July 15 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY JULY 15, 2011.
JUDGING
DEFINITION:
To infer, think or hold as an opinion; to make a mental judgment.
SCRIPTURE:
“Judge not, that you be not judged.” Matthew 7:1
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
What better way is there to tell people to mind their own business than by quoting what Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” This happens especially by people who seldom read the Bible. But if you read this seventh chapter of Matthew (verses 1-5) you will see what Jesus meant.
In these verses Jesus pulls no punches concerning the criticizer, the one who judges. In verse one Jesus says, do not judge and do not criticize. In verse two He says the criticizer will be judged. In verse three He mentions that the one who judges fails to examine himself.
In verse four Jesus says that the criticizer is deceived about himself when he judges others. In verse five Jesus calls the criticizer a hypocrite and in verse six He says the criticizer is undeserving of the gospel.
Take a moment and think of all the awful sins listed here committed by the criticizer. Christ says the criticizer will stand in the day of judgment guilty of inconsistency, self-righteousness, spiritual blindness, self deception, uncharitableness, lack of love, hypocrisy and abuse of the gospel.
The word judge means to criticize, condemn or censor. It is fault-finding and most often picky. But when someone thinks judging is necessary they often miss the point that the scripture shares with us. When a person slips it is a time for compassion not censoring. It is time to reach out with a helping hand and not a time to use your hand and push one away. It is a time to speak kindly and encourage, not negatively or destructive.
Most people judge others because it boosts one’s self image. It is simply enjoyed by the criticizer and makes one feel better than the other person. It allows one to justify their decisions at the expense of someone else’s decisions. And unfortunately it is an outlet for one to hurt or show revenge to the one who possibly failed.
We should not judge, first, because the scripture tells us not to judge. Secondly, we do not know all the circumstances and facts. All people fall short and when we fall short we want someone to comfort us, to show compassion and to lend a helping hand.
God is our final judge and believers will be judged by the quality of fruit they produce. This fruit cannot be judged by earthly values but by heavenly values. Galatians 5:22 lists the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness and faithfulness.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:22.
But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.
PRAYER:
Help our family to be slow to judge others and quick to judge ourselves. Help us to produce the fruits of the spirit that will draw people to You and not away. Help us to lead others by Your love and do this as a humble servant of our Lord and Savior.
July 17, 2011
Correction: July 14, 2011
JULY 14 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JULY 14, 2011.
CORRECTION
DEFINITION:
The act of correcting; something that is proposed or substituted for what is wrong; punishment; discipline.
SCRIPTURE:
A fool despises his father’s instruction, but he who receives correction is prudent. Psalm 15:5.
Do not withhold correction from a child. Psalm 23:13.
KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING:
As we look back on how we were corrected as children and how we corrected our children one thing stands out above everything else. When standards and boundaries were set and discipline for breaking those standards or boundaries were made clear, it made correction so much easier.
Correction is needed today for all ages. This is because we were all born into an evil world and doing things right is difficult because others, who do not know Jesus, do not have a godly standard of right and wrong. We also would like to add that just because one calls himself a Christian it does not mean that everything that person does is perfect.
Children constantly need to be reminded about the difference between right and wrong. As parents we are not to withhold correction from a child (above verse). Teenagers, most of the time, know when they are doing things that deserves correction and they try to keep what they are doing from being discovered by their parents. They cave in to the pressures of their peers and continue to do what they know they should not be doing. The minute a parent sees one of their children being wrongly influenced by a friend, a group of friends or an acquaintance, the parent must step in to rectify the situation.
Not everyone appreciates correction, but David did. He felt indebted to those who corrected him and realized how much he owed them. In Psalm 141:5 he said, “Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. Let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it.”
Correction is a kindness. David suggests that correction is an act of loyalty. Loyal friends will correct one another, even when it is painful and disruptive to relationships. It is one of the ways we show love and help one another to grow stronger in the Lord. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” A true friend will give advice as to what a person needs to hear not what they want to hear, even though the advice might be painful.
It takes grace, especially for a loyal friend, to give godly correction. But it takes even more grace to receive it. In II Samuel 12:13 David received correction from Nathan concerning his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. David immediately confessed his sin and repented. But for many of us, we would be inclined to refuse it under similar circumstances. We resent interference and do not want to be found out concerning things we are ashamed of and do not want to be known.
