GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY AUGUST 11, 2012.
PROVERB
A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but the Lord condemns a crafty man. Proverbs 12:2.
PROMISE
The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming. For the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. Psalm 37: 12, 13, 17.
PRAISE
You are my Rock and fortress. Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of evil and cruel men. My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame. Psalm 71: 3, 4, 24.
August 12, 2012
Reverence: August 10, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 10, 2012
REVERENCE
DEFINITION:
A feeling or attitude of deep respect, tinged with awe; profound adoration.
SCRIPTURE:
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Hebrews 12:28.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
All across our world today there is a lack of reverence seen or felt when one talks about God. Most people have lost their deep respect for God and have no feeling of awe when they think about God. The problem is simply they are their own god. They worship “self.”
On any given day you can hear the word “GOD” spoken. Unfortunately, it is most often spoken irrevently rather then with reverence. The third commandment of the Ten Commandments is: “Do not misuse the name of the Lord for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” This commandment is broken on a regular basis by many and when broken it shows irreverence to God.
When we understand who God really is then we will not misuse the name of the Lord. We cannot comprehend God as He really is apart from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. Jesus is the complete revelation of what God is like. Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) Until Jesus comes into our lives we cannot be in awe of all that God is. Even though we cannot see God, we can know Him and when we get to know Him we will stand in awe of Him.
Moses asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18) but God told him no man could see His face and live. It is God’s glory that demands reverence. God’s glory is His majestic splendor.
There are many words referring to God in the scriptures and these words characterize Him: God is Holy, Majestic, Pure, Just, Almighty, Merciful, All-knowing, All-powerful, Ever-present, Eternal and our Creator. When we stop and think about these attributes of God we can begin to comprehend who He is and we cannot help but revere Him with awe and godly fear. The most fundamental description of God is “HOLY.” God’s holiness is more than just an attribute; it is the essence of who He is. Our response to God’s holiness can only be reverential awe.
As believers in Jesus we should desire to worship Him with reverence and in awe, and serve Him with godly fear and respect. Today we get caught up in the “things” of life and forget to daily revere and serve God with fear and respect, as the scripture tells us. With reverence for God comes obedience.
Reverence for God will compel us to live our life with caution, with discretion and with circumspection so that our life honors God. God is to be held in awe because He is the sovereign Lord of all. When we really know God and reverence Him we will desire to serve Him and then love, gentleness, joy, faith, goodness, peace, meekness and self control will be evident in our life.
Reverence, obedience, honor, service, bearing fruit and telling others about Jesus is a list that all of us must work at daily.
If asked, most people would say they reverence God. If so we wonder why it is not evident by the way they live. Do they think it is too hard or will it cost too much? What is your response?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:11
Your Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You.
PRAYER:
Each day we are in awe with deep reverence for You and all that You have done for us. It is our prayer today that our words and deeds will show others how much we revere You and Your name. Make this a special day when we can experience with awe your blessings in our lives.
REVERENCE
DEFINITION:
A feeling or attitude of deep respect, tinged with awe; profound adoration.
SCRIPTURE:
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Hebrews 12:28.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
All across our world today there is a lack of reverence seen or felt when one talks about God. Most people have lost their deep respect for God and have no feeling of awe when they think about God. The problem is simply they are their own god. They worship “self.”
On any given day you can hear the word “GOD” spoken. Unfortunately, it is most often spoken irrevently rather then with reverence. The third commandment of the Ten Commandments is: “Do not misuse the name of the Lord for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” This commandment is broken on a regular basis by many and when broken it shows irreverence to God.
When we understand who God really is then we will not misuse the name of the Lord. We cannot comprehend God as He really is apart from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. Jesus is the complete revelation of what God is like. Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) Until Jesus comes into our lives we cannot be in awe of all that God is. Even though we cannot see God, we can know Him and when we get to know Him we will stand in awe of Him.
Moses asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18) but God told him no man could see His face and live. It is God’s glory that demands reverence. God’s glory is His majestic splendor.
