GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FOR SATURDAY AUGUST 17, 2013
PROVERB:
The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. Proverbs 11:28.
PROMISE:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23.
PRAISE:
My tongue will speak of Your righteousness and of Your praises all day long. Psalm 35:38.
August 18, 2013
Witnessing: August 16, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 16, 2013.
WITNESSING
DEFINITION:
Testifying to what is known by personal presence; testimony giving evidence from personal experience.
SCRIPTURE:
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the world. Acts 1:8
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
When we think of the word witnessing, we may think of someone in a court of law on the witness stand telling his or her story about something they either saw or experienced. The word witnessing, basically, to most people, refers to giving evidence about a situation. But to a person who knows Jesus, witnessing has somewhat of a different meaning.
Witnessing as we deal with the word today basically are the words and actions that we share with others about our faith in Jesus. We are giving evidence as to how Jesus changed our lives. We are sharing with others the hope and peace we have in our hearts knowing Jesus as our Savior. In other words we are testifying to what we have personally experienced as a result of our accepting Christ as our Savior.
We have noticed over the years different types of witnessing. Some believers with good intentions literally button hole a person, force them literally into a corner, and tell them that they need to know Jesus. Others will say they do their witnessing through their actions and words. And then there are those whose style is somewhere between these two extremes.
The story is told of a woman who every morning pried the jaws of her dog open and forced some liquid vitamins down his throat. She would always think that the dog just did not know what was good for him and needed to be forced to take the vitamins. Then one day the bottle of liquid vitamins fell over and spilled all over the floor. At the same time she lost her hold on her dog. The dog sniffed at the liquid and then began lapping it up. He actually loved the vitamins but simply objected to being coerced.
There are some who force their testimony on a person and they feel coerced. They do not respond to the "in your face" type of confrontation. The result is that many times this person will be driven away from God instead of wanting to know more about God. We earnestly desire as believers to want to share the good news of the gospel by our witness but our method just might end up repelling people instead of bringing them to Jesus.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that when our Lord taught His disciples to witness (in Acts 1:8 above), he first made a promise. He promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and then He would give them power and then they would witness and be effective believers. When we try to witness by our own power our witness will be ineffective.
He expects us to share the good news of the gospel by our witness. It is not our responsibility for someone's acceptance or rejection of Christ. It is not our job to convict someone of sin. That is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit. Witnessing is about testifying about what God has done for us, not trying to show what we can do for God.
As you tell others about what Christ did for you, seek the Lord's guidance and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Learn to be sensitive, when to slow down, when to listen, when to answer questions and then when to wait on God's Holy Spirit and His Word do the convicting that will bring salvation to that person that you are witnessing to.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:38-39.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, no depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
PRAYER:
Make me a faithful witness and help me to learn to let the Holy Spirit convict the heart of the person that I am witnessing to today. Thank You for giving me new opportunities to witness to others of the good news of the gospel. Use my words and life to be a testimony of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to all those I witness to.
WITNESSING
DEFINITION:
Testifying to what is known by personal presence; testimony giving evidence from personal experience.
SCRIPTURE:
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the world. Acts 1:8
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
When we think of the word witnessing, we may think of someone in a court of law on the witness stand telling his or her story about something they either saw or experienced. The word witnessing, basically, to most people, refers to giving evidence about a situation. But to a person who knows Jesus, witnessing has somewhat of a different meaning.
Witnessing as we deal with the word today basically are the words and actions that we share with others about our faith in Jesus. We are giving evidence as to how Jesus changed our lives. We are sharing with others the hope and peace we have in our hearts knowing Jesus as our Savior. In other words we are testifying to what we have personally experienced as a result of our accepting Christ as our Savior.
We have noticed over the years different types of witnessing. Some believers with good intentions literally button hole a person, force them literally into a corner, and tell them that they need to know Jesus. Others will say they do their witnessing through their actions and words. And then there are those whose style is somewhere between these two extremes.
The story is told of a woman who every morning pried the jaws of her dog open and forced some liquid vitamins down his throat. She would always think that the dog just did not know what was good for him and needed to be forced to take the vitamins. Then one day the bottle of liquid vitamins fell over and spilled all over the floor. At the same time she lost her hold on her dog. The dog sniffed at the liquid and then began lapping it up. He actually loved the vitamins but simply objected to being coerced.
