Archives for 2020

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown tonight. It ends at sundown tomorrow.

Today’s study requires us to open our Bibles and search the references about the Passover. It will open our eyes and help us connect to what Christ did on the cross for us.

This week we will celebrate Passover, 8 April, and Resurrection Sunday (Easter), 12 April.

Our devotionals will center around Jesus death and burial, He is risen, Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, and how the resurrection changes everything.

Although COVID-19 has taken away our opportunity to fellowship together, it can never take away our ability to read and study the Word of God. You may see movies or other depictions of these events, but please make sure they line up with the Bible.

PASSOVER

EXODUS 1-12

INTRO:  The Hebrews in Egypt (1:1-12:36) 

A. Progressive mistreatment of the Hebrew slaves (1:1-22) 

1. The tribes of Israel identified (1:1-7) 
2. Pharaoh (King of Egypt) who knew not Joseph (1:8) (READ)
3. Growth of Hebrew population (1:9-10) (READ)
4. Harsh treatment of Hebrew slaves in Egypt (1:11-14) (READ)
5. Plan to destroy the Hebrews (1:15-22) (READ)

B. Preparation for deliverance of Hebrew slaves (2:1-4:31)

1. Moses born and saved from destruction (2:1-10) (READ)
2. Moses kills an Egyptian and forsakes Egypt (2:11-14) 
3. Moses in the land of Midian (2:15-22) 
4. God takes knowledge of Israel’s sad plight (2:23-25) 
5. God calls Moses at a burning bush (3:1-4:17) (READ 3:1-10, 4:18)
6. Moses agrees to go back to Egypt (4:18-26) 
7. The Hebrews believe Moses and accept his leadership (4:27-31) 

C. The Israelites delivered from Egyptian bondage (5:1-15:21) 

1. Moses demands the release of the Israelites (5:1-4) (READ)

“Let my people go…” used 8 times
2. Pharaoh’s answer: Hebrews denied straw with which to make bricks (5:5-23) 
3. Moses demand certified by miracle (5:23-7:12) (READ 7:1-9)
4. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened (7:13-14) 
5. First plague: Blood (7:14-25) 
6. Second plague: Frogs (8:1-15) 
7. Third plague: Lice (8:16-19) 
8. Fourth plague: Flies (8:20-32) 
9. Fifth plague: Disease on Livestock (9:1-7) 
10. Sixth plague: Boils (9:8-12) 
11. Seventh plague: Hail (9:13-35 
12. Eighth plague: Locusts (10:1-20) 
13. Ninth plague: Darkness (10:21-29) 
14. Death announced (11:1-10) (READ)

D. Israel redeemed by the blood of a lamb — Passover. (12:1-13:16)

Christ is our sacrifice Hebrews 10:4-10 (READ)

1. Beginning of the year is changed (12:1-2) (READ)
2. Passover instituted (12:3-20) (READ)
3. Procedure for Passover ceremony (12:21-30) (READ)
4. Unleavened bread (12:31-39) 7 days
5. Death of the firstborn (12:40-42) 
6. Passover to be observed annually (12:43-50) 

 CONCLUSION:

• And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!  (John 1:36)
• Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 1:18-19)
• Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: (1 Corinthians 5:7)
• FOUNDATION STONE: The blood.  It covered but did not take away the sin of Israel.  Jesus blood takes away the sin of those who repent and come to Him.

Tomorrow we will look at the feast of unleavened bread. Most think this is just a part of Passover. It is not.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we will celebrate Passover, 8 April, and Resurrection Sunday (Easter), 12 April.

Our devotionals will center around Jesus death and burial, He is risen, Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, and how the resurrection changes everything.

Although COVID-19 has taken away our opportunity to fellowship together, it can never take away our ability to read and study the Word of God. You may see movies or other depictions of these events, but please make sure they line up with the Bible.

He is Risen Matthew 28:1-10

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.² And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.³ His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:⁴ And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.⁵ And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

⁶ He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.⁷ And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.⁸ And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.⁹ And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.¹⁰ Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”

Jesus said He would rise again after 3 days. He did. We must always believe the word of God.  It seems that the women were surprised. Then with fear and great joy they went to tell the other disciples. Then Jesus confirms to them He has risen. Furthermore, that they would see Him in Galilee.