Growth through grace for the believer sometimes comes through the kind but unpleasant correction of a loyal friend. Think for a moment of times in your life a loyal friend, like a spouse, has corrected you. Did you admit that you needed to be corrected and did you allow the correction to be of help spiritually? In Proverbs 15:5 it reads that “He who receives correction is prudent and wise.” We should never refuse correction even if it is painful. We learn through being corrected. Correction brings wisdom.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:22.
But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
PRAYER:
Help our family to understand that correction from a loyal friend can help us change for the better and be more Christ like. Help us to grow in the wisdom that comes from Your correction and to live a godly life that is consistent so that we reduce the amount of criticism that comes our way.
CORRECTION
DEFINITION:
The act of correcting; something that is proposed or substituted for what is wrong; punishment; discipline.
SCRIPTURE:
A fool despises his father’s instruction, but he who receives correction is prudent. Psalm 15:5.
Do not withhold correction from a child. Psalm 23:13.
KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING:
As we look back on how we were corrected as children and how we corrected our children one thing stands out above everything else. When standards and boundaries were set and discipline for breaking those standards or boundaries were made clear, it made correction so much easier.
Correction is needed today for all ages. This is because we were all born into an evil world and doing things right is difficult because others, who do not know Jesus, do not have a godly standard of right and wrong. We also would like to add that just because one calls himself a Christian it does not mean that everything that person does is perfect.
Children constantly need to be reminded about the difference between right and wrong. As parents we are not to withhold correction from a child (above verse). Teenagers, most of the time, know when they are doing things that deserves correction and they try to keep what they are doing from being discovered by their parents. They cave in to the pressures of their peers and continue to do what they know they should not be doing. The minute a parent sees one of their children being wrongly influenced by a friend, a group of friends or an acquaintance, the parent must step in to rectify the situation.
Not everyone appreciates correction, but David did. He felt indebted to those who corrected him and realized how much he owed them. In Psalm 141:5 he said, “Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. Let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it.”
Correction is a kindness. David suggests that correction is an act of loyalty. Loyal friends will correct one another, even when it is painful and disruptive to relationships. It is one of the ways we show love and help one another to grow stronger in the Lord. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” A true friend will give advice as to what a person needs to hear not what they want to hear, even though the advice might be painful.
It takes grace, especially for a loyal friend, to give godly correction. But it takes even more grace to receive it. In II Samuel 12:13 David received correction from Nathan concerning his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. David immediately confessed his sin and repented. But for many of us, we would be inclined to refuse it under similar circumstances. We resent interference and do not want to be found out concerning things we are ashamed of and do not want to be known.
Growth through grace for the believer sometimes comes through the kind but unpleasant correction of a loyal friend. Think for a moment of times in your life a loyal friend, like a spouse, has corrected you. Did you admit that you needed to be corrected and did you allow the correction to be of help spiritually? In Proverbs 15:5 it reads that “He who receives correction is prudent and wise.” We should never refuse correction even if it is painful. We learn through being corrected. Correction brings wisdom.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:22.
But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
PRAYER:
Help our family to understand that correction from a loyal friend can help us change for the better and be more Christ like. Help us to grow in the wisdom that comes from Your correction and to live a godly life that is consistent so that we reduce the amount of criticism that comes our way.
Discipleship: July 13, 2011
JULY 13 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 13, 2011.
DISCIPLESHIP
DEFINITION:
To teach or train; to convert into a disciple.
SCRIPTURE:
Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Mark 1: 17-18.
KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING:
We are convinced that one of the greatest needs today is training of those that believe in Jesus to be disciples of Jesus. One of the great problems in our world is that so many who believe in Jesus just sit back and feel they are living their faith but are doing nothing to reach out to their world and share their faith.
In the last several days we have had six emails from Nigeria, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Kenya and a second one from Nigeria. In each case there is a pastor or an evangelist who has stepped out to share his faith in public places, schools and on the street. They have no one to help disciple the converts and as a result they have requested us to help them develop a discipleship program to help them teach and train these new converts to be disciples of Jesus.
Look at the verses above and see what Jesus did. First Jesus called the men and asked them to follow Him. That is where it begins today. If you know Jesus and are not telling others about Him you need to respond to His call.