There are many words referring to God in the scriptures and these words characterize Him: God is Holy, Majestic, Pure, Just, Almighty, Merciful, All-knowing, All-powerful, Ever-present, Eternal and our Creator. When we stop and think about these attributes of God we can begin to comprehend who He is and we cannot help but revere Him with awe and godly fear. The most fundamental description of God is “HOLY.” God’s holiness is more than just an attribute; it is the essence of who He is. Our response to God’s holiness can only be reverential awe.
As believers in Jesus we should desire to worship Him with reverence and in awe, and serve Him with godly fear and respect. Today we get caught up in the “things” of life and forget to daily revere and serve God with fear and respect, as the scripture tells us. With reverence for God comes obedience.
Reverence for God will compel us to live our life with caution, with discretion and with circumspection so that our life honors God. God is to be held in awe because He is the sovereign Lord of all. When we really know God and reverence Him we will desire to serve Him and then love, gentleness, joy, faith, goodness, peace, meekness and self control will be evident in our life.
Reverence, obedience, honor, service, bearing fruit and telling others about Jesus is a list that all of us must work at daily.
If asked, most people would say they reverence God. If so we wonder why it is not evident by the way they live. Do they think it is too hard or will it cost too much? What is your response?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:11
Your Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You.
PRAYER:
Each day we are in awe with deep reverence for You and all that You have done for us. It is our prayer today that our words and deeds will show others how much we revere You and Your name. Make this a special day when we can experience with awe your blessings in our lives.
Legacy: August 9, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 9, 2012.
LEGACY
DEFINITION:
Something handed down or received from a predecessor; heritage; a gift of personal property or money.
SCRIPTURE:
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. II Timothy 1:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Family is very important to us and we have a legacy to build on. A legacy is usually thought of as personal property that is willed to a descendent. However we feel there is a much more valuable legacy that one should leave to their children. The legacy we want to leave is a legacy of godly standards and values. We were left a great legacy to follow by our parents and we continually work on leaving a God-honoring legacy for our children, grandchildren and generations to come.
Our parents lived their lives based on biblical principles and as far back as we can remember taught us that knowing Jesus as our Savior was the most important decision we would make in life. This legacy we have passed on to our children and now to our grandchildren.
In Joshua 24:15 Joshua states his choice of the legacy he wanted to hand down to the Children of Israel. Joshua said, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” In II Timothy 1:3, Paul reminds Timothy of the legacy of faith that he had received from his grandmother and mother.
The most important thing we can pass down to our children and grand-children is our faith. This is the confident conviction that we have knowing that God is who He says He is and will do all that He has promised. Today we want to share with you several examples on how we can hand down a rich legacy to the generations that follow us.
First, we must consistently teach the fundamental biblical principles that God has given us to our children and their children. Moses tells us explicitly what we must teach our children. We are to teach them that “the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. You shall teach them diligently to your children.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)
We then must offer them a model character on how to live their life. Being obedient to the Lord and having a Christ centered lifestyle is vital to teaching children about the Lord. How we live communicates to our children what we really do believe about God. If we say one thing and do another, children are quick to see a double standard.
We need to show how we serve God by serving others. Actions show that our faith is real. The life of Jesus is a model of humility and servant hood. As those that love the Lord we should desire to be like Christ. If we do not want our children to develop a self-centered perspective of life then we must follow Christ’s example and have a servant attitude and show our children how to serve others.
We need to show our children that we pray for them and teach them to pray for others. Children do not forget if they hear someone pray for them. And finally we need to always communicate love to our children showing them how God loves us. Our love needs to be unconditional and not based on what a child does or does not do. Show your children love by what you say to them and how you act around them.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:11.
Your Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You.
PRAYER:
Help us as parents to be diligent about leading and teaching our children in the ways of the Lord. Help us to be committed to leave a godly legacy, through the way we live our lives, to generations that follow.