There are some who force their testimony on a person and they feel coerced. They do not respond to the "in your face" type of confrontation. The result is that many times this person will be driven away from God instead of wanting to know more about God. We earnestly desire as believers to want to share the good news of the gospel by our witness but our method just might end up repelling people instead of bringing them to Jesus.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that when our Lord taught His disciples to witness (in Acts 1:8 above), he first made a promise. He promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and then He would give them power and then they would witness and be effective believers. When we try to witness by our own power our witness will be ineffective.
He expects us to share the good news of the gospel by our witness. It is not our responsibility for someone's acceptance or rejection of Christ. It is not our job to convict someone of sin. That is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit. Witnessing is about testifying about what God has done for us, not trying to show what we can do for God.
As you tell others about what Christ did for you, seek the Lord's guidance and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Learn to be sensitive, when to slow down, when to listen, when to answer questions and then when to wait on God's Holy Spirit and His Word do the convicting that will bring salvation to that person that you are witnessing to.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:38-39.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, no depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
PRAYER:
Make me a faithful witness and help me to learn to let the Holy Spirit convict the heart of the person that I am witnessing to today. Thank You for giving me new opportunities to witness to others of the good news of the gospel. Use my words and life to be a testimony of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to all those I witness to.
Tongue: August 15, 2013
TODAY’S
WORD FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 15, 2013
TONGUE
DEFINITION:
A
moveable organ in the mouth; the principle organ of taste; speech or talk; a
language or dialect.
SCRIPTURE:
No
man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. With it we
bless our God and Father and with it we curse men. James 3:8-9.
A
wholesome tongue is a tree of life. Proverbs 15:4.
Keep
your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Psalm 34:13.
KNOWLEDGE
AND EXPERIENCE:
We
both can remember as children that when we said something "bad" our
parents would remark strongly to us that if we repeated that comment or word
that they would wash out our mouth with soap.
Now
if you have ever had your mouth washed out with soap you will think twice about
using your "tongue" that way again. The point that our parents made
to us and the point we made to our children in the same situation is that we
always need to be careful about choosing the words we use in our conversations.
We need to think before we talk. We need to be sensitive to the feelings of
those we talk to at all times.
The
tongue is a very small part of our body, but a most important one, as without
it we could neither be able to taste or be able to speak. While the tongue is
small it is mighty. James tells us that no man can tame the tongue and that it
is a restless, evil, full of deadly poison.
The
tongue has the power to do great damage. Once words come out of the mouth they
cannot be taken back. In James 3:6 we are told that the damage the tongue can
do is compared to a raging fire. Like a fire you cannot control the damage
words can do nor can you reverse the damage. In a matter of minutes a few words
spoken in anger or with the intent to be hurtful can destroy the strongest of
relationships. Satan uses our tongues to put people against one another and to
stir up hatred and fighting.
In
order to control our tongue we must think before we speak and consider whether
our words have merit and are pleasing to God or whether the words we use are hurtful
and destructive to the person we are speaking to.
Our
society has changed so much, even over the last few years, that the words we
hear today in the work place, on the street, in the movies, on the television
and sadly even from the mouths of teenagers and children are appalling. Words
that we hear today were rarely used in public even ten years ago.
We
ask the question: "Why do we see this happening?" Think about the
changes we have seen in our society here in America alone. Such things as the
forbidding of prayers being said in our schools, not allowing the posting of
the Ten Commandments in our schools and in our public buildings, and the
proliferation of pornography under the guise of free speech. We have taken God
out of our society. The media also has shown no restraints in the language used
in movies and television. Unfortunately the same is happening in every country
of the world no matter what the culture or beliefs are.
James
tells us what comes out of our mouth shows what motivates us and our words
reveal what and who we are. Without God's help it is impossible to control the
tongue. If we claim to be Christians and have faith in Jesus we must submit our
tongue to His control.
