GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR MAY, 11, 2013.
PROVERB:
The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. Proverbs 16:5
PROMISE:
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12
PRAISE:
How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, on those who take refuge in You. In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men; in Your dwelling You keep them safe from accusing tongues. Praise be to the Lord, for He showed His wonderful love to me. Psalm 31:19-21
May 12, 2013
Grumbling: May 7, 2013
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY MAY 7, 2013.
GRUMBLING
DEFINITION:
A discontented mutter; a growl; complain.
SCRIPTURE:
Do all things without complaining and disputing. Philippians 2:14.
These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to get advantage. Jude 16.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Children often grumble. We experienced it often when we gave our children a job to do that they were not happy about. They would often reply with words like, “but why me?” As they reluctantly went on their way to do as they were told (we did not give them an option) they would grumble under their breath saying that they didn’t understand why they had to do everything and none of their siblings had to do it. Of course, none of the siblings would agree as they had their equal share of jobs to do. In fact, they were also equally guilty of grumbling.
It is hard not to observe that grumbling is contagious. When one person starts grumbling or complaining it can stir up a whole group.
I (Ken) can remember in high school a teacher telling our class that he would not tolerate griping in his class room. Grumbling and complaining cause’s dissension and can undermine the spiritual and emotional health of an entire group. This teacher knew this and did not want discord in his classroom which would be disruptive to the learning environment.
Grumbling of course is not limited to children. We all grumble at times and grumbling is nothing new. Moses heard grumbling and griping among God’s people just three days after he led them from slavery into freedom. The people complained against Moses saying, “What shall we drink.” Exodus 15:24. As a result of their grumbling they forgot the joy of their new God given freedom from slavery and they lost their trust in God to provide for them.
Centuries later, Samuel felt the weight of grumbling people as he sought to represent God to his generation. The elders came to Samuel (I Samuel 8:4-9) telling him he was old and his sons did not walk in His ways honoring God so they wanted a King appointed so they could be like all the other nations. Their grumbling led them to reject God’s plan for them. God gave them their way and the result was the eventual destruction of Israel.
In the verse from Jude (above) written by Jude the brother of James, who were both the brothers of Jesus, Jude describes the apostate members of the body of believers in the early church. He tells us that they were grumblers and complainers and had the ability to express themselves in “great swelling words” to impress and deceive people. In verse 19, Jude says, “These are the men who divide you …” There can be no doubt that grumbling is divisive and harmful. This is why Paul admonished us to, “Do all things without complaining and disputing.” In addition to being grumblers, they desired to follow their own evil ways. Believers who grumble are not a positive testimony for the Lord. Jude says those who grumble follow their natural instincts and are devoid of the Spirit. (Jude 19)
We need to avoid a grumbling and complaining because we belong to God and we are serving Christ. Instead, we are to rejoice and thank God for all that He has done for us. When you feel like grumbling or griping start counting your blessings and see what God has done for you and what He can do through you.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
PRAYER:
Help me to be willing to serve others today with an attitude that praises Your name. When I face the evils of life or events that just do not go my way, help me not to grumble. May I have a humble and loving spirit that shines out loud and clear to those that do not know You as Savior.
GRUMBLING
DEFINITION:
A discontented mutter; a growl; complain.
SCRIPTURE:
Do all things without complaining and disputing. Philippians 2:14.
These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to get advantage. Jude 16.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Children often grumble. We experienced it often when we gave our children a job to do that they were not happy about. They would often reply with words like, “but why me?” As they reluctantly went on their way to do as they were told (we did not give them an option) they would grumble under their breath saying that they didn’t understand why they had to do everything and none of their siblings had to do it. Of course, none of the siblings would agree as they had their equal share of jobs to do. In fact, they were also equally guilty of grumbling.
It is hard not to observe that grumbling is contagious. When one person starts grumbling or complaining it can stir up a whole group.
I (Ken) can remember in high school a teacher telling our class that he would not tolerate griping in his class room. Grumbling and complaining cause’s dissension and can undermine the spiritual and emotional health of an entire group. This teacher knew this and did not want discord in his classroom which would be disruptive to the learning environment.
Grumbling of course is not limited to children. We all grumble at times and grumbling is nothing new. Moses heard grumbling and griping among God’s people just three days after he led them from slavery into freedom. The people complained against Moses saying, “What shall we drink.” Exodus 15:24. As a result of their grumbling they forgot the joy of their new God given freedom from slavery and they lost their trust in God to provide for them.