LEGACY
DEFINITION:
Something handed down or received from a predecessor; heritage; a gift of personal property or money.
SCRIPTURE:
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. II Timothy 1:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Family is very important to us and we have a legacy to build on. A legacy is usually thought of as personal property that is willed to a descendent. However we feel there is a much more valuable legacy that one should leave to their children. The legacy we want to leave is a legacy of godly standards and values. We were left a great legacy to follow by our parents and we continually work on leaving a God-honoring legacy for our children, grandchildren and generations to come.
Our parents lived their lives based on biblical principles and as far back as we can remember taught us that knowing Jesus as our Savior was the most important decision we would make in life. This legacy we have passed on to our children and now to our grandchildren.
In Joshua 24:15 Joshua states his choice of the legacy he wanted to hand down to the Children of Israel. Joshua said, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” In II Timothy 1:3, Paul reminds Timothy of the legacy of faith that he had received from his grandmother and mother.
The most important thing we can pass down to our children and grand-children is our faith. This is the confident conviction that we have knowing that God is who He says He is and will do all that He has promised. Today we want to share with you several examples on how we can hand down a rich legacy to the generations that follow us.
First, we must consistently teach the fundamental biblical principles that God has given us to our children and their children. Moses tells us explicitly what we must teach our children. We are to teach them that “the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. You shall teach them diligently to your children.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)
We then must offer them a model character on how to live their life. Being obedient to the Lord and having a Christ centered lifestyle is vital to teaching children about the Lord. How we live communicates to our children what we really do believe about God. If we say one thing and do another, children are quick to see a double standard.
We need to show how we serve God by serving others. Actions show that our faith is real. The life of Jesus is a model of humility and servant hood. As those that love the Lord we should desire to be like Christ. If we do not want our children to develop a self-centered perspective of life then we must follow Christ’s example and have a servant attitude and show our children how to serve others.
We need to show our children that we pray for them and teach them to pray for others. Children do not forget if they hear someone pray for them. And finally we need to always communicate love to our children showing them how God loves us. Our love needs to be unconditional and not based on what a child does or does not do. Show your children love by what you say to them and how you act around them.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:11.
Your Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You.
PRAYER:
Help us as parents to be diligent about leading and teaching our children in the ways of the Lord. Help us to be committed to leave a godly legacy, through the way we live our lives, to generations that follow.
Prayer: August 8, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8, 2012.
PRAYER
DEFINITION:
A supplication to God; entreaty; petition; conversation with God, in praise, thanksgiving or intercession.
SCRIPTURE:
Now He was telling them a parable to show that all the times they ought to pray and not lose heart. Luke 18:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We have written several devotionals on prayer but this time we want to share with you some thoughts on unanswered prayer. In this parable found in Luke 18:1-8, Jesus talks about a thoroughly wicked and unjust judge and the frustrations of a widow who had repeatedly asked the judge for justice against an enemy who had wronged her. The judge had refused. Often we may pray and wait for a long time for an answer. God may delay for a long time but when He delays He does so for a good reason. When He does act He will act according to His will and what is best for us. It is often quick and in an unexpected way.
One of the biggest struggles most believer’s have is the issue of unanswered prayer. Maybe you can relate because we do. You ask God to rescue a friend from some sort of addiction, to grant salvation to a family member, to heal a sick child or to mend a relationship. All of these things you feel are in the will of God. Possibly you have prayed for years and still no answer, you hear nothing from God and you see no results. Your friend still has the addiction problem, your family members still have not accepted Christ and the child you have been praying for still is very sick.
You remind the Lord daily of your requests because you know that He is all powerful and He can meet these needs. You plead and remind God that your request is real and you need an answer. When your prayer is unanswered you begin to doubt. Maybe you begin to think that He just does not hear you or you question how powerful He really is.
