpected and painful. Many times the battle will rage inside your heart and mind unknown to those around you. However they may come, don't be caught off guard. Instead, be ready to hold fast to the One who can help you endure. Ephesians 6:10-11 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. NKJV Jesus assured us that we would have trials, yet He did not leave it at that. Instead He said, "But take heart, because I have overcome the world."  (John 16:33 ) What an encouragement to know that we can take our stand against the e...

By Rev. Gregory L. Edmond   1 Corinthians 16:13 "Watch, stand fast in the  faith , be brave, be strong." NKJV Stability... Everyone desires to have it in life. After all, who wants to live life in chaos? Unfortunately, life doesn't give us a choice. Each morning when we open our eyes we await things that will catch us off guard. Good or bad, these elements in life are part of living in a broken world. The good news is that we are not alone, and there is a source outside the chaos that we can lean on in times of instability. Psalm 94:22  "But the LORD has been my defense, And my God the rock of my refuge." NKJV Throughout Scripture, God is referred to as a rock. This is not to say that He is made of granite, but it is a reference to His steadfastness. Like a mighty mountain, God is immovable and secure in all His ways. Because of this, He is our source for security and strength. When life brings surprises, we can stand on our God. When people chang...

By Reverend Gregory L. Edmond Ephesians 1:15-19 Therefore I also, after I heard of your  faith  in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power. NKJV Imagine that you have a friend that calls you occasionally. When they call, they start talking nonstop, "Hey, how are you? I hope you're having a good day, I went shopping on Tuesday, I'm probably going back on Thursday, there is a sale on Friday and I am going to plant flowers on Saturday, well, good-bye" and then hang u...

By Rev. Gregory L. Edmond Psalm 13:5-6 At the beginning of Psalm 13 David feels that God has forsaken him. Has that ever happened to you? Do you let your problems make you despondent, discouraged, and disillusioned? But that couldn't be further from the truth for those of us that have received the salvation of the Lord.  We see David acknowledging this as he continues... Psalm 13:5-6 5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. (NKJV) When we accepted the sacrifice of Christ we received the forgiveness of sins and the promise that we'd never be forsaken by God. Jesus ultimately experienced separation from God for the first time on that cross on our behalf when He cried out "my God my God why have you forsaken me?" Now, once we realize in our heads and hearts this reality, our trust in His mercy causes us to rejoice in our salvation! Our eyes can now be ...

By Rev. Gregory L. Edmond Galatians 1:11 "Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the Gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning."     NLT "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me." Those words are some of the most famous and beautiful words of Christian history, yet it's not because of who wrote 'Amazing Grace' but rather because that lines ring with a very powerful, eternal truth. Grace is truly amazing. Consider the reality of God's grace. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but not I’m found. T’was blind, but now I see. Grace allows us to fly even though we have fallen in the past. Grace allows us to be strong even though we have been weak in the past. Grace allows us a bright future even though our past would condemn us. Grace allows us to go out and try awesome things because we have a clean slate. When we trust in th...

                                                       By Rev. Gregory L. Edmond  Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children." NKJV Knowledge is powerful. If you know how to fix a computer, you are a valuable asset to many people. If you know a foreign language, you are able to carry on conversations with those who live across the globe.  Even more importantly, if you know the Word of God, you are able to understand His promises and apply them to your life. This was not the case for the people of Israel in the b...