Centuries later, Samuel felt the weight of grumbling people as he sought to represent God to his generation. The elders came to Samuel (I Samuel 8:4-9) telling him he was old and his sons did not walk in His ways honoring God so they wanted a King appointed so they could be like all the other nations. Their grumbling led them to reject God’s plan for them. God gave them their way and the result was the eventual destruction of Israel.
In the verse from Jude (above) written by Jude the brother of James, who were both the brothers of Jesus, Jude describes the apostate members of the body of believers in the early church. He tells us that they were grumblers and complainers and had the ability to express themselves in “great swelling words” to impress and deceive people. In verse 19, Jude says, “These are the men who divide you …” There can be no doubt that grumbling is divisive and harmful. This is why Paul admonished us to, “Do all things without complaining and disputing.” In addition to being grumblers, they desired to follow their own evil ways. Believers who grumble are not a positive testimony for the Lord. Jude says those who grumble follow their natural instincts and are devoid of the Spirit. (Jude 19)
We need to avoid a grumbling and complaining because we belong to God and we are serving Christ. Instead, we are to rejoice and thank God for all that He has done for us. When you feel like grumbling or griping start counting your blessings and see what God has done for you and what He can do through you.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
PRAYER:
Help me to be willing to serve others today with an attitude that praises Your name. When I face the evils of life or events that just do not go my way, help me not to grumble. May I have a humble and loving spirit that shines out loud and clear to those that do not know You as Savior.
Dependence: May 9, 2013
Today's Word for Thursday MAY 9, 2013.
DEPENDENCE
DEFINITION:
The state of relying on or needing someone or something for aid or support; reliance; confidence; trust; subordination or subjection.
SCRIPTURE:
Who among you fears the Lord --- let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely (have dependence) upon his God. Isaiah 50:10.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
David went from being a shepherd boy to being the King of Israel. Throughout his life he was dependent on God. As a shepherd boy he had to kill a lion and a bear to protect his sheep. In each instance he gave the Lord credit for delivering him from the problem.
When David told Saul that he would go and fight Goliath, Saul was against it because David was just a young boy. David answered Saul by saying "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the jaw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine" (I Samuel 17:37). David did not trust in his own ability and strength. He trusted in the Lord.
This was the first of many battles that David had to fight in his life-time, and through them all David never lost his trust in God. His dependence was always on his God.
David wrote many of the Psalms and in them he proclaimed how much he depended on God. For example:
"Find rest, O my soul in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor DEPEND on God! He is my mighty rock, my refuge." Psalm 62: 5-7.
When we think of depending on God we remember visiting a mother with her new born baby in Honduras. She was reading to her baby from God's Word. We asked the mother through our interpreter why she was reading the Bible to such a young baby. Her response was that she knew he did not understand now but she wanted to make sure that his earliest memory is the hearing the words from the Bible so that he would become totally dependent on God as he grew up.
Just as a young child depends on his or her parents for almost everything, we as believers in Christ need to depend totally on God. As the scripture above reminds us, we cannot rely on our own understanding. God has given us the ability to think and reason but when we trust in our own understanding or wisdom, we often find that we do not have all the answers. Our wisdom is limited, but God's is not.
When we put our trust in God we will seek God's guidance and be willing to correct our thinking and actions when they go against God's Word. One needs to learn the independent side of dependence as one walks the Christian life. We need to show our independence in our day to day living by separating ourselves from the sinful activities of this world while depending every moment on the leading of the Lord in our lives.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
PRAYER:
Help me today to learn more about trusting You. In all that I do this day help me to depend on Your leading and not on my own understanding. May each one in my family learn what it means to depend on You?
DEPENDENCE
DEFINITION:
The state of relying on or needing someone or something for aid or support; reliance; confidence; trust; subordination or subjection.
SCRIPTURE:
Who among you fears the Lord --- let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely (have dependence) upon his God. Isaiah 50:10.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
David went from being a shepherd boy to being the King of Israel. Throughout his life he was dependent on God. As a shepherd boy he had to kill a lion and a bear to protect his sheep. In each instance he gave the Lord credit for delivering him from the problem.
When David told Saul that he would go and fight Goliath, Saul was against it because David was just a young boy. David answered Saul by saying "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the jaw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine" (I Samuel 17:37). David did not trust in his own ability and strength. He trusted in the Lord.
This was the first of many battles that David had to fight in his life-time, and through them all David never lost his trust in God. His dependence was always on his God.
David wrote many of the Psalms and in them he proclaimed how much he depended on God. For example:
"Find rest, O my soul in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor DEPEND on God! He is my mighty rock, my refuge." Psalm 62: 5-7.