When
we allow God to have control of our life and we let the Holy Spirit fill our
hearts with God's love then our tongue can be used for God's glory. As James
says in James 3:8-9, it is with the tongue that we praise and bless God.
Standards
may have changed but God's standards have not changed. What the Bible teaches
about the tongue is still applicable today. James tells us that no man can
contain the tongue. We cannot control our tongue in our own strength. We must
seek God's help and through His Holy Spirit working in us, we will be able to
keep our tongue from evil and our lips from speaking deceit.
LEARNING:
Our
memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:38-39.
For
I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor
any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
PRAYER:
Help
me today to control my tongue. May my words today honor You in all that I do.
The Rock: August: 14, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 14, 2013.
THE ROCK
DEFINITION:
A foundation; strength; a large stone or cliff symbolic of shelter or safety.
SCRIPTURE:
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom will I trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior. II Samuel 22:2-3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
II Samuel 22 is David’s song of praise to God on the day that God delivered him from his enemies and from Saul. David was the greatest king of Israel, but he is remembered for his deep devotion to God. God called David a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). David’s faith in God never wavered. He always acknowledged that the Lord was his rock and fortress and that it was God who gave him his victories.
Most families down through the ages have had one person who has stood out and was considered the "ROCK" of that family. Usually it was a grandfather, a grandmother or a mother or dad. It was this person that was always available in time of trouble, in times when counseling and advice was needed and always available just to show love.
Many times we have heard friends say that they miss someone who has passed on because they were always there for them. This is the role for a "ROCK" in a family. We look back in our past and the "Rocks" in our family were our parents. Our prayer today is that we will be the "ROCKS" that our children and grandchildren need in their lives. One thing is certain, and that is to always live a Christ honoring life and be available.
The believer has his or her rock and that is Jesus our Lord. The Psalmist prayed to God in Psalm 31:3, "For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore for your name’s sake lead me and guide me." When we put our complete trust in Jesus, He will be our rock and will lead us and guide us every day through our valleys and over our mountains.
Jesus is our "ROCK" and He is always there. In Ezekiel 35:10 we read, "Whereas the Lord was there." After Israel and Judah had been destroyed by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, the Princes of Edom saw this whole country desolate and felt that they could easily conquer the land. But they ran into difficulty that they did not count on. This land was the Promised Land that God had chosen for His people, the Children of Israel. God was there and Edom met up with God's judgment for their arrogance in taking what was God's. God's judgment brought about Edom's total destruction. There are no Edomites today.
When the world seems to be against us we who are believer’s can take heart from this illustration. We belong to God and because of this He is always there for us. He is our comfort in times of trouble, our rock in times of insecurity and our strength in times of spiritual conflicts. We are constantly opposed by evil in this world we live in and yet we are preserved because He is always there for us.
We can live victorious lives because our Lord - our Rock - is there. It is the Lord that is with us so we need not fear. Praise be to God, our feet will stand on the "ROCK OF AGES" when time is passing us by.
We can still hear in our heads our children singing a song about the wise man who built his house upon the rock and the foolish man who built his house on sand. The song went that when the rain came down the house built on the sand crashed but the house built on the rock stood firm. It is a simple little song but has a mighty message. It is based on the teaching of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 24:27.
This little song taught our children that they needed to build their life on the solid rock of their faith in Jesus Christ. Make sure your life is built on the Lord who is our rock and then teach your children the same and bring them up knowing the Word of God. The rains and the storms of life will surely come, but if your life is built on the Lord, you will come through the storms of life standing firm on the rock.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
PRAYER:
Thank You for being my "Rock" and my strength as I walk through my valleys and over my mountains each day. Help me to rely more on You each day so that you can use me to the fullest. Give me the strength and commitment to be the "rock" in my family. Bless my family and help us as a family to praise You daily.
THE ROCK
DEFINITION:
A foundation; strength; a large stone or cliff symbolic of shelter or safety.
SCRIPTURE:
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom will I trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior. II Samuel 22:2-3
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
II Samuel 22 is David’s song of praise to God on the day that God delivered him from his enemies and from Saul. David was the greatest king of Israel, but he is remembered for his deep devotion to God. God called David a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). David’s faith in God never wavered. He always acknowledged that the Lord was his rock and fortress and that it was God who gave him his victories.