Why do we doubt? We have the Bible with eye witness accounts of all that happened to Jesus from His miraculous birth, His horrifying death, His resurrection, His visual resurrected appearance, and His ascension to heaven.

The disciples’ lives were completely changed after the resurrection. Timid and weak turned into bold and strong. They turned their world upside down for Jesus.

Are we impacted by the resurrection of Jesus?

Tomorrow is Passover. Join us to find out why Passover is important to believers in Christ.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

This week we will celebrate Passover, 8 April, and Resurrection Sunday (Easter), 12 April.

Our devotionals will center around Jesus death and burial, He is risen, Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, and how the resurrection changes everything.

Although COVID-19 has taken away our opportunity to fellowship together, it can never take away our ability to read and study the Word of God. You may see movies or other depictions of these events, but please make sure they line up with the Bible.

Jesus Death (John 19:14-30)

“And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!¹⁵ But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. ¹⁶ Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.¹⁷ And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:¹⁸ Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.¹⁹ And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of The Jews.²⁰ This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.²¹ Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.²² Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.²³ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.²⁴ They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.²⁵ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.²⁶ When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!²⁷ Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.²⁸ After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.²⁹ Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.³⁰ When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

The chief priest and religious rulers fulfilled prophecy when they called for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus had to go to the cross, on our behalf, to become sin for us. He paid the penalty for our sin, death.

Where were all His disciples? They all fled except John. Even God the Father forsook Jesus. So if Jesus did this for us, why is it that we forsake Jesus? We fail to follow His directives found in the Bible. We put other things ahead of our relationship with Him. We need to repent and ask Jesus’ forgiveness. Jesus promised, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Jesus is Buried (John 19:38-42)

“³⁸ And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.³⁹ And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound weight.⁴⁰ Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.⁴¹ Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid. ⁴² There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulcher was nigh at hand.”

Jesus is dead. The Roman soldiers knew it, Pilate knew it, and Joseph of Arimathea knew it. Prophecy again was fulfilled. Isaiah 53:9 states, “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.” Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man. Jesus was buried in a rich man’s tomb.

There had to be a death and burial to have a resurrection. However, if there had only been a death and burial, Jesus would be no different from any other religious leader.

Tomorrow we look at He is risen.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Where do we put our trust?

The ark of the covenant has been returned and has resided in Kirjathjearim for twenty years.

Then the prophet Samuel challenges the nation of Israel to return to the Lord with all their heart, put away their strange gods, prepare their hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only.

IF

“And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”       (1 Samuel 7:3)

THEN

If they choose to do this, God will deliver them out f the hands of the Philistines. The children of Israel did make the right choice.

Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only. (1 Samuel 7:4)

Israel Repents and asks God to save them

“And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the Lord.⁶ And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh. ⁷ And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.⁸ And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.” (1 Samuel 7:5-8)

Samuel prays for Israel

“And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord: and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him.” (1 Samuel 7:9)

Philistines defeated; cities restored

“And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. ¹¹ And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar. ¹² Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.¹³ So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. ¹⁴ And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.” (1 Samuel 7:10-14)

FINALLY, the nation of Israel turned to God. They repented of their sins, gave up worshiping false idols, sought God with their whole heart, and as a result GOD gave them the victory. Not the ark of the covenant! God did it!

COVID-19 is our Philistine.

Israel had to make a decision. Follow the ways of the world or the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To follow the failed ways of the pagan society in which they lived or the living truth of God’s word.

They chose to follow God. THEN, and only then, did God go to work for Israel and gave them the victory over the Philistines.

Choose today who you will serve.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Where do we put our trust?

The Philistines return the ark of the covenant to Israel. The men of Bethshemesh offered a burnt offering to the Lord. The men of Bethshemesh chose to open the ark and look inside. God killed 50,070. The men of Bethshemesh requested the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim to fetch the ark to themselves. It resides there 20 years.

