June 20, 2010

Guard: June 18, 2010

Today's Word for Friday June 18, 2010

GUARD

DEFINITION
Protect; keep safe; be cautious; a means of defense.

SCRIPTURE

"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe." Philippians 3:1

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

We can remember as parents regularly reminding our children to guard against many things that could be harmful. Spiritually, we reminded them to guard against false teachings that went against what they believed about God and Jesus. We reminded them to guard against evil temptations that they would face in school and in life in general. We also reminded them to guard against attempts of their peers to weaken their standards.

This third chapter of Philippians is noted as one of the great chapters in the Bible. It includes the personal testimony of the apostle Paul and his goals in his Christian life. It gives us some of the great principles that governed Paul's life. Paul's desire was always to grow in the Lord and to become more Christ like. In this chapter Paul outlines for the believer some things the Christian believer must do as he presses on for Christ.

Paul emphasizes first that a believer must guard himself. In the first three verses he outlines four ways in which a believer can guard himself. Today we will deal with one of these ways - rejoicing in the Lord.

We can guard ourselves against the trials of life by rejoicing in the Lord. When we rejoice in the Lord our focus will be on the Lord. As we walk our daily walk two things always confront us as believers. They are the physical challenges and the spiritual challenges. No matter where we go the trials of life confront us and we have to stand face to face with these sometimes awful trials. We must not allow difficult circumstances to destroy our faith and our relationship with the Lord.

The biggest challenge for us as believers is being on guard against the devil and false teachers. Peter warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 to be on guard and watch out for the devil because he is our enemy and is on the prowl like a roaring lion seeking to devour us. He tries to overwhelm us by enticing temptations, lust of the eyes and of the flesh, greed, selfishness, arguments, inhuman behavior, accidents and disease. We can never let down our guard against the devil. No person escapes the trials of this life and Paul reminds us that the first guard that we have against these trials is to rejoice in the Lord. If all throughout the day we are continually rejoicing in the Lord then our mind is on the Lord. When we focus on the Lord we cannot help but think about all that Christ has done for us.

If a believer is to guard himself against the onslaught of trials and false teachings and if the believer is to press on in his or her Christian life, we must walk about guarding our faith by rejoicing in the Lord.

The great thing that rejoicing does for the believer is that it places and keeps a person in the presence of Christ. A believer knows that nothing can separate him from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35-39). We will face trials in this sinful world but there is not one trial so big that it can separate us from Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Paul faced many trials in his life. He had been beaten, stoned, imprisoned, homeless and without food and water. In spite of all he suffered, Paul continued to rejoice in the Lord. In Philippians 4:4 Paul says it twice: "Rejoice always in the Lord. I will say it again: REJOICE."

Remember this - that rejoicing in the Lord according to the apostle Paul is the perfect way to guard yourself against the trials of life that you will face.

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

PRAYER

Give me the alertness today to guard against the trials and false teachings that I will face today. Help me to have a spirit of rejoicing every moment of this day

Knowledge: June 17, 2010

Today's Word for Thursday June 17, 2010

KNOWLEDGE

DEFINITION

Awareness of facts; truth or principles; what is known; a body of accumulated facts.

SCRIPTURE

"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

The vast amount of knowledge available in this day and age is mind-boggling. Our parents wanted us to get all of the knowledge available to us through what they taught us in our homes, what we could learn in Sunday school and church plus in our schools. Modern technology has greatly increased the available knowledge to people over the last 50 years. Our grandchildren are studying subjects that were not only unavailable to us but we never even heard about.

Also the tools of getting knowledge are so much more advanced. Having not grown up with computers, we find it amazing that through the internet we can have information on any subject we choose in just a matter of a few seconds of time. You can find quickly any event in history to the details of the makeup of an atom.

But how much does mankind really know in comparison with an all knowing God. It was Thomas Edison, the prolific inventor, who said that, "We do not know one-millionth part of one per cent about anything. We do not know what water is. We do not know what light is. We do not know what electricity is. We do not know what gravity is. We have a lot of hypotheses, but that is all."

Albert Einstein, a man that has been credited with superior knowledge in many areas said, "We know nothing about the world at all. Our knowledge is but the knowledge of a young school child."

This has been called the "information age" - an era of unprecedented increase in human knowledge. But it is still true that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Today because there is so much knowledge, there is a specialization of learning mentality. People spend much of their time learning a specific subject but unfortunately so many times they are unbalanced in every other area of their life.

