”and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,“ ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/eph.6.19.NKJV In continuing on Paul’s prayers, we see in a number of instances that he requested prayer for himself from the churches he wrote to. I, the pastor of Hilltop, request from you the readers, the same prayer that Paul requested from the Ephesians.

”“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.“ ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭9‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/pro.9.10.NKJV

I think I shared with you guys that I am teaching the ladies Bible study at my church through the book of James. I have found so much meat in the scriptures, and I have also found several doctrinally sound theologians who have done extensive study in this profound book. This blog is written by one of my twitter friends who is also one of those doctrinally sound theologians. I was so blessed by this blog post I had to share it. I hope you will take the time to read it all the way to the end. https://www.slavetotheking.com/2024/04/25/does-our-speech-matter/?unapproved=21631&moderation-hash=022aeb19181646edd0e06d314dc5648e#comment-21631

Another one of Paul’s prayers with a praise along with it: ”For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.“ ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬, ‭16‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/eph.3.14-21.NKJV

”Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.“ ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.1.1-2.NKJV Focus mainly on Jesus, not all the things in the world. Spend way more time in God’s word, and less on CNN, Fox News, BBC, NPR, and other news outlets. Listen more to God’s word and less to politicans and unsaved celebrities. Allow God’s word to renew you mind and revive your soul.

Another of the Apostle Paul’s prayers: ”And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.“ ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/php.1.9-11.NKJV

Another of the Apostle Paul’s prayers: “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.“ ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/col.1.9-12.NKJV

Paul was a man of prayer. It would be good to read, note, and even study the prayers which the apostle prayed for the churches he wrote to. Better still, for us to pray those kinds of prayers for our churches, and for believers in other churches that we know of. I am starting a series posting Paul’s prayers. Here is the first one l am going to post today. ”Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.“ ‭‭II Thessalonians‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/2th.1.11-12.NKJV

https://youtu.be/NkN-oQbKnUE?si=kEGbFJ8YxHt58WVH Message from Hilltop Bible Church in Bergton Virginia on looking to Jesus from Hebrews 12:1,2.

I read the following scriptures earlier this week. Got news this morning that a young woman who is Facebook friends with me just lost her mother to cancer. It was clear to me that l needed to share these scriptures with her. Hope you are encouraged as well. ”But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.“ ‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/1th.4.13-18.NKJV

Jesus loves me this I know For the Bible tells me so Little ones to Him belong They are weak but He is strong Yes, Jesus loves me Yes, Jesus loves me Yes, Jesus loves me The Bible tells me so.... #Encouragement

”And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/jhn.10.28.NKJV “It is profoundly satisfying to the believer that in the last resort, what matters is not his feeble hold on God, but God’s strong grip on him.” Leon Morris

Psalm 34:13 (Legacy Standard Bible) Guard your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit.

James 1:23-24 (Legacy Standard Bible) For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he looked at himself and has gone away, he immediately forgot what kind of person he was.

https://youtu.be/O6jS_r0001Q?si=dRWfGDdL9DjYpTYP Message from I Thessalonians 4:9-12 to Hilltop Bible Church on living a quiet life.

You don't have to give up your intellect to trust the Bible. You have to give up your pride. ~RC Sproul

“And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭20‬:‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/lev.20.26.NKJV Though written originally to Israel, it applies today to God’s people, the church of Jesus Christ.

”And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,“ ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9‬:‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/114/heb.9.27.NKJV Heard earlier of the death of OJ Simpson. Hope he repented and believed in Jesus before he passed. He never did confess of his murdering his ex wife and the Goldman man. The question is do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior? Have you repented of you sins and believed on Christ for salvation? Death will come to us all, including you, just as it did to OJ. Be prepared to stand before your maker by trusting Jesus to be your savior.

Any accurate discussion of the Trinity must begin and end with what the Bible declares. ~John MacArthur

https://babylonbee.com/news/bible-scholars-believe-noah-made-over-977-trips-to-home-depot-during-ark-construction?utm_source=The%20Babylon%20Bee%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email

https://youtu.be/HNENOwE6wv0?si=qVjXm4IZi9MgDXzE Message from Joshua 5:13-15 to Hilltop Bible Church in Bergton Va

RANDALL CARLSON- Kids, Numbers, Ratios and Bible connections- Shawn Ryan 3 31 2024 https://rumble.com/v4n0cp9-randall-carlson-kids-numbers-ratios-and-bible-connections-shawn-ryan-3-31-2.html

Turn off the tv and open the Bible. #SaturdaySentiments

Beware of manufacturing a God of your own: a God who is all mercy, but not just; a God who is all love, but not holy; a God who as a heaven for every body, but a hell for none; a God who can allow good and bad to be side by side in time, but will make no distinction between good and broad in eternity. Such a God is an idol of your own, as truly an idol as any snake or crocodile in an Egyptian temple. The hands of your own fancy and sentimentality have made him. He is not the God of the Bible, and beside the God of the Bible there is no God at all. ~J. C. Ryle