The ark returns to Bethshemesh

“And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.” (1 Samuel 6:13)

Burnt offering offered

“And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord.¹⁵ And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord.” (1 Samuel 6:14-15)

Even though Levites were present, the burnt offerings were not done as prescribed by Jewish law.

Jews living at this time were living in idolatry and not for the Lord. It would be 20 more years before they would repent and begin to serve God.

The men of Bethshemesh look into the ark of the Lord with disastrous consequences

“And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.²⁰ And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?” (1 Samuel 6:19-20)

The Levites and men of Bethshemesh knew better to open the ark to look inside. It was forbidden. “And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.” (Numbers 4:15)

The ark is relocated to Kirjathjearim

“And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?²¹ And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.”

Again the ark, used improperly, was a cause for death and destruction. Israel was not worshipping God. The Levites were not teaching the people the law.

The ark resides in Kirjathjearim 20 years

“And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.”

Sin has its consequences. Failure to read the law, obey it, to serve God, caused a separation between God and Israel.

Tomorrow we will see how Godly repentance changes the consequences.

Are we walking with God or apart from Him? During our down time with COVID-19, this would be a great time to get into God’s word and get right with Him.

Don’t be like Israel!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Where do we put our trust?

First Samuel 5 tells us of the Philistines encounter with the ark of the covenant.

The Philistines defeated Israel and took the ark of the covenant. They assumed that whoever had the ark, had the power the ark provided. They were sorely mistaken.

Dagon, a Philistine god, is destroyed before the ark of God

“When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.³ And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.⁴ And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.” (1 Samuel 5:2-4)

Hand of the Lord against Ashdod

“But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.⁷ And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.” (1 Samuel 5:6-7)

Hand of the Lord against Gath

“They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.⁹ And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. (1 Samuel 5:8-9)

Ekronites realize the arks destructive power

“Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.¹¹ So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.” (1 Samuel 5:10-11)

The Philistines trusted in idols. God destroyed their idols. God showed them that the ark of the Lord does not have powers for military victories. Rather, possession of the ark meant death, destruction, and disease.

First Samuel 6 records the Philistines return of the ark to Israel.

If we choose to rebel against God, we will suffer God’s judgement.

Unbelievers need salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Christians need to repent and ask God for His forgiveness. Then continue to serve God.

Tomorrow we will witness the return of the ark to Israel.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Where do we put our trust?

First Samuel 4:1-11 tells us that the nation of Israel put their trust in the ark of the covenant.

Verses 1-2, tells us that “…Israel went out against the Philistines to battle…” The Philistines win the battle and Israel loses 4000 men. “…Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.”

Israel placed their trust in themselves. RESULT: loss of 4000 men.

Verses 3-5, tells how Israel requests the ark of the covenant be brought to them from Shiloh. They believed that the ark had the power to give them the victory over the Philistine’s. “Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.” “And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.”

Verses 6-9, tells us of the Philistine’s response to the ark of the covenant coming into the camp of Israel. They were afraid. They had heard the reports of the mighty power of the ark.

So, the combatants, Israel and the Philistines, square off for battle.

Verses 9-10 tells us the outcome. “…Israel was smitten…” “fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.” “…ark of God was taken…”

Israel placed their trust in the ark of the covenant. RESULT: loss of 30,000 men and loss of the ark of the covenant.

No where is this passage does Israel seek God. The ark could not save them. The God of the ark could.

Todays battle is the COVID-19. Do we place our trust in our politicians, medical community, church’s, first responders, or do we place our trust in God?

We see the result of misplaced trust for Israel. Is that what we want for ourselves?

We must place our trust in the only one who can resolve this conflict and that is God!

Tomorrow we will look at the Philistines encounter with the ark.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

We are living in unprecedented times. The COVID-19 has caused upheaval in our personal, work, financial, recreational, and spiritual lives. All of us are being impacted.

How should we deal with this crisis? Some are hoarding. Some are complaining. Some are seeking answers. While others question the government and healthcare community. Some pray for God’s intervention.

Christians should go back to the basics.

Christians should allow the Holy Spirit to comfort them and then be a comfort to others.