Many will say that they cannot respond because they are not financially able, not a good communicator, do not have many friends and the list of excuses goes on and on. Jesus called simple men. The disciples were not religious leaders of the day. They were not political leaders or powerful men. They were not of the priestly or ministerial profession and they were not students in schools of higher learning.
They were ordinary men, just like you and me, simple laypeople engaged in the affairs of life just like most of the laymen of their day. But God called them because they did have some special qualities that God wanted in His disciples.
They were industrious and hard working. They were visionary men looking for the Messiah and ready to follow Him. They were cooperative men. They were successful in whatever field they were in but also in their success were sacrificial and considerate. They were tough fishermen, tax collectors, business men and zealots who gave up everything to follow Jesus and be discipled by Him. What these ordinary men had in common was that they were willing to give their all to do what Jesus asked of them.
Please remember that Jesus is not content to be just our “fire insurance” saving us from eternal punishment and an eternity in hell. He first of all wants us to know who He is and then wants to connect with us on a deeper level so we can represent Him to the world we live in.
Knowing Jesus is not a religion about rules and regulations but a relationship in which you can find companionship, comfort, wisdom and reality. You will be so blessed when you trust Jesus to lead you into a life beyond rituals into a life of really knowing Him as your friend and companion who is with you always. Then you will know the wonderful joy of following Him as the disciples did.
We challenge you to start preparing today to be a disciple of Jesus and get to know and love Him better more and more each day.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:22.
But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
PRAYER:
Thank You for saving me and giving me the joy of knowing that I will spend an eternity with You in heaven. Help me and my family to understand that to know Jesus is to love Jesus. Make us disciples that will live our lives honoring You and proclaiming Your gospel to a hurting world.
DISCIPLESHIP
DEFINITION:
To teach or train; to convert into a disciple.
SCRIPTURE:
Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Mark 1: 17-18.
KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING:
We are convinced that one of the greatest needs today is training of those that believe in Jesus to be disciples of Jesus. One of the great problems in our world is that so many who believe in Jesus just sit back and feel they are living their faith but are doing nothing to reach out to their world and share their faith.
In the last several days we have had six emails from Nigeria, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Kenya and a second one from Nigeria. In each case there is a pastor or an evangelist who has stepped out to share his faith in public places, schools and on the street. They have no one to help disciple the converts and as a result they have requested us to help them develop a discipleship program to help them teach and train these new converts to be disciples of Jesus.
Look at the verses above and see what Jesus did. First Jesus called the men and asked them to follow Him. That is where it begins today. If you know Jesus and are not telling others about Him you need to respond to His call.
Many will say that they cannot respond because they are not financially able, not a good communicator, do not have many friends and the list of excuses goes on and on. Jesus called simple men. The disciples were not religious leaders of the day. They were not political leaders or powerful men. They were not of the priestly or ministerial profession and they were not students in schools of higher learning.
They were ordinary men, just like you and me, simple laypeople engaged in the affairs of life just like most of the laymen of their day. But God called them because they did have some special qualities that God wanted in His disciples.
They were industrious and hard working. They were visionary men looking for the Messiah and ready to follow Him. They were cooperative men. They were successful in whatever field they were in but also in their success were sacrificial and considerate. They were tough fishermen, tax collectors, business men and zealots who gave up everything to follow Jesus and be discipled by Him. What these ordinary men had in common was that they were willing to give their all to do what Jesus asked of them.
Please remember that Jesus is not content to be just our “fire insurance” saving us from eternal punishment and an eternity in hell. He first of all wants us to know who He is and then wants to connect with us on a deeper level so we can represent Him to the world we live in.
Knowing Jesus is not a religion about rules and regulations but a relationship in which you can find companionship, comfort, wisdom and reality. You will be so blessed when you trust Jesus to lead you into a life beyond rituals into a life of really knowing Him as your friend and companion who is with you always. Then you will know the wonderful joy of following Him as the disciples did.
We challenge you to start preparing today to be a disciple of Jesus and get to know and love Him better more and more each day.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:22.
But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
PRAYER:
Thank You for saving me and giving me the joy of knowing that I will spend an eternity with You in heaven. Help me and my family to understand that to know Jesus is to love Jesus. Make us disciples that will live our lives honoring You and proclaiming Your gospel to a hurting world.