Most families down through the ages have had one person who has stood out and was considered the "ROCK" of that family. Usually it was a grandfather, a grandmother or a mother or dad. It was this person that was always available in time of trouble, in times when counseling and advice was needed and always available just to show love.
Many times we have heard friends say that they miss someone who has passed on because they were always there for them. This is the role for a "ROCK" in a family. We look back in our past and the "Rocks" in our family were our parents. Our prayer today is that we will be the "ROCKS" that our children and grandchildren need in their lives. One thing is certain, and that is to always live a Christ honoring life and be available.
The believer has his or her rock and that is Jesus our Lord. The Psalmist prayed to God in Psalm 31:3, "For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore for your name’s sake lead me and guide me." When we put our complete trust in Jesus, He will be our rock and will lead us and guide us every day through our valleys and over our mountains.
Jesus is our "ROCK" and He is always there. In Ezekiel 35:10 we read, "Whereas the Lord was there." After Israel and Judah had been destroyed by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, the Princes of Edom saw this whole country desolate and felt that they could easily conquer the land. But they ran into difficulty that they did not count on. This land was the Promised Land that God had chosen for His people, the Children of Israel. God was there and Edom met up with God's judgment for their arrogance in taking what was God's. God's judgment brought about Edom's total destruction. There are no Edomites today.
When the world seems to be against us we who are believer’s can take heart from this illustration. We belong to God and because of this He is always there for us. He is our comfort in times of trouble, our rock in times of insecurity and our strength in times of spiritual conflicts. We are constantly opposed by evil in this world we live in and yet we are preserved because He is always there for us.
We can live victorious lives because our Lord - our Rock - is there. It is the Lord that is with us so we need not fear. Praise be to God, our feet will stand on the "ROCK OF AGES" when time is passing us by.
We can still hear in our heads our children singing a song about the wise man who built his house upon the rock and the foolish man who built his house on sand. The song went that when the rain came down the house built on the sand crashed but the house built on the rock stood firm. It is a simple little song but has a mighty message. It is based on the teaching of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 24:27.
This little song taught our children that they needed to build their life on the solid rock of their faith in Jesus Christ. Make sure your life is built on the Lord who is our rock and then teach your children the same and bring them up knowing the Word of God. The rains and the storms of life will surely come, but if your life is built on the Lord, you will come through the storms of life standing firm on the rock.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
PRAYER:
Thank You for being my "Rock" and my strength as I walk through my valleys and over my mountains each day. Help me to rely more on You each day so that you can use me to the fullest. Give me the strength and commitment to be the "rock" in my family. Bless my family and help us as a family to praise You daily.
Sorrow: August 13, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 13, 2013.
SORROW
DEFINITION:
Distress of mind; grief; sadness; regret; distress caused by loss; affliction; disappointment.
SCRIPTURE:
I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow. Psalm 6:6
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The Psalmist in the verse we have put above really spells out how many people feel when they are in deep sorrow. Sorrow comes to us in many ways and as the definition above says sorrow is distress, grief, sadness or grief that one feels when they experience a great loss or bitter disappointment or an affliction.
We have talked over the years with many people that have had dreams of accomplishing something big. They invested most of their time, effort and money into a project feeling assured that it would be successful. And many times something would happen and the bottom would fall out of their carefully laid plans.
When this happens, many times deep sorrow comes to that person. They lose their personal confidence and live a defeated life. The reality of crushed expectations takes a toll on a person and leaves them with a sense of loss and hopelessness.
There is another type of sorrow. This is a sorrow felt when a friend or family member comes down with a serious sickness or has an accident. The sorrow is even greater when that person passes away. The death of a loved one leaves a void in a person's life. Many never are able to overcome the loss of a loved one and their sorrow causes them to fall into a state of deep depression.
The psalmist, David, experienced hopeless despair as he struggled with his own failures, the attacks of others, and the disappointments of life (the verse we have written above). The depth of his sorrow drove him to heartache but in his grief he turned to God. David's crushed and broken spirit gave way to an assurance of God's care, prompting him to say, "The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer." (Verse 9) We can be assured that God hears our prayers and answers them.
