Jesus is both presented in Scripture as the Lamb of God and the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

The sheep follow the Shepherd.

And the true minister of Christ must point the sheep toward Christ, not toward himself.

A minister's assignment is not merely to build a crowd.

It is to prepare people for eternity.

What is the benefit of gaining thousands of followers if those followers are never prepared to meet Jesus?

https://youtu.be/KEbgJb0bG3g?si=CQFSI4-QwOca_zIB

Amazing Facts
Daily Devotionals

What does Isaiah 45:7 mean when it says God creates calamity?
August 25, 2026
Read Time: 2 min

You can couple this verse with the Bible story in which Micaiah the prophet reports that he saw the Lord send a lying spirit to the prophets of Ahab. In these passages and in others, it appears that evil is proceeding from God, yet the Bible says that every good and perfect gift comes from God.

In the book of Job, you find the key that unlocks this relationship between good and evil and God’s involvement. The devil is asking permission of God to tempt and torment Job. The devil cannot do anything without God allowing it. The Lord must withdraw His protection, He must lift the hedge, and He must pull back His protective forces. In that sense, it appears that God is allowing evil. The Lord is the one who placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Eden. That doesn’t mean the Lord wants us to “eat” evil. It means that He gives us the freedom to choose.

Sometimes the Lord withdraws His angels that protect us, and in that sense, you could say that He is allowing evil to come. But the book of James tells us that the Lord Himself does not tempt anyone, neither can He be tempted. The devil is an individual being, roaming about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may destroy and devour. God is constantly putting him in check, to the degree of what He allows the devil to do.

From time to time, the Lord draws back His hand of protection to accomplish some purpose. This is why Paul says, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able” (1 Corinthians 10:13). So when Isaiah says that evil comes from the Lord, it simply means that the devil can’t do anything unless God allows it in His sovereign plan.

Key Bible Texts
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. (Isaiah 45:7 KJV)

Now look at the other side:

One Lion leading 10 sheep.

It doesn't look impressive.

The crowd is small.

The conference may have only 10 people.

The church may have 100.

The preacher may not be famous.

The ministry may not trend online.

But what if that small congregation is being faithfully taught:

Christ.
Repentance.
Righteousness.
Sanctification.
Holiness.
Truth.
Readiness for eternity.

Never despise a small gathering where the truth is being preached.

https://youtu.be/KEbgJb0bG3g?si=CQFSI4-QwOca_zIB

A Lion Leading 10 Sheep vs. A Goat Leading 100 Lions: Who Will Win?

Think carefully before you answer.

One side has 100 lions.

The other has only 10 sheep.

Yet I believe the side with the 10 sheep can win.

Why?

Because numbers do not determine destiny. Leadership does.

This is not really about animals.

It is about the Body of Christ.

It is about the danger of following a powerful, popular, highly celebrated leader who is leading people away from holiness, righteousness and eternity.
https://youtu.be/KEbgJb0bG3g?si=CQFSI4-QwOca_zIB

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 22)

1. A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

2. The rich and the poor have this in common,
The LORD is the maker of them all.

3. A prudent man
foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are punished.

4. By humility and
the fear of the LORD
Are riches and honor and life.

5. Thorns and
snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will be far from them.

6. Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

7. The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

8. He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow,
And the rod of his anger will fail.

9. He who has a generous eye will be blessed,
For he gives of his bread to the poor.

10. Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave;
Yes, strife and reproach will cease.

11. He who loves purity of heart
And has grace on his lips,
The king will be his friend.

12.The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the faithless.

13. The lazy man
says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!”

14. The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit;
He who is abhorred by the LORD will fall there.

15. Foolishness is
bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

16. He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
And he who gives to the rich, will surely
come to poverty.

17. Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;

18. For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,

19. So that your trust may be in the LORD;
I have instructed you today, even you.

20. Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,

21. That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
That you may answer words of truth
To those who send to you?

22. Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;

23. For the LORD will plead their cause,
And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

24. Make no friendship with an angry man,
And with a furious man do not go,

25. Lest you learn his ways
And set a snare for your soul.

26. Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge,
One of those who is surety for debts;

27. If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he take away your bed from under you?

28. Do not remove the ancient landmark
Which your fathers have set.

29. Do you see a man who excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before unknown men.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 22)

1. A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

2. The rich and the poor have this in common,
The LORD is the maker of them all.

3. A prudent man
foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are punished.

4. By humility and
the fear of the LORD
Are riches and honor and life.

5. Thorns and
snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will be far from them.

6. Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

7. The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

8. He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow,
And the rod of his anger will fail.

9. He who has a generous eye will be blessed,
For he gives of his bread to the poor.

10. Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave;
Yes, strife and reproach will cease.