Confrontation: July 12, 2011
JULY 12 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JULY 12, 2011
CONFRONTATION
DEFINITION:
To stand or come in front of; to be in ones way; oppose; face to face; an open conflict of opposing ideas; to face in hostility.
SCRIPTURE:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,’ but I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” Matthew 5:38-39
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Far too often we are faced with situations that in our mind, invites confrontation. Before you confront someone for something said or done you need to carefully read what Jesus said about confrontation. It is our natural reaction to want to retaliate and confront the one that irritates us or speaks some untruth, but that is not what God wants from us as believers in Him.
We had a very good minister friend that had a large church in south Los Angeles some years ago. His name was Rev. E.V. Hill and he was known all across America. We can remember him telling us what he had said to his congregation the Sunday after there was a disturbance close to his church. He said, “Some people believe in an eye for an eye, but in this neighborhood it is two eyes for an eye.” He went on to preach that you can never even the score you can only raise the stakes.
It happens every day. On a school playground a student gets pushed. In a home a sibling bumps, possibly on purpose, another sibling as they pass each other. A driver in a car forces you out of your lane. All of these situations and many more often grow quickly into a fight. It is a process of retaliation, confrontation and escalation that results from an attitude of revenge. Revenge is the desire to even the score.
Most children get into fights because they feel they must even the score for some issue that they did not like. What parent hasn’t heard these words: “He (or she) started it.” When adults take actions of revenge they justify their response with the excuse of doing only what was done to them.
In Matthew 5 (above verse) Jesus tackles this key relational issue. He tells us to accept personal injury without retaliation. The person who slaps with his right hand, which most people do, has to strike with the back of his hand in order to slap the right cheek. In Jesus day hitting with the back of a hand was a way to insult or show disrespect rather than for the purpose of physically hurting or injuring. When you then turn the other cheek you send the message that you are following Christ’s example and returning good for evil. Before He was crucified Jesus was insulted, mocked, spit upon and beaten and yet He never retaliated.
By reacting in this manner the message you send is one of love and forgiveness. Someone once said that to return good for good is natural but to return good for evil is supernatural. When we are confronted with evil and treated badly we will only escalate the situation if we try to get even. Instead we must turn the matter over to God and allow Him to bring justice.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:22.
But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
PRAYER:
Lord, help me not to retaliate when someone wants to pick a fight by harassing me or insulting me. Instead give me the strength and faith to turn the other cheek and show Your love through me and then do what is right. May my response be a testimony of Your love to those that witness how I respond.
CONFRONTATION
DEFINITION:
To stand or come in front of; to be in ones way; oppose; face to face; an open conflict of opposing ideas; to face in hostility.
SCRIPTURE:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,’ but I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” Matthew 5:38-39
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Far too often we are faced with situations that in our mind, invites confrontation. Before you confront someone for something said or done you need to carefully read what Jesus said about confrontation. It is our natural reaction to want to retaliate and confront the one that irritates us or speaks some untruth, but that is not what God wants from us as believers in Him.
We had a very good minister friend that had a large church in south Los Angeles some years ago. His name was Rev. E.V. Hill and he was known all across America. We can remember him telling us what he had said to his congregation the Sunday after there was a disturbance close to his church. He said, “Some people believe in an eye for an eye, but in this neighborhood it is two eyes for an eye.” He went on to preach that you can never even the score you can only raise the stakes.
It happens every day. On a school playground a student gets pushed. In a home a sibling bumps, possibly on purpose, another sibling as they pass each other. A driver in a car forces you out of your lane. All of these situations and many more often grow quickly into a fight. It is a process of retaliation, confrontation and escalation that results from an attitude of revenge. Revenge is the desire to even the score.
Most children get into fights because they feel they must even the score for some issue that they did not like. What parent hasn’t heard these words: “He (or she) started it.” When adults take actions of revenge they justify their response with the excuse of doing only what was done to them.
In Matthew 5 (above verse) Jesus tackles this key relational issue. He tells us to accept personal injury without retaliation. The person who slaps with his right hand, which most people do, has to strike with the back of his hand in order to slap the right cheek. In Jesus day hitting with the back of a hand was a way to insult or show disrespect rather than for the purpose of physically hurting or injuring. When you then turn the other cheek you send the message that you are following Christ’s example and returning good for evil. Before He was crucified Jesus was insulted, mocked, spit upon and beaten and yet He never retaliated.