People study and study filling their minds with all manner of knowledge yet they are dissatisfied and searching for more. Isaiah tells us why that is: "Their mind is not on the Lord and they have never put their trust in the Lord." (Isaiah 26:3) Isaiah also said that when our mind is stayed on the Lord we will not only have peace but perfect peace.

But God, who created this world and who created us, has all the knowledge and keeps the universe constantly under His control. YET - can you believe that He has time to hear our prayers and to care for each one of us. What a mighty God we serve.

The Bible predicts a vast increase in knowledge in the days before Christ returns for believers in the Rapture. Are you ready and prepared for that day? Everything we see happening around us including the increase of knowledge, points to the soon return of Jesus.

How are you taking advantage of the knowledge available to you about Jesus? We have available through the internet information on every spiritual subject you can think of. But if you have a question about your Salvation - look to the Bible, it has everything you need to know. Most believers lag behind the world in their ability to get knowledge. Together we must become more like Christ and have a desire to know more about Him.

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

PRAYER

I praise You today for Your knowledge and power. I thank You for all that You have done for me. May I get to know You better by spending more time talking to You in prayer and listening to You as I read the Bible daily. Fill my mind with knowledge from You and help me to put my trust in You to keep me in perfect peace.

Beware: June 16, 2010

Today's Word for Wednesday June 16, 2010

BEWARE

DEFINITION

Be wary, cautious or vigilant.

SCRIPTURE

"Beware of the scribes, who love to go around in long robes and love greetings in the marketplace." Mark 12:38

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

When we hear the word beware there is usually an association with something being dangerous. In our scripture for today, Jesus said to beware of the scribes. Our immediate reaction must be: why would these scribes be dangerous?

Several times in the scriptures we read about times when Jesus and the scribes met. The scribes were experts in the Jewish laws and traditions of the temple. They rejected Jesus as the Messiah and were always looking for opportunities to trap Him with their questions. They were lawyers and knew well how to mislead and argue. Here in Mark chapter 12: 35 -44 after being questioned by the scribes, Jesus spoke a word of warning to the crowd.

Jesus saw right through the outer appearances of the scribes into their sinful hearts. Jesus was telling the people to be aware of the scribes because they were drawing attention to themselves by dressing in long robes and looking for recognition and esteem even as they walked through the market place.

Jesus condemned the scribes for always sitting in the best seats in the Synagogue, high places of honor and at the feasts just so they may be seen. He was pointing out to the crowd that this was sin in God's sight because believers needed to be humble and servants of their Lord.

Jesus went on to tell the crowd that the scribes also committed sin when they devoured widows' houses for their own personal gain and made a pretense of long prayers in order to impress the people and show their piety. His warning to the people was to beware of the scribes, because of their impure motives their condemnation was coming and they would be severely punished.

What Jesus was giving us for today was that we are not to glory in our titles or our success as we pass by those we see each day. We are not to show pride and a self-righteous attitude in church.

Jesus sat then in the Synagogue, near the treasury, and watched the people bring in their tithes and offerings. Again He saw the rich showing off their wealth and the widow giving her all. The point Jesus made is that there are some sins more horrible than others. Using religion for self-exaltation is one of them and we need to beware of falling into this trap ourselves and also to beware of this happening around us. Jesus also showed that widows hold a special place in His heart and we need to care for them.

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

PRAYER

Help me to beware of those people around me that are self righteous and make a show of being religious so that I may not be a follower. May my love for You be a shining light to those that I touch each day. May my family put Christ first in all that we do and may we at all times honor You by helping those that are in need of a special touch from You.

Beginning: June 15, 2010

Today's Word for Tuesday June 15, 2010

BEGINNING

DEFINITION

A point of coming into existence; a starting point; commence; start; take the first step; origin; source.

SCRIPTURE

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." John 1:1

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

This world and everything in this world has a beginning. In the verse above from Genesis we read that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In the beginning God was there. In the verse from John above we read that Jesus (the Word) was also there in the beginning. Our triune God (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) have always existed from the beginning.

We all begin life here on this earth by being born. Birth is a process by which each of us has our beginning. God in His Word speaks of our need to be "born again." There are many people in this world that do not understand what it means to be "born again."