We may sometimes feel we are like the persistent widow in the parable that Jesus taught. She keeps coming to the judge, badgering him and trying to wear him down so that he will give in and give her the protection she is asking for. The judge neither feared God nor cared about people. (Luke 18:2) He lacked the two most important attributes to be a just judge. The women’s persistence caused the judge to relent. It was only because the woman did not give up that she received justice. God is a just God who always does what is right. What Jesus wants us to see in this parable is that if an unjust judge would respond to persistent pleas, how much more will God, who is not only just but loving and merciful, answer our persistent prayers. As He told His disciples we must pray at all times and never give up.
Our Lord expects us to keep on praying, trust Him and wait. Delay is not a denial, so keep on praying, and in God’s perfect timing He will answer your prayers and in His perfect way.
Patience is not a virtue of most of us so waiting is not easy. We must remember that God is in control and He is our Father and we are His children and He wants what is best for us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:11.
Your Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You.
PRAYER:
Give me the stamina to keep praying day by day and not lose heart when my prayer is not answered quickly. Thank you that I am assured that You hear my prayers and that the answers will come in Your perfect time. Thank You that You have given me the privilege to bring my requests before Your throne of grace.
PRAYER
DEFINITION:
A supplication to God; entreaty; petition; conversation with God, in praise, thanksgiving or intercession.
SCRIPTURE:
Now He was telling them a parable to show that all the times they ought to pray and not lose heart. Luke 18:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We have written several devotionals on prayer but this time we want to share with you some thoughts on unanswered prayer. In this parable found in Luke 18:1-8, Jesus talks about a thoroughly wicked and unjust judge and the frustrations of a widow who had repeatedly asked the judge for justice against an enemy who had wronged her. The judge had refused. Often we may pray and wait for a long time for an answer. God may delay for a long time but when He delays He does so for a good reason. When He does act He will act according to His will and what is best for us. It is often quick and in an unexpected way.
One of the biggest struggles most believer’s have is the issue of unanswered prayer. Maybe you can relate because we do. You ask God to rescue a friend from some sort of addiction, to grant salvation to a family member, to heal a sick child or to mend a relationship. All of these things you feel are in the will of God. Possibly you have prayed for years and still no answer, you hear nothing from God and you see no results. Your friend still has the addiction problem, your family members still have not accepted Christ and the child you have been praying for still is very sick.
You remind the Lord daily of your requests because you know that He is all powerful and He can meet these needs. You plead and remind God that your request is real and you need an answer. When your prayer is unanswered you begin to doubt. Maybe you begin to think that He just does not hear you or you question how powerful He really is.
We may sometimes feel we are like the persistent widow in the parable that Jesus taught. She keeps coming to the judge, badgering him and trying to wear him down so that he will give in and give her the protection she is asking for. The judge neither feared God nor cared about people. (Luke 18:2) He lacked the two most important attributes to be a just judge. The women’s persistence caused the judge to relent. It was only because the woman did not give up that she received justice. God is a just God who always does what is right. What Jesus wants us to see in this parable is that if an unjust judge would respond to persistent pleas, how much more will God, who is not only just but loving and merciful, answer our persistent prayers. As He told His disciples we must pray at all times and never give up.
Our Lord expects us to keep on praying, trust Him and wait. Delay is not a denial, so keep on praying, and in God’s perfect timing He will answer your prayers and in His perfect way.
Patience is not a virtue of most of us so waiting is not easy. We must remember that God is in control and He is our Father and we are His children and He wants what is best for us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:11.
Your Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You.
PRAYER:
Give me the stamina to keep praying day by day and not lose heart when my prayer is not answered quickly. Thank you that I am assured that You hear my prayers and that the answers will come in Your perfect time. Thank You that You have given me the privilege to bring my requests before Your throne of grace.
Defeat: August 7, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 7, 2012.
DEFEAT
DEFINITION:
Conquer or overcome; overwhelm; overthrow or rout; to destroy; to have victory over.
SCRIPTURE:
And He began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. Mark 8:31
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels, nor demons, neither the present or the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Do you find it difficult at times to believe that your situation can ever be better or that something good can come from it? The disciples who walked with Jesus were completely devastated, doubting and defeated after the crucifixion. The Savior had told them, in the verse above from Mark, what was going to happen with Him.