By reacting in this manner the message you send is one of love and forgiveness. Someone once said that to return good for good is natural but to return good for evil is supernatural. When we are confronted with evil and treated badly we will only escalate the situation if we try to get even. Instead we must turn the matter over to God and allow Him to bring justice.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:22.
But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
PRAYER:
Lord, help me not to retaliate when someone wants to pick a fight by harassing me or insulting me. Instead give me the strength and faith to turn the other cheek and show Your love through me and then do what is right. May my response be a testimony of Your love to those that witness how I respond.
Godliness: July 11, 2011
JULY 11 2011. TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JULY 11, 2011.
GODLINESS
DEFINITION:
Conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout, religious, saintly, holy, righteous and good.
SCRIPTURE:
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise to the life that now is and of that which is to come. I Timothy 4:8.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In this verse (above) the believer is compared to an athlete. The believer is to exercise himself in godliness as much as an Olympic athlete exercises his body. Think about how much energy, effort, time, and dedication an Olympic athlete puts into his training?
In 2006 an Olympic runner named Dean Karnazes completed the 26.2-mile New York Marathon race. This marked the end of an almost impossible feat of endurance because he had run 50 such Marathon’s in 50 states in 50 days. The level of fitness this required was literally relentless, dedicated training.
Our physical bodies need exercise to keep them healthy and strong but there is limited profit or benefit in it as Paul says (above verse). People put a lot of emphasis on physical fitness but neglect their spiritual fitness which, Paul says, has great benefit.
Paul told Timothy that it took much more than a relaxed approach to live a God-honoring life. For the believer, if godliness is going to be your goal in life then all your energy, effort, time and dedication are to be given over to godliness. Godliness requires spiritual exercise which is profitable.
The reason for this should be clear to the believer. Godliness bears fruit, great fruit, both in this life and the life to come. God promises to bless the godly believer not only while he walks upon this earth but when he receives his eternal life to come.
In a culture marked by evil and false teaching along with self indulgence and self-denial, Paul instructs you to exercise (train) yourself toward godliness. Our bodies and our minds are to be dedicated to God and prepared for His service. Our goal should be to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. The process to obtain a godliness life is vigorous study of the Word, focused prayer and discipline. How well we train affects how well we run our race of life. Godly exercise is the key to godly character.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:22.
But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
PRAYER:
Thank You that You are not slack concerning Your promises. Help me and my family to be committed to increasing our spiritual strength so that we will be a godly family that honors and blesses You in all we do.
GODLINESS
DEFINITION:
Conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout, religious, saintly, holy, righteous and good.
SCRIPTURE:
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise to the life that now is and of that which is to come. I Timothy 4:8.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In this verse (above) the believer is compared to an athlete. The believer is to exercise himself in godliness as much as an Olympic athlete exercises his body. Think about how much energy, effort, time, and dedication an Olympic athlete puts into his training?
In 2006 an Olympic runner named Dean Karnazes completed the 26.2-mile New York Marathon race. This marked the end of an almost impossible feat of endurance because he had run 50 such Marathon’s in 50 states in 50 days. The level of fitness this required was literally relentless, dedicated training.
Our physical bodies need exercise to keep them healthy and strong but there is limited profit or benefit in it as Paul says (above verse). People put a lot of emphasis on physical fitness but neglect their spiritual fitness which, Paul says, has great benefit.
Paul told Timothy that it took much more than a relaxed approach to live a God-honoring life. For the believer, if godliness is going to be your goal in life then all your energy, effort, time and dedication are to be given over to godliness. Godliness requires spiritual exercise which is profitable.
The reason for this should be clear to the believer. Godliness bears fruit, great fruit, both in this life and the life to come. God promises to bless the godly believer not only while he walks upon this earth but when he receives his eternal life to come.
In a culture marked by evil and false teaching along with self indulgence and self-denial, Paul instructs you to exercise (train) yourself toward godliness. Our bodies and our minds are to be dedicated to God and prepared for His service. Our goal should be to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. The process to obtain a godliness life is vigorous study of the Word, focused prayer and discipline. How well we train affects how well we run our race of life. Godly exercise is the key to godly character.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in James 1:22.
But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
PRAYER:
Thank You that You are not slack concerning Your promises. Help me and my family to be committed to increasing our spiritual strength so that we will be a godly family that honors and blesses You in all we do.
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