These words -"born again"- were spoken by Jesus when He was talking to Nicodemus. Although he was a devout Jewish Pharisee, he did not understand what being "born again" really meant. He asked how one can be born more than once. Jesus explained that the first birth is a birth of the flesh, but the second birth is the birth of the Spirit. Our first birth gives earthly life and our second birth gives us eternal life.

In order to be "born again" we must go through the process of realizing that we are sinners and ask God for forgiveness and then accept Jesus into our heart. By our first birth we all were born into this world as sinners because of the fall of Adam and Eve. God has provided a way for us to have a new beginning when we accept Jesus as our Savior.

In this life, here on this earth, when we have our "New Beginning" in our life with Jesus we will have many changes to deal with.

First, we must be ready to expect the unexpected. Your own plan for your life is limited because of who you are. You do not know the future or even what will happen later today. God has His own plan for your life and a new beginning. Your new life in Christ is unlimited because of who He is.

Secondly, we must be prepared to believe the unbelievable. The message of the gospel is the first unbelievable action that we must believe. Jesus did die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus was buried in a tomb. Jesus did rise from the dead and Jesus, as your risen Savior, wants a relationship with you so you can spend an eternity with Him.

Thirdly, in our new beginning with Jesus we must discover the undiscoverable. For example as one who puts his or her trust in Jesus you will discover that you can experience joy at the moment you are afraid. You can express worship to God at the moment you are most vulnerable to the evils around you in this world. And you can express purpose at the moment you are the most confused about any given situation that arises in your life.

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

PRAYER

Help me this day to be sure that I have experienced in my life a new beginning with Jesus. Help me to grow daily so I can expect the unexpected opportunities that You may bring to me, and help me to believe the unbelievable so that I can discover the undiscoverable things You have for me in my life.

Murmur: June 14, 2010

Today's Word for Monday June 14, 2010

MURMUR

DEFINITION

A low indistinct sound; a subdued hum; a muttered complaint.

SCRIPTURE

"And all the children of Israel complained (muttered) against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, 'If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!' " Numbers 14:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

Murmuring or muttering complaints is the outward expression of inner obstinacy and rebellion. It most likely is something every one of us has been guilty of at sometime in our life.

We can remember as children when our parents gave us something to do and we really did not want to do it. As we walked off to do what we were told to do we would be mumbling or murmuring our unhappiness - basically complaining. That usually did not go over with our parents and only got us into deeper trouble. Our parents would usually clearly restate their request and ask if we fully understood what they expected us to accomplish. Of course we would always respond favorably but probably not overjoyed.

Years later the situation was reversed. We were the parents having to deal with the obstinacy and rebellion of our children when they did not want to do what they were told and they would go away murmuring as to how hard they were being done to. They soon learned, as we had, that their murmuring and complaining got them nowhere. We have no doubt our children are experiencing the same murmuring from their children and no doubt they are responding the same.

In the verse above from Numbers in the Old Testament, we read about the Children of Israel murmuring against their leaders, Moses and Aaron. They had become fearful of going into the Promised Land to conquer it as the Lord wanted them to do.

Twelve spies had been sent into spy out the land. Ten of the spies had aroused fear in the people by reporting that the Canaanites were too powerful to be conquered. Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the twelve spies who remained strong in their faith and took a stand against the other spies. After all the years of hardships wandering through the wilderness, the Children of Israel were tired of waiting so they began to not only just murmur but to loudly complain. It was Joshua that God then used to speak out against the murmuring. Joshua told the congregation of Israelites that the land was good. Joshua said this "If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey."

Joshua begged them to trust the Lord, but the congregation continued to rebel and talked about stoning Caleb and Joshua. Moses cried out to God for deliverance for his people. God was ready to wipe them out but because of the prayer of Moses God forgave the children of Israel for their rebelliousness and constant murmuring. Nevertheless they did pay a price for their sinful complaining. God told them that they would wander in the desert for 40 years and no one but Joshua and Caleb and those under 20 would enter the Promised Land.

There are murmurers among Christians today just like the children of Israel. They complain about everything and blame God for all that goes wrong. God is not the problem. We are the problem. We are obstinate and rebellious. We only want to do what we want to do and in our own way. We leave God out and then when we fail we ask God - WHY?

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

PRAYER

Lord, enable me to be obedient to You and do what You want me to do without murmuring and complaining. Forgive me of those times when I have been obstinate and rebellious and murmured against You. Help me to do willingly and cheerfully whatever You give me to do.

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