11. He who loves purity of heart
And has grace on his lips,
The king will be his friend.

12.The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the faithless.

13. The lazy man
says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!”

14. The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit;
He who is abhorred by the LORD will fall there.

15. Foolishness is
bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

16. He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches,
And he who gives to the rich, will surely
come to poverty.

17. Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;

18. For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,

19. So that your trust may be in the LORD;
I have instructed you today, even you.

20. Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,

21. That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
That you may answer words of truth
To those who send to you?

22. Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;

23. For the LORD will plead their cause,
And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

24. Make no friendship with an angry man,
And with a furious man do not go,

25. Lest you learn his ways
And set a snare for your soul.

26. Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge,
One of those who is surety for debts;

27. If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should he take away your bed from under you?

28. Do not remove the ancient landmark
Which your fathers have set.

29. Do you see a man who excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before unknown men.

August 21st, 2026
Read; Galations 5:13

Freedom is a great gift, but we must know how to use it well. In Christ, we are freed from sin's dominion and from the law's condemnation, not released into moral indifference. This liberty is a blessing from God, never an excuse for selfish desire. Paul directs our freedom toward loving service: instead of using others, we willingly serve them. Christian liberty therefore does not turn us inward. It frees us to love our neighbors with kindness, patience, and practical care, reflecting the character of Christ in our relationships.

Prayer

Thank You, O Great God of Deliverance, for saving Daniel from the lion's den, David from the sword of Goliath, and Israel from Pharaoh's clutches. But most of all, I thank You, O Great Deliverer, for Jesus' triumph over sin at Calvary and His triumph over death at the empty tomb. I want to thank You in person for giving me my freedom. Help me use this gift of freedom to serve Your children and live for You until that time. In Jesus' precious name, I pray. Amen.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 20)

1. Wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

2. The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.

3. It is honorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a quarrel.

4. The lazy man will not plow because of winter;
He will beg during harvest and have nothing.

5. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding will draw it out.

6. Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,
But who can find a faithful man?

7. The righteous
man walks in his integrity;
His children are blessed after him.

8. A king who sits on the throne of judgment
Scatters all evil with his eyes.

9. Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin”?

10. Diverse weights and diverse measures,
They are both alike, an abomination to the LORD.

11. Even a child is known by his deeds,
Whether what he does is pure and right.

12. The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
The LORD has made them both.

13. Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.

14. “It is good for nothing,” cries the buyer;
But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.

15. There is gold and a multitude of rubies,
But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16. Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.

17. Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

18. Plans are established by counsel;
By wise counsel wage war.

19. He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.

20. Whoever curses his father or his mother,
His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.

21. An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning
Will not be blessed at the end.

22. Do not say, “I will recompense evil”;
Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

23. Diverse weights are an abomination to the LORD,
And dishonest scales are not good.

24. A man’s steps are of the LORD;
How then can a man understand his own way?

25. It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy,
And afterward to reconsider his vows.

26. A wise king sifts out the wicked,
And brings the threshing wheel over them.

27. The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD,
Searching all the inner depths of his heart.

28. Mercy and truth preserve the king,
And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.

29. The glory of young men is their strength,
And the splendor of old men is their gray head.

30. Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,
As do stripes the inner depths of the heart.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(Proverbs 20)

1. Wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

2. The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion;
Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.

3. It is honorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a quarrel.

4. The lazy man will not plow because of winter;
He will beg during harvest and have nothing.

5. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water,
But a man of understanding will draw it out.

6. Most men will proclaim each his own goodness,
But who can find a faithful man?

7. The righteous
man walks in his integrity;
His children are blessed after him.

8. A king who sits on the throne of judgment
Scatters all evil with his eyes.

9. Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin”?

10. Diverse weights and diverse measures,
They are both alike, an abomination to the LORD.

11. Even a child is known by his deeds,
Whether what he does is pure and right.

12. The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
The LORD has made them both.

13. Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty;
Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.

14. “It is good for nothing,” cries the buyer;
But when he has gone his way, then he boasts.

15. There is gold and a multitude of rubies,
But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

16. Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.

17. Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

18. Plans are established by counsel;
By wise counsel wage war.

19. He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips.

20. Whoever curses his father or his mother,
His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.

21. An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning
Will not be blessed at the end.

22. Do not say, “I will recompense evil”;
Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.

23. Diverse weights are an abomination to the LORD,
And dishonest scales are not good.

24. A man’s steps are of the LORD;
How then can a man understand his own way?

25. It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy,
And afterward to reconsider his vows.

26. A wise king sifts out the wicked,
And brings the threshing wheel over them.

27. The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD,
Searching all the inner depths of his heart.

28. Mercy and truth preserve the king,
And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.

29. The glory of young men is their strength,
And the splendor of old men is their gray head.

30. Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,
As do stripes the inner depths of the heart.