When we think of depending on God we remember visiting a mother with her new born baby in Honduras. She was reading to her baby from God's Word. We asked the mother through our interpreter why she was reading the Bible to such a young baby. Her response was that she knew he did not understand now but she wanted to make sure that his earliest memory is the hearing the words from the Bible so that he would become totally dependent on God as he grew up.
Just as a young child depends on his or her parents for almost everything, we as believers in Christ need to depend totally on God. As the scripture above reminds us, we cannot rely on our own understanding. God has given us the ability to think and reason but when we trust in our own understanding or wisdom, we often find that we do not have all the answers. Our wisdom is limited, but God's is not.
When we put our trust in God we will seek God's guidance and be willing to correct our thinking and actions when they go against God's Word. One needs to learn the independent side of dependence as one walks the Christian life. We need to show our independence in our day to day living by separating ourselves from the sinful activities of this world while depending every moment on the leading of the Lord in our lives.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
PRAYER:
Help me today to learn more about trusting You. In all that I do this day help me to depend on Your leading and not on my own understanding. May each one in my family learn what it means to depend on You?
Humility: May 8, 2013
Today's Word for Wednesday MAY 8, 2013
HUMILITY
DEFINITION:
The quality or state of being humble; modest opinion of one's own importance; meekness; neither proud nor arrogant.
SCRIPTURE:
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
Therefore, as the elect of God, put on tender mercies, kindness, HUMILITY, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another. Colossians 3:12
Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. I Peter 5:6
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Humility does not come naturally or easily. If we are doing what we consider "right" when others are not or if we have had more success than another person, it is easy to think that we are the better person. The Apostle Paul cautions us against that idea by saying that we are to consider others better than ourselves. There are reasons for this.
We must recognize that our worth comes from God. We are all sinners and not worthy of God’s favor. God reached out to us in love to give us worth and dignity despite our sins and short comings. We must always be mindful that we are just sinners saved by grace and it is only by salvation that we become worthy of God’s kingdom.
The goal in this life for all of us who are believers is to become Christ-like and serve the Lord our God. In order to be Christ-like we must have the quality of humility. Jesus humbled Himself, setting aside heavenly glory to become a man to save us from our sins. He said of Himself that He did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28) As Christians we are Christ's representatives to the world so we are to be kind, humble, meek, patient and peaceful as Christ was, in order that others will see Christ in us (Colossians 2:12).
As Christians what we are and what successes we have are because of what Christ has done for us and through us. The credit and the honor must go to Him. Success and glory in this world can be fleeting and we can only take pleasure in it for a time. If we get conceited and gloat over our success, God can take it away from us and humble us very quickly.
In Mark 10, James and John, two of Jesus' disciples asked Jesus for the highest positions in His kingdom. They asked for one to sit on His right and the other to sit on His left. Jesus denied their request and explained that greatness was not achieved by being in a high position but by serving others.
There are two issues concerning humility as it relates to our lives. Our first concern should be that we are humble before God. God expects us to come to Him daily with a humble servant-like attitude. As it states in the verse above the reason for this is so He may exalt us in due time. We should be in awe of God. The magnitude of His power, His love, His Sovereignty, and His blessings should overwhelm us with reverent awe and bring us to our knees in humble adoration. What God thinks of us is more important then what we think of ourselves.
It is amazing what can be accomplished when we do not care who gets the credit. Paul told the church at Corinth, "I planted, Apollos watered but God gave the increase." I Corinthians 3:6-7.
The second issue is if we are humble in our relationship with our family, friends and neighbors or are we arrogant, proud and boastful? Do we make them feel that we think we are better than they are? When one knows the Lord and has a daily relationship with Him, a humble spirit should be exhibited in the way we relate to others, especially those closest to us.
Our family, friends and associates should see the spirit of Christ through all of our words and deeds. YES, God wants us to be humble so that others can see Christ through us. This will give God all the glory for all that we are and all that we have accomplished.
This is not an easy task. We all have moments when we are successful and we want everyone to know about that success. We all like to hear words of commendation from others. Can you stay humble while enjoying that success?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
PRAYER:
Help me this day to get rid of any selfish ambition in my life so that through my words and deeds others may see Christ through me. Give me a humble spirit and a servant's heart. Open my eyes to see the needs of those around me so that I can show them kindness, love and understanding. Guide my family today and may each of us do all we do today to honor Your name.
HUMILITY
DEFINITION:
The quality or state of being humble; modest opinion of one's own importance; meekness; neither proud nor arrogant.