In times of sorrow and disappointment people often look to other people for comfort and support. Unfortunately, people often do not understand another’s disappointment or sorrow and are unable to be of comfort.
We can be assured that God understands sorrow and disappointment. We can only imagine how great God’s disappointment and sorrow was when Adam and Eve, whom He had created and given a home to them in paradise, sinned against Him.
Just think of the depth of His sorrow when Jesus, His only Son, was despised and rejected by men and then was crucified on the cross.
In our seasons of disappointment and sorrow we can learn from David and we too can find comfort in God, who cares for our broken heart. Remember, as someone once said, "God's whisper of comfort quiets the noise of our sorrow."
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:38-39.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
PRAYER:
My prayer is that in my darkest hour of sorrow I will be reminded to put my total trust in You. Thank You that You will bless me with Your comfort and loving grace in my times of sorrow.
SORROW
DEFINITION:
Distress of mind; grief; sadness; regret; distress caused by loss; affliction; disappointment.
SCRIPTURE:
I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eyes grow weak with sorrow. Psalm 6:6
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The Psalmist in the verse we have put above really spells out how many people feel when they are in deep sorrow. Sorrow comes to us in many ways and as the definition above says sorrow is distress, grief, sadness or grief that one feels when they experience a great loss or bitter disappointment or an affliction.
We have talked over the years with many people that have had dreams of accomplishing something big. They invested most of their time, effort and money into a project feeling assured that it would be successful. And many times something would happen and the bottom would fall out of their carefully laid plans.
When this happens, many times deep sorrow comes to that person. They lose their personal confidence and live a defeated life. The reality of crushed expectations takes a toll on a person and leaves them with a sense of loss and hopelessness.
There is another type of sorrow. This is a sorrow felt when a friend or family member comes down with a serious sickness or has an accident. The sorrow is even greater when that person passes away. The death of a loved one leaves a void in a person's life. Many never are able to overcome the loss of a loved one and their sorrow causes them to fall into a state of deep depression.
The psalmist, David, experienced hopeless despair as he struggled with his own failures, the attacks of others, and the disappointments of life (the verse we have written above). The depth of his sorrow drove him to heartache but in his grief he turned to God. David's crushed and broken spirit gave way to an assurance of God's care, prompting him to say, "The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer." (Verse 9) We can be assured that God hears our prayers and answers them.
In times of sorrow and disappointment people often look to other people for comfort and support. Unfortunately, people often do not understand another’s disappointment or sorrow and are unable to be of comfort.
We can be assured that God understands sorrow and disappointment. We can only imagine how great God’s disappointment and sorrow was when Adam and Eve, whom He had created and given a home to them in paradise, sinned against Him.
Just think of the depth of His sorrow when Jesus, His only Son, was despised and rejected by men and then was crucified on the cross.
In our seasons of disappointment and sorrow we can learn from David and we too can find comfort in God, who cares for our broken heart. Remember, as someone once said, "God's whisper of comfort quiets the noise of our sorrow."
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:38-39.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
PRAYER:
My prayer is that in my darkest hour of sorrow I will be reminded to put my total trust in You. Thank You that You will bless me with Your comfort and loving grace in my times of sorrow.
Pride: August 12, 2013
TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY AUGUST 12, 2013.
PRIDE
DEFINITION:
Self-respect; self-esteem; a feeling of gratification arising from the association with something good or laudable; conceit; arrogance; an excessively high opinion of oneself.
SCRIPTURE:
For everything in the world, the craving of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting (pride) of what he has and does, come not from the Father but from the world. I John 2:16
Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18.
A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. Proverbs 29:23
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Self-respect is a positive form of pride. It is what motivates us to strive to be the best we can be. Take a moment and think about all the people you know. How many of them do you consider to be "proud?" When one is a unbeliever he or she needs to have some way to feel successful and so most people tend to become very proud of what they do or who they are.
Children with low self-esteem feel like failures before they begin to really live their lives so they never strive to achieve. This happens mainly because their parents and peers do not encourage them and see that they are complimented when doing something. These children feel that everyone is better than themselves and that they are worthless. This usually means that as they grow up they fall into the friendship of the wrong crowd and do wrong things.