They simply could not see past their human perceptions or expectations of what was happening. Their expectation and hope was that Jesus had come as a conquering Messiah to defeat their enemies and free them from Roman rule. Now their Messiah was defeated and put to death by the Romans. The disciples were brokenhearted, despondent and feeling absolutely helpless. Deep within their hearts, they believed it was all over. They had seen Jesus suffer and die on the cross with their own eyes. All of their hopes and dreams had been dashed.
How often do you get caught up in this same attitude of defeat? It is because you are overwhelmed by your circumstances because you are focused on your limited comprehension instead of God's awesome purposes for our lives. You need to see past your imperfect understanding of what is happening in your life to our extraordinary Lord and Redeemer and then your heart will be filled with joy. Let us look at the disciples after the resurrection of Jesus to see what they discovered.
First, they were able to realize that God always succeeds in carrying out His plans. Jesus did come as the conquering Messiah but not to conquer the Romans, but to conquer death. Jesus promised to pay the penalty for our sins and deliver us from the penalty of death and He did. (Luke 24:45-48)
The disciples saw Jesus’ death as the end of Jesus’ plan and as a great defeat. It wasn’t until after Jesus’ resurrection that they saw a great victory. Jesus defeated death on the cross and fulfilled God’s plan of salvation for us. In verse 45 it says that “then He opened their eyes so that they could understand.” The same will happen in your life when you accept God’s plan of salvation and ask Jesus to save you. No matter how great your sin, be assured He has defeated death and conquered every sin.
Secondly, the disciples learned that nothing can separate us from God. Paul assures us in Romans 8:31-39 that no matter what hardship or defeat we may suffer it is impossible for those who trust in the Lord to be separated from God. God's love will reach us no matter where we are or what circumstances we are in or even how defeated we think we are. As Christians we will face hardships in this life but not one thing can separate us from the love of God. The disciples thought they had lost Jesus through the crucifixion but the resurrection assured them that they would never be without Him again. We have the same assurance.
Thirdly, the disciples discovered that any adversity we experience is temporary because Jesus has given us eternal life. You may feel that you are facing defeat because your situation is so grave. You may be weary and disheartened, but do not give up hope. Cling to the promise that God acts on behalf of those of us who wait upon Him. Keep seeking Him and you will overcome your feeling of defeat.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:11.
Your Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You.
PRAYER:
Thank You heavenly Father, for fulfilling Your promised plan of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You that I do not have to feel defeated because You are a mighty God who will make me victorious over every evil situation that Satan will use to defeat me. Thank You that nothing can separate me from Your love.
DEFEAT
DEFINITION:
Conquer or overcome; overwhelm; overthrow or rout; to destroy; to have victory over.
SCRIPTURE:
And He began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. Mark 8:31
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels, nor demons, neither the present or the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Do you find it difficult at times to believe that your situation can ever be better or that something good can come from it? The disciples who walked with Jesus were completely devastated, doubting and defeated after the crucifixion. The Savior had told them, in the verse above from Mark, what was going to happen with Him.
They simply could not see past their human perceptions or expectations of what was happening. Their expectation and hope was that Jesus had come as a conquering Messiah to defeat their enemies and free them from Roman rule. Now their Messiah was defeated and put to death by the Romans. The disciples were brokenhearted, despondent and feeling absolutely helpless. Deep within their hearts, they believed it was all over. They had seen Jesus suffer and die on the cross with their own eyes. All of their hopes and dreams had been dashed.
How often do you get caught up in this same attitude of defeat? It is because you are overwhelmed by your circumstances because you are focused on your limited comprehension instead of God's awesome purposes for our lives. You need to see past your imperfect understanding of what is happening in your life to our extraordinary Lord and Redeemer and then your heart will be filled with joy. Let us look at the disciples after the resurrection of Jesus to see what they discovered.