SCRIPTURE:
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
Therefore, as the elect of God, put on tender mercies, kindness, HUMILITY, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another. Colossians 3:12
Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. I Peter 5:6
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Humility does not come naturally or easily. If we are doing what we consider "right" when others are not or if we have had more success than another person, it is easy to think that we are the better person. The Apostle Paul cautions us against that idea by saying that we are to consider others better than ourselves. There are reasons for this.
We must recognize that our worth comes from God. We are all sinners and not worthy of God’s favor. God reached out to us in love to give us worth and dignity despite our sins and short comings. We must always be mindful that we are just sinners saved by grace and it is only by salvation that we become worthy of God’s kingdom.
The goal in this life for all of us who are believers is to become Christ-like and serve the Lord our God. In order to be Christ-like we must have the quality of humility. Jesus humbled Himself, setting aside heavenly glory to become a man to save us from our sins. He said of Himself that He did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28) As Christians we are Christ's representatives to the world so we are to be kind, humble, meek, patient and peaceful as Christ was, in order that others will see Christ in us (Colossians 2:12).
As Christians what we are and what successes we have are because of what Christ has done for us and through us. The credit and the honor must go to Him. Success and glory in this world can be fleeting and we can only take pleasure in it for a time. If we get conceited and gloat over our success, God can take it away from us and humble us very quickly.
In Mark 10, James and John, two of Jesus' disciples asked Jesus for the highest positions in His kingdom. They asked for one to sit on His right and the other to sit on His left. Jesus denied their request and explained that greatness was not achieved by being in a high position but by serving others.
There are two issues concerning humility as it relates to our lives. Our first concern should be that we are humble before God. God expects us to come to Him daily with a humble servant-like attitude. As it states in the verse above the reason for this is so He may exalt us in due time. We should be in awe of God. The magnitude of His power, His love, His Sovereignty, and His blessings should overwhelm us with reverent awe and bring us to our knees in humble adoration. What God thinks of us is more important then what we think of ourselves.
It is amazing what can be accomplished when we do not care who gets the credit. Paul told the church at Corinth, "I planted, Apollos watered but God gave the increase." I Corinthians 3:6-7.
The second issue is if we are humble in our relationship with our family, friends and neighbors or are we arrogant, proud and boastful? Do we make them feel that we think we are better than they are? When one knows the Lord and has a daily relationship with Him, a humble spirit should be exhibited in the way we relate to others, especially those closest to us.
Our family, friends and associates should see the spirit of Christ through all of our words and deeds. YES, God wants us to be humble so that others can see Christ through us. This will give God all the glory for all that we are and all that we have accomplished.
This is not an easy task. We all have moments when we are successful and we want everyone to know about that success. We all like to hear words of commendation from others. Can you stay humble while enjoying that success?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
PRAYER:
Help me this day to get rid of any selfish ambition in my life so that through my words and deeds others may see Christ through me. Give me a humble spirit and a servant's heart. Open my eyes to see the needs of those around me so that I can show them kindness, love and understanding. Guide my family today and may each of us do all we do today to honor Your name.
Greed: May 6, 2013
Today's Word for Monday May 6, 2013
GREED
DEFINITION:
Excessive or extreme desire for things; covetousness.
SCRIPTURE:
Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes and perverted justice. I Samuel 8:1, 3
Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant, and they are all dumb dogs. Yes, they are greedy dogs which never have enough. Isaiah 56: 10-11.
They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray. II Peter 2:14.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It is interesting to watch children when a plate of cookies is being served. They will look the plate over carefully and select the largest cookie. If they think no one is looking they will take two or possibly a handful. We can say that that is just what kids do, but unfortunately, it is not just children that are greedy.
All around us we see greed today. Many people have family members that are driven by greed. They always want more "things" and are never happy with what they have.
We see the same greed in politicians, our government leaders and in the work place among owners, supervisors and workers. Unfortunately, we sometimes listen to people in church that are professing believers and comments of greed come from their mouths. Greed prevails not just in our "worldly society" but also in our churches.
The three verses that we have written above give us three illustrations about how greed affected people in Biblical times. The first verse listed deals with Samuel and his two sons. The second verse deals with Israel and how they lost their way acting like greedy dogs. The third verse above deals with false prophets in the early church.
Samuel was about 60 years old when he appointed his sons as Judges. As we read in the verse above from I Samuel, his sons allowed greed to corrupt them. We learn that Samuel, although he was a godly man, was human just like us and he put his sons in positions where they were to have spiritual authority.