God considers each one of us worth sending His only Son to die on the cross in order to pay the penalty for our sins. And as believers our pride should be in our faith in Jesus and not in the things of this world. This at times is very difficult because our nature is to become proud with success and accomplishment.
Over the years we have seen many proud people take terrible falls because when a person has his hope in life built on success and accomplishments, and then when that success collapses there is a steep fall into the reality that the things in this world are only temporary. Consciously and unconsciously pride creeps into our life and we must remember the fall can really hurt. We have often heard the saying that, "Pride cometh before the fall."
Let us take a moment and look at what the scriptures say about pride. In the verse we have printed above from I John, we are warned by the Apostle John that things of the world such as lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride are not of God.
The book of Proverbs has a number of references reminding us that God is absolute in condemning pride. Proverbs chapter 6 verses 16-19 list seven things that the Lord hates. Pride is the number one item on that list. Pride is the devils tool and is the underlying cause for many sins. Nothing good comes from pride. Proverbs 11:2 teaches that "When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with humility comes wisdom." Also in Proverbs we find the results of pride contrasted with the results of humility. Pride brings downfall, destruction and disgrace and leads to quarrels. Humility leads to wisdom, honor and a willingness to take advice.
Pride is arrogance and arrogance causes us to become obsessed with our own ideas. Arrogance had become a problem among some believers in the early church and instead of God’s Word standing as judge over man’s ideas the leaders of the church were judging God’s Word by their worldly ideas.
John wrote these words in I John (above) from Ephesus after he had been released from prison on the isle of Patmos. John's message was to those that were believers so that they could distinguish between truth that is from God and the errors that were creeping into the churches of the day.
Today we face the same concerns in our churches and among those that know the Lord. Many churches are hampered by leadership that thinks they know better than God and as a result teach false doctrine. The same is true in family life. We have gone through several generations, especially here in North America and Europe, where we have lived in the best of times. This success and affluence has resulted in pride and has consumed our society to the point we no longer feel we need God.
The danger of pride is that it comes between us and God. It is difficult for a prideful person to rely on God. When we are successful it is human nature to want to take the credit and to become proud of what we have accomplished. We forget to remember to acknowledge that it is God who gives us strength and wisdom to do what we do. When pride takes over, we forget to give God the glory and we can no longer expect God to bless us.
When God allows us to get the best of "things" in life, so many times we walk around showing off what we take pride in. Pride makes us exalt ourselves over others. Apparently, even the disciples of Jesus had a problem with pride and a desire to exalt themselves. We read in Luke 22:24 that "a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be the greatest." This took place at the last supper. Here Jesus was trying to prepare them for the greatest event in the history of mankind and the disciples were thinking only of themselves and their own status. It wasn't the first time they had argued about this. In Mark 9:33, Jesus indicted them for their pride saying, "If anyone wants to be first he must be the very last and the servant of all."
In Proverbs 29 (above), we are reminded that the pride that we have in our successes will bring one low in God's sight. In contrast the writer says that the humble in spirit will retain honor before God. God can use the humble because they have a servant's heart.
As Christians we need to live with a humble spirit no matter how great or how little our accomplishments may be. As parents we need to teach humility and warn our children about pride. And as children we need to listen, watch and learn and then pattern our lives after the ones that show humility in all they do.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:38-39.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
PRAYER:
Teach me today to be humble in Your sight. Help me to stay away from pride in my walk and in my talk. May others see in me a spirit of humility and not a spirit of pride. May I always give You the honor and glory for my successes. Thank You for all the many wonderful blessings You have given to me and my family. May we use these blessings not to show our pride but to honor You.
PRIDE
DEFINITION:
Self-respect; self-esteem; a feeling of gratification arising from the association with something good or laudable; conceit; arrogance; an excessively high opinion of oneself.
SCRIPTURE:
For everything in the world, the craving of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting (pride) of what he has and does, come not from the Father but from the world. I John 2:16
Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18.