When a person trusts Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes and resides within that person. The Holy Spirit was sent to be the Comforter. As the Holy Spirit comforts us during this time, we should comfort others.

Promise of the Comforter (John 14:16-26)

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.¹⁸ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.¹⁹ Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.²⁰ At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.²¹ He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.²² Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?²³ Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.²⁴ He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.²⁵ These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.²⁶ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

As God gives us His comfort, we must comfort others. How? Call someone. If you have a friend or neighbor who is an elderly shut in, take them a meal, give them a card, or go by and just say “hi”.

Think of the comfort you desire and go do that for someone else. Comfort is just taking care of others. Do a RAK (random act of kindness).

Will we choose to be God’s agents of comfort?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

We are living in unprecedented times. The COVID-19 has caused upheaval in our personal, work, financial, recreational, and spiritual lives. All of us are being impacted.

How should we deal with this crisis? Some are hoarding. Some are complaining. Some are seeking answers. While others question the government and healthcare community. Some pray for God’s intervention.

Christians should go back to the basics.

Christians need to wait patiently.

Right now, most of our patience is threadbare. We are not willing to be patient. We want to see the COVID-19 go away so that we can get back to “normal”.

I am a structured person. My routine centers around waking up early, reading my Bible, going to the gym, then to Starbucks for breakfast, coffee, news updates, come home and work on the project of the day, go to the Wasilla Area Seniors, Inc (WASI) senior center for lunch, pick-up the mail, and home again.

The gym is closed, Starbucks is drive-thru only, the senior center is closed. My routine is in shambles.

I am not alone! Each of us has a routine that is in shambles. So how do we cope? What does the Bible tell us about being patient?

Maybe we should take a page out of David’s playbook, Psalm 13.

David was a patient man. Saul was pursuing him for many years. He was always on the run. He lived in cave, tents, and in the enemy’s land. Yet he waited.

Psalm 13 David prays about this. He asks God to act and yet he really wants God’s will.

“How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?² How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?³ Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;⁴ Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.⁵ But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.⁶ I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”

David knew who to trust. When David’s patience was running low, he did four things.

First, he trusted in the mercy of the Lord. He rested in God. He had already witnessed the great power of God. He knew of the love and kindness of God.

Second, he rejoiced in the salvation of God. When in battle, it was God that brought him through.

Third, he sang songs of worship and praise to God. He focused his mind on God. The Psalms are the fruit of his labors. Songs extolling the goodness of God in all circumstances.

Fourth, he realized God’s bounty. Whether spiritual or material, God took care of David and his rag tag army. He supplied food, clothing, shelter, and hideouts. He surrounded him with unseen angels of protection. He gave him wisdom and discernment.

When the going got tough, David went to God.

Is that where we go? When the going gets tough for us, do we do what David did or take matters into our own hands? God is much better equipped to deal with our adversities than we are. Why don’t we let Him.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

We are living in unprecedented times. The COVID-19 has caused upheaval in our personal, work, financial, recreational, and spiritual lives. All of us are being impacted.

How should we deal with this crisis? Some are hoarding. Some are complaining. Some are seeking answers. While others question the government and healthcare community. Some pray for God’s intervention.

Christians should go back to the basics.

Christians need to pray.

We need to pray that God’s will, will be done. We need to pray for the COVID-19 crisis, the medical professionals trying to diagnose and treat the virus, people who are being impacted, our friends, families, and for ourselves.

Supplication (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;² For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;

To whom do we pray? (Acts 12:5, John 14:13, Ephesians 6:18))

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. (Acts 12

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13)

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:18)

When do we pray? (Luke 18:1, Psalm 5:3, 55:17, 86:3, 88:1)

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; (Luke 18:1)

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. (Psalm 5:3)

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. (Psalm 55:17)

Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. (Psalm 86:3)

O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: (Psalm 88:1)

Where do we pray? (Matthew 6:6, Psalm 26:12)

ANYWHERE, EVERYWHERE

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord. (Psalm 26:12)

Believers in Christ are the only ones who have access to the throne room of God. God hears the prayers of His children and is eager to answer them according to His will.

Remember that God sees the big picture. He knows and sees everything. So, God knows what is best.

Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001