*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE CREATIVE POWER OF GOD (6).* *Scripture Treasure.* Matt 26:24 *The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.* *Insight and Highlight.* While God blessed His creation to go and multiply, He wished some were not born at all. *Scripture Commentaries.* We continue with the second reason that illustrates the creative power of God. This is that: t

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE ELEVENTH HOUR MIRACLE.* *Scripture Treasure.* Matthew 20:1-16 *For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.* *And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.* *And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,* *And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE CREATIVE POWER OF GOD (5).* *Scripture Treasure.* Exd 1417-18 *And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.* *And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.* *Insight and Highlight.* Those who doubt God's creative power wil

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE CREATIVE POWER OF GOD (4).* *Scripture Treasure.* Rom 9:17 *For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.* *Insight and Highlight.* People who contest against God will have God contend against them. *Scripture Commentaries.* We began to look at some reasons why God exercises His distinctive creative power. Firstly,

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE CREATIVE POWER OF GOD (3).* *Scripture Treasure.* Rom 9: 21 *Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?* *Insight and Highlight.* Complement God's creation. Do not compete with it. *Scripture Commentaries.* God creates with purpose. Whether He creates with honour or dishonour, everyone must either fulfill His purpose or their purposes in life. Yesterday, we looked at some reaso

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE CREATIVE POWER OF GOD.(2)* *Scripture Treasure.* Rom 9: 21 *Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?* *Insight and Highlight.* Only God has the power to create. *Scripture Commentaries.* Rom 9:21 opens our eyes to what appears unbelievable to us but true about God's choice of distinctive creative power. 2 Tim 2: 20 says *But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE CREATIVE POWER OF GOD.* *Scripture Treasure.* Rom 1:23-25 *And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.* *Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:* *Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE! (6)* *Scripture Treasure.* Heb 1:7 *And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.* *Insight and Highlight.* The flame of fire in Angels and Ministers of God is our invisible, powerful, and swift nature of which we are equipped as we carry out God's services *Scripture Commentaries.* Perhaps one the most direct verses that speak of what a believer is, in the midst of an ailing world and

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE! (5)* *Scripture Treasure.* 1 Sam 3: 1-4 *And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.* *And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;* *And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;* *That t

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE! (4)* *Scripture Treasure.* 1 Sam 3: 1-4 *And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.* *And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;* *And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;* *That t

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE! (3)* *Scripture Treasure.* Daniel 3:19-27: *Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.* *And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.* *T

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE! (2)* *Scripture Treasure.* 1 Kgs 18:24 *And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.* *Insight and Highlight.* God's fire over the righteous is holy fire. His fire on His adversaries is a consuming fire. *Scripture Commentaries.* Elijah's encounter on Mount Carmel with the four hundred and fi

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *THE FIRE MUST NOT DIE!* *Scripture Treasure.* Exodus 27:20-21 *And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.* *In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the Lord: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *GOD'S PRESENCE (5).* *Scripture Treasure.* Psalm 46:1 *God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.* *Insight and Highlight.* God is a very present help in trouble. He is present not passive. He is not without help, active response and resistance in your time of trouble. *Scripture Commentaries.* While God does not wish us trouble, the sinful world will create problem because it is in rebellion against God. Jesus told us in Matt 6:34 of

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *GOD'S PRESENCE (4).* *Scripture Treasure.* Psalm 46:1 *God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.* *Insight and Highlight.* Not everyone finds God's presence in their times of distress *Scripture Commentaries.* While the wicked in their abomination can drive God's active intervention away, the righteous often experience God's inactivity in times of trouble. This is the focus as we look at why God often restrains Himself in the time of

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *GOD'S PRESENCE (3).* *Scripture Treasure.* Psalm 46:1 *God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.* *Insight and Highlight.* God will not hear the prayers of the sinner. *Scripture Commentaries.* Yesterday, we looked at how and why God would restrain His providential care in the midst of our troubles. In answering this, we gave answers under the first of two illustrations. First is that God restrains His providential care when He remai

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *GOD'S PRESENCE (2).* *Scripture Treasure.* Psalm 46:1 *God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.* *Insight and Highlight.* God is ever present but may not actively participate or mediate in times of trouble. *Scripture Commentaries.* While God is never absent in the goings in this world, He reserves His choice to not respond to all troubles. Though He sees, actively watches and knowledgeable of any ongoing distresses, He may choose t

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *GOD'S PRESENCE.* *Scripture Treasure.* Psalm 46:1 *God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.* *Insight and Highlight.* God gives us the inalienable rights to His presence in our difficult times. *Scripture Commentaries.* The psalmist tells us that having God's presence in our time of trouble is a Kingdom right not a privilege. This not just because of God's sovereignty but because His presence abides. Few things teach us this. First

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.* *A DAY AT A TIME.* *Scripture Treasure.* Matt 6:34 *Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.* *Insight and Highlight.* While we prepare for our tomorrow, God warns us not to carry our worries along. *Scripture Commentaries.* Jesus warns us that we should not worry over what we can not control. This is an admonition to rather pray than the anxious. Ever

*WISDOM FOR TODAY* *THE POWER OF THE TRUTH (9).* *Scripture Treasure.* Mark 6:16-29 *But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.* *For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.* *For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.* *Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would h