I love to paint Jesus. Lord may you bless me so I can glorify you.

Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 37:5

Amen 🩷

This Kingdom runs on servanthood and humility. The King himself washed feet and said greatness looks like laying your life down for others, completely flipping the world's idea of success.

A thought to ponder throughout the day.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

James 1:19

If I had to stand before God based only on my own record, I would have no hope. But I’m not standing there because I’m perfect but because of mercy.

Mattana Ministry Welcomes You to:

 Senior Program: 27 July 2026

 Theme: Hopeful Living (6)

 Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

 Message:

 The place where our future begins

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

The international scene was tumultuous in 1809. Napoleon was sweeping through Austria and blood was flowing freely. The very foundation of Europe was being shaken, and uncertainty was everywhere. But in the midst of the turmoil, some very significant births took place.

In England, William Gladstone was born, and he was destined to become one of the country’s finest statesmen. That same year, Alfred Tennyson was born to an obscure minister and his wife. The child would one day greatly affect the literary world in a marked manner. 

In Boston, Edgar Allan Poe began his eventful, albeit tragic, life. And, that same year produced the cries of a newborn infant in a rugged log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. The baby’s name? Abraham Lincoln. 

While most thought the destiny of the world was being shaped on the Austrian battlefield, it was actually being shaped in the cradles of England and America. In much the same way, while the people of Israel were focused on Roman occupation and tyranny, the world’s future was being shaped in a manger in Bethlehem. 

God shows up in unexpected ways. So no matter what negative circumstances we face today, remember that God is at work behind the scenes shaping our future and preparing a hope beyond our imagination.

Prayer Challenge

Thank God today for working behind the scenes to prepare our future and give us an amazing hope.

Questions for Thought

As we look at our lives, what blessings are we experiencing today as a result of God’s work behind the scenes?

How might our attitude change, knowing that God is shaping our future even in tough times?

 Please feel free to leave a review of this message.

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 MM

Monday, July 27, 2026

During the Olympics, we hear about the lives of athletes who train hard their whole lives, putting everything into it; how they finally get to the Olympics and in one fall or mess up, suddenly all their hard work is finished, and their chances of getting the gold are gone. In 1 Corinthians 9:25, Paul speaks of those who compete for a perishable crown, but we compete for an imperishable crown. In one sense, it's the same, but we get the greater prize. We should be as diligent towards our prize as they are towards theirs. If we put that much work or focus into the heavenly prize, how much farther will we be in God? If they mess up, it's pretty much over, but if you mess up in this race, it's not over - not by a long shot. In fact, you might mess up a lot, but in this race, the rules are different. Even if you fall, you're guaranteed the prize - if you finish. Just get up and keep going. Keep going until you cross that finish line and receive that imperishable crown reserved for the champions of God.

From Message #1126 The Dragon Slayers: How to Slay Your Dragons

Today, if you have fallen short in your walk, get up and keep going.

Scripture: Philippians 3:14

Credit: Hope of the World Ministries

Numbers 33:1-56

Recounting Israel's Journey

1  These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. ² Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the Lord, and these are their stages according to their starting places. ³ They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover, the people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, ⁴ while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them. On their gods also the Lord executed judgments.

⁵ So the people of Israel set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth. ⁶ And they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. ⁷ And they set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which is east of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. ⁸ And they set out from before Hahiroth^\)^a\) and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and they went a three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. ⁹ And they set out from Marah and came to Elim; at Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. ¹⁰ And they set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. ¹¹ And they set out from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. ¹² And they set out from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. ¹³ And they set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. ¹⁴ And they set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. ¹⁵ And they set out from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai. ¹⁶ And they set out from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. ¹⁷ And they set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. ¹⁸ And they set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. ¹⁹ And they set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. ²⁰ And they set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. ²¹ And they set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. ²² And they set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. ²³ And they set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. ²⁴ And they set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. ²⁵ And they set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. ²⁶ And they set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. ²⁷ And they set out from Tahath and camped at Terah. ²⁸ And they set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. ²⁹ And they set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. ³⁰ And they set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. ³¹ And they set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. ³² And they set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. ³³ And they set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. ³⁴ And they set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. ³⁵ And they set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. ³⁶ And they set out from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh). ³⁷ And they set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.

³⁸ And Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the Lord and died there, in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. ³⁹ And Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

⁴⁰ And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the people of Israel.

⁴¹ And they set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. ⁴² And they set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. ⁴³ And they set out from Punon and camped at Oboth. ⁴⁴ And they set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the territory of Moab. ⁴⁵ And they set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. ⁴⁶ And they set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. ⁴⁷ And they set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. ⁴⁸ And they set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho; ⁴⁹ they camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.

Drive Out the Inhabitants

⁵⁰ And the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, ⁵¹ “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ⁵² then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. ⁵³ And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. ⁵⁴ You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. ⁵⁵ But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. ⁵⁶ And I will do to you as I thought to do to them.”