First, they were able to realize that God always succeeds in carrying out His plans. Jesus did come as the conquering Messiah but not to conquer the Romans, but to conquer death. Jesus promised to pay the penalty for our sins and deliver us from the penalty of death and He did. (Luke 24:45-48)
The disciples saw Jesus’ death as the end of Jesus’ plan and as a great defeat. It wasn’t until after Jesus’ resurrection that they saw a great victory. Jesus defeated death on the cross and fulfilled God’s plan of salvation for us. In verse 45 it says that “then He opened their eyes so that they could understand.” The same will happen in your life when you accept God’s plan of salvation and ask Jesus to save you. No matter how great your sin, be assured He has defeated death and conquered every sin.
Secondly, the disciples learned that nothing can separate us from God. Paul assures us in Romans 8:31-39 that no matter what hardship or defeat we may suffer it is impossible for those who trust in the Lord to be separated from God. God's love will reach us no matter where we are or what circumstances we are in or even how defeated we think we are. As Christians we will face hardships in this life but not one thing can separate us from the love of God. The disciples thought they had lost Jesus through the crucifixion but the resurrection assured them that they would never be without Him again. We have the same assurance.
Thirdly, the disciples discovered that any adversity we experience is temporary because Jesus has given us eternal life. You may feel that you are facing defeat because your situation is so grave. You may be weary and disheartened, but do not give up hope. Cling to the promise that God acts on behalf of those of us who wait upon Him. Keep seeking Him and you will overcome your feeling of defeat.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:11.
Your Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You.
PRAYER:
Thank You heavenly Father, for fulfilling Your promised plan of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You that I do not have to feel defeated because You are a mighty God who will make me victorious over every evil situation that Satan will use to defeat me. Thank You that nothing can separate me from Your love.
Mediator: August 6, 2012
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY AUGUST 6, 2012.
MEDIATOR
DEFINITION:
One who reconciles disagreements between two or more estranged people; one who settles an issue; interceder; peacemaker.
SCRIPTURE:
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” I TIMOTHY 2:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Mediation is not without a price. Just ask someone who has hired a lawyer. Literally millions of dollars are spent on mediation by two parties when they face some sort of disagreement.
Has it ever occurred to you that you have a most important case pending? It is YOU versus GOD. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned.” God is perfect and without sin and our sin separates us from God. In Isaiah 59:2 it reads that “your iniquities have separated you from your God.” This is a universal truth and unchangeable, applying to all men and women, that sin separates people from God. We are in disagreement with God and our relationship with Him is broken. Therefore we need a mediator.
A mediator is someone who intervenes between two parties to resolve a conflict or ratify a covenant. Jesus Christ is the only mediator who can restore peace between God and sinners.
God sent His Son to die on the cross to cover our sins in order that we could be reconciled to God. As we said, mediation comes with a price and Jesus paid dearly giving His life on the cross to cover our sins. In I Timothy 2:5, Paul not only instructs Timothy but reminds us that the man Christ Jesus is the one and only mediator between us and God. There is no other way to salvation.
We cannot come to God except through Jesus. Jesus said this to us, as recorded in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus declared here that He is the way to God because He is the truth of God. The message here is exclusive and emphatic that Jesus is the only approach that man has to God. There is no other way. It is through Jesus that God sent us His love and forgiveness. It is only through Jesus, our mediator, that we are able to come before God and ask His forgiveness for our sins and offer Him our thanks and our praises for His goodness. We ask you the question, “Have you met with your mediator today?”
Our children, like all children, did not always see eye to eye on issues all the time so they would get into verbal fights with each other. Each one thought that they were right and the other child was wrong. Once in a while it usually ended up that they would have to come to one or both of us to plead their cases. There sometimes was such a serious disagreement between them that the usual loving relationship between them was broken. They needed us to be a mediator to reconcile them.
Children are not the only ones who need a mediator to reconcile broken relationships in life. Most of the problems in our world are related to broken relationships over issues. Mediators are necessary to solve the issues of these broken relationships.