As so often happens, when people have power they use their position of authority for personal gain. Greed is the motivating factor in most cases. Greed caused Samuel's sons to "accept bribes and pervert justice" to satisfy their excessive desire for riches. Thus, Israel no longer had the spiritual leadership that Samuel had given Israel in the past. As a result of the greed of Samuel's sons, the elders of Israel rebelled against the evil sons and demanded that Samuel give them a king.
Isaiah, in the verse we have written above, describes the watchmen of Israel as blind and dumb dogs who were greedy and never had enough. These blind watchmen were the preachers of the day and once again the spiritual leadership was corrupted by greed. Isaiah called them dumb dogs because under their leadership Israel turned from God and forfeited all God's blessings. They were like dumb dogs that could not bark, which means they did not preach the truth or warn the Children of Israel about the false doctrine.
Most false teaching is based in greed and appeals to our sinful nature's desire for the riches and pleasures of this world. In II Peter (above), Peter was warning the believers about false teachers that were living among them. These false teachers were not only greedy but they were trained in greed. They took their eyes off the message of the Cross and preached a perverted teaching that contradicted all that Jesus is and all that Jesus taught.
Those that followed these false teachers, Peter said, would be unable to cease from sin. These false teachers were very deceptive and spoke appealing and seductive thoughts, just as false teachers do today. Peter warns us to stay true to the message of the cross and not to let greed entice us to follow the teaching of false teachers.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
PRAYER:
Help my family today to keep our eyes open to the message of the cross. Help us not to fall to the temptations of the world we live in and to the false teachers that want to lead us away from God. Help us to recognize the greedy desires of our own hearts and turn away from them. May our hope and trust be completely in You this day.
GREED
DEFINITION:
Excessive or extreme desire for things; covetousness.
SCRIPTURE:
Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes and perverted justice. I Samuel 8:1, 3
Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant, and they are all dumb dogs. Yes, they are greedy dogs which never have enough. Isaiah 56: 10-11.
They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray. II Peter 2:14.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
It is interesting to watch children when a plate of cookies is being served. They will look the plate over carefully and select the largest cookie. If they think no one is looking they will take two or possibly a handful. We can say that that is just what kids do, but unfortunately, it is not just children that are greedy.
All around us we see greed today. Many people have family members that are driven by greed. They always want more "things" and are never happy with what they have.
We see the same greed in politicians, our government leaders and in the work place among owners, supervisors and workers. Unfortunately, we sometimes listen to people in church that are professing believers and comments of greed come from their mouths. Greed prevails not just in our "worldly society" but also in our churches.
The three verses that we have written above give us three illustrations about how greed affected people in Biblical times. The first verse listed deals with Samuel and his two sons. The second verse deals with Israel and how they lost their way acting like greedy dogs. The third verse above deals with false prophets in the early church.
Samuel was about 60 years old when he appointed his sons as Judges. As we read in the verse above from I Samuel, his sons allowed greed to corrupt them. We learn that Samuel, although he was a godly man, was human just like us and he put his sons in positions where they were to have spiritual authority.
As so often happens, when people have power they use their position of authority for personal gain. Greed is the motivating factor in most cases. Greed caused Samuel's sons to "accept bribes and pervert justice" to satisfy their excessive desire for riches. Thus, Israel no longer had the spiritual leadership that Samuel had given Israel in the past. As a result of the greed of Samuel's sons, the elders of Israel rebelled against the evil sons and demanded that Samuel give them a king.
Isaiah, in the verse we have written above, describes the watchmen of Israel as blind and dumb dogs who were greedy and never had enough. These blind watchmen were the preachers of the day and once again the spiritual leadership was corrupted by greed. Isaiah called them dumb dogs because under their leadership Israel turned from God and forfeited all God's blessings. They were like dumb dogs that could not bark, which means they did not preach the truth or warn the Children of Israel about the false doctrine.
Most false teaching is based in greed and appeals to our sinful nature's desire for the riches and pleasures of this world. In II Peter (above), Peter was warning the believers about false teachers that were living among them. These false teachers were not only greedy but they were trained in greed. They took their eyes off the message of the Cross and preached a perverted teaching that contradicted all that Jesus is and all that Jesus taught.
Those that followed these false teachers, Peter said, would be unable to cease from sin. These false teachers were very deceptive and spoke appealing and seductive thoughts, just as false teachers do today. Peter warns us to stay true to the message of the cross and not to let greed entice us to follow the teaching of false teachers.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
PRAYER:
Help my family today to keep our eyes open to the message of the cross. Help us not to fall to the temptations of the world we live in and to the false teachers that want to lead us away from God. Help us to recognize the greedy desires of our own hearts and turn away from them. May our hope and trust be completely in You this day.
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