A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. Proverbs 29:23
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Self-respect is a positive form of pride. It is what motivates us to strive to be the best we can be. Take a moment and think about all the people you know. How many of them do you consider to be "proud?" When one is a unbeliever he or she needs to have some way to feel successful and so most people tend to become very proud of what they do or who they are.
Children with low self-esteem feel like failures before they begin to really live their lives so they never strive to achieve. This happens mainly because their parents and peers do not encourage them and see that they are complimented when doing something. These children feel that everyone is better than themselves and that they are worthless. This usually means that as they grow up they fall into the friendship of the wrong crowd and do wrong things.
God considers each one of us worth sending His only Son to die on the cross in order to pay the penalty for our sins. And as believers our pride should be in our faith in Jesus and not in the things of this world. This at times is very difficult because our nature is to become proud with success and accomplishment.
Over the years we have seen many proud people take terrible falls because when a person has his hope in life built on success and accomplishments, and then when that success collapses there is a steep fall into the reality that the things in this world are only temporary. Consciously and unconsciously pride creeps into our life and we must remember the fall can really hurt. We have often heard the saying that, "Pride cometh before the fall."
Let us take a moment and look at what the scriptures say about pride. In the verse we have printed above from I John, we are warned by the Apostle John that things of the world such as lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride are not of God.
The book of Proverbs has a number of references reminding us that God is absolute in condemning pride. Proverbs chapter 6 verses 16-19 list seven things that the Lord hates. Pride is the number one item on that list. Pride is the devils tool and is the underlying cause for many sins. Nothing good comes from pride. Proverbs 11:2 teaches that "When pride comes, then comes disgrace but with humility comes wisdom." Also in Proverbs we find the results of pride contrasted with the results of humility. Pride brings downfall, destruction and disgrace and leads to quarrels. Humility leads to wisdom, honor and a willingness to take advice.
Pride is arrogance and arrogance causes us to become obsessed with our own ideas. Arrogance had become a problem among some believers in the early church and instead of God’s Word standing as judge over man’s ideas the leaders of the church were judging God’s Word by their worldly ideas.
John wrote these words in I John (above) from Ephesus after he had been released from prison on the isle of Patmos. John's message was to those that were believers so that they could distinguish between truth that is from God and the errors that were creeping into the churches of the day.
Today we face the same concerns in our churches and among those that know the Lord. Many churches are hampered by leadership that thinks they know better than God and as a result teach false doctrine. The same is true in family life. We have gone through several generations, especially here in North America and Europe, where we have lived in the best of times. This success and affluence has resulted in pride and has consumed our society to the point we no longer feel we need God.
The danger of pride is that it comes between us and God. It is difficult for a prideful person to rely on God. When we are successful it is human nature to want to take the credit and to become proud of what we have accomplished. We forget to remember to acknowledge that it is God who gives us strength and wisdom to do what we do. When pride takes over, we forget to give God the glory and we can no longer expect God to bless us.
When God allows us to get the best of "things" in life, so many times we walk around showing off what we take pride in. Pride makes us exalt ourselves over others. Apparently, even the disciples of Jesus had a problem with pride and a desire to exalt themselves. We read in Luke 22:24 that "a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be the greatest." This took place at the last supper. Here Jesus was trying to prepare them for the greatest event in the history of mankind and the disciples were thinking only of themselves and their own status. It wasn't the first time they had argued about this. In Mark 9:33, Jesus indicted them for their pride saying, "If anyone wants to be first he must be the very last and the servant of all."
In Proverbs 29 (above), we are reminded that the pride that we have in our successes will bring one low in God's sight. In contrast the writer says that the humble in spirit will retain honor before God. God can use the humble because they have a servant's heart.
As Christians we need to live with a humble spirit no matter how great or how little our accomplishments may be. As parents we need to teach humility and warn our children about pride. And as children we need to listen, watch and learn and then pattern our lives after the ones that show humility in all they do.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:38-39.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
PRAYER:
Teach me today to be humble in Your sight. Help me to stay away from pride in my walk and in my talk. May others see in me a spirit of humility and not a spirit of pride. May I always give You the honor and glory for my successes. Thank You for all the many wonderful blessings You have given to me and my family. May we use these blessings not to show our pride but to honor You.
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