We could not get along it seems, without a legal system of lawyers and judges who serve as mediators in settling disagreements between two parties. Even in churches today, pastors become mediators for those who come for counseling to settle their disagreements. Governments and political leaders have disagreements which are usually solved when a third party mediator comes on the scene.
As a result of our sinful nature, people find themselves constantly in a position where mediation of some sort is necessary. But the most important mediator for those of us who are believers is the mediator that God has provided us through His Son Jesus Christ. Thankfully, Jesus paid the price for us once and for all, and He is alive and interceding for us in heaven so that we can come to God’s throne of grace at anytime and from anywhere.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:11.
Your Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Jesus, for paying the price that I could never pay and for being the mediator between God and me. Thank You for dying on the cross to save me from all my sins. Thank You for making it possible to come to God in prayer to make my requests known to God and to thank Him for the blessings He has given me.
MEDIATOR
DEFINITION:
One who reconciles disagreements between two or more estranged people; one who settles an issue; interceder; peacemaker.
SCRIPTURE:
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” I TIMOTHY 2:5
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Mediation is not without a price. Just ask someone who has hired a lawyer. Literally millions of dollars are spent on mediation by two parties when they face some sort of disagreement.
Has it ever occurred to you that you have a most important case pending? It is YOU versus GOD. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned.” God is perfect and without sin and our sin separates us from God. In Isaiah 59:2 it reads that “your iniquities have separated you from your God.” This is a universal truth and unchangeable, applying to all men and women, that sin separates people from God. We are in disagreement with God and our relationship with Him is broken. Therefore we need a mediator.
A mediator is someone who intervenes between two parties to resolve a conflict or ratify a covenant. Jesus Christ is the only mediator who can restore peace between God and sinners.
God sent His Son to die on the cross to cover our sins in order that we could be reconciled to God. As we said, mediation comes with a price and Jesus paid dearly giving His life on the cross to cover our sins. In I Timothy 2:5, Paul not only instructs Timothy but reminds us that the man Christ Jesus is the one and only mediator between us and God. There is no other way to salvation.
We cannot come to God except through Jesus. Jesus said this to us, as recorded in John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus declared here that He is the way to God because He is the truth of God. The message here is exclusive and emphatic that Jesus is the only approach that man has to God. There is no other way. It is through Jesus that God sent us His love and forgiveness. It is only through Jesus, our mediator, that we are able to come before God and ask His forgiveness for our sins and offer Him our thanks and our praises for His goodness. We ask you the question, “Have you met with your mediator today?”
Our children, like all children, did not always see eye to eye on issues all the time so they would get into verbal fights with each other. Each one thought that they were right and the other child was wrong. Once in a while it usually ended up that they would have to come to one or both of us to plead their cases. There sometimes was such a serious disagreement between them that the usual loving relationship between them was broken. They needed us to be a mediator to reconcile them.
Children are not the only ones who need a mediator to reconcile broken relationships in life. Most of the problems in our world are related to broken relationships over issues. Mediators are necessary to solve the issues of these broken relationships.
We could not get along it seems, without a legal system of lawyers and judges who serve as mediators in settling disagreements between two parties. Even in churches today, pastors become mediators for those who come for counseling to settle their disagreements. Governments and political leaders have disagreements which are usually solved when a third party mediator comes on the scene.
As a result of our sinful nature, people find themselves constantly in a position where mediation of some sort is necessary. But the most important mediator for those of us who are believers is the mediator that God has provided us through His Son Jesus Christ. Thankfully, Jesus paid the price for us once and for all, and He is alive and interceding for us in heaven so that we can come to God’s throne of grace at anytime and from anywhere.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 119:11.
Your Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Jesus, for paying the price that I could never pay and for being the mediator between God and me. Thank You for dying on the cross to save me from all my sins. Thank You for making it possible to come to God in prayer to make my requests known to God and to thank Him for the blessings He has given me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
