TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2014.
PAUL
DEFINITION:
The man who persecuted Christians and then preached the gospel to save sinners.
SCRIPTURE:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:14.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many of us get headed in the wrong direction in life without being aware of it. Paul was heading down the wrong road, in his life, thinking that he was on the right one until Jesus stopped him “dead in his tracks.” Being confronted by Jesus completely changed the direction of Paul’s life.
The apostle Paul then became a tireless worker for His Lord, a fervent preacher of the gospel, a great apostle, if not the greatest, and a fervent spiritual warrior.
Paul wrote 13 of the New Testament books of the Bible. He won the first European convert to Christianity (Lydia in Macedonia). He was a great missionary founder of churches and suffered much for his belief in our Lord.
There are five important examples that we can learn from the life of Paul.
First, he said that he was a debtor to the Greeks and the barbarians, the wise and the unwise (Acts 1:14). What Paul is saying is that he had an obligation to share the good news of the gospel because of the great sacrifice that Christ had made for him. We have the same obligation because Jesus made that same sacrifice for us.
Secondly, he not only had an obligation but he was eager to preach the gospel to all who would listen. Paul did not know how much time that he might have to preach, so he felt an urgency to preach so that he could take all that Christ had given him and pour it out to all the people who would listen. We as believers need to be prepared because we do not know how much time we have left to share our faith, so we should feel an urgency to share with as many others as possible the message of salvation while we still have time. This is why we feel compelled to write these daily “TODAYS WORD” devotionals.
Thirdly, Paul was not ashamed of the gospel. He lived in a day of moral degeneracy just as we do today. Paul took the gospel to pagan and immoral Greeks and Romans. Rome had become a moral sewer under Nero. The depravity of their lives was the exact opposite to the moral righteousness of the gospel that Paul preached. Needless to say Paul’s message was not well received. In addition Paul was a Jew, a race that was thought by many in his day to be a despicable sub-human race, worth only to be cursed, ill-used and enslaved. Doesn’t this sound the same as what believers are facing today in our world?
But even in this kind of surroundings and culture Paul was not ashamed not only of the gospel but to be able to preach the gospel. Paul was often rejected, not only by a few people, but by whole communities but he continued to be unashamed of the gospel of Christ.
Fourthly, Paul was appointed to defend the gospel (Philippians 1:16). Some of the preachers of the gospel in Rome were very jealous of Paul and envious of the results he was having. They also reacted to the attention he was getting from the social circles and society of the community. They were envious of the support and loyalty that fellow believers were giving Paul. And probably what bothered them most was that they felt threatened because he was gaining daily as the leader of the Christian community in Rome.
Paul was not affected by these feelings. Many preached with the wrong motive. Paul had only one motive and that was to preach the gospel and to defend it from false teachings. By preaching as he did he was defending the gospel and God honored what Paul did.
Look at what is happening today. Much of the same jealousy and envy is seen among believers and even among pastors in our churches. We, as believers must be like Paul and just continue to preach the gospel with the pure motive of bringing the lost to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus’ saving grace.
More and more we are seeing Christians both here in America and across the world coming under attack because of their faith. We must always be willing to defend our faith and stand up for Jesus just as Paul did.
Finally, Paul labored more abundantly then all others as we read in I Corinthians 15:10. God wants us to be the hardest workers in our church, at our workplace, in our communities and most important in our homes. We have a message to preach and a God who is holy and righteous to serve. Let us not let Him down.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
For by grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourself but it is the gift of God, not by works so no one can boast.
PRAYER:
May our family be ready to preach the good news of the gospel and not be ashamed of what we believe. Help us always to be ready to defend our faith when we see Christians under attack because of their faith in Jesus.
September 28, 2014
Noah: September 25, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2014.
NOAH
DEFINITION:
The man who built the Ark.
SCRIPTURE:
So God said to Noah, I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. Genesis 6:13-14.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Can you even begin to imagine how you would respond if God gave you a message like he gave Noah in Genesis 6:13-14 (above)? We are told how Noah reacted. “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (Genesis 6:22). God had made it clear to all the people that they needed to repent from their evil ways and they did not respond.
We can learn from the life of Noah how God wants us to respond to Him when He speaks to us. When God speaks to us it is a command not a suggestion. We are to trust in God’s Words that He speaks to us because God’s Word is truth.
There are three ways that God revealed to Noah the gospel of the grace of God and His will for Noah’s life. God spoke to Noah by word of mouth. In Acts 3:21 we read that God spoke to Noah by the mouth of his predecessors. Noah probably received God’s Word from Methuselah, who probably was taught by Adam. Methuselah was 253 years old when Adam died and lived 600 years after Noah was born. He was Noah’s grandfather and Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord through his grandfather. God continues today to speak to unbelievers by word of mouth, person to person. All we who believe in Jesus are His messengers to spread the Gospel message by word of mouth to unbelievers.
God spoke to Noah through written records. Adam must have created a language and a vocabulary that he reduced to writing because the scripture says that Adam gave a name to all the birds of the air and beasts of the field that God created. Adam created this language and vocabulary to express every thought and Noah must have had access to that. Today we have the Bible, the written Word of God through which God communicates to us.
God spoke to Noah verbally. God clearly revealed His will to Noah as is evident in the verse we have written above. When the ark was ready, He spoke to Noah and told him to enter the ark. When the flood ended and the land was dry, God told Noah to come out of the ark. God clearly spoke to Noah to reveal His will and He continues to speak in many different ways to men today to make known His will. He speaks to us through His Holy Spirit and through the Word of God. In the past 6000 years God has spoken to men through dreams, through angels or even a voice from heaven. In Noah’s case God was able to save Noah and his family because Noah was ready and willing to listen to God. God will reveal His will for all who are willing to listen. Are you ready and listening for God to talk to you?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
For by grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourself but it is the gift of God, not of works so no one can boast.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the example of faith and obedience that You have given us in the account of the life of Noah. May our family be willing to listen to Your voice and keep us faithful in obeying Your Word.
NOAH
DEFINITION:
The man who built the Ark.
SCRIPTURE:
So God said to Noah, I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. Genesis 6:13-14.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Can you even begin to imagine how you would respond if God gave you a message like he gave Noah in Genesis 6:13-14 (above)? We are told how Noah reacted. “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (Genesis 6:22). God had made it clear to all the people that they needed to repent from their evil ways and they did not respond.
We can learn from the life of Noah how God wants us to respond to Him when He speaks to us. When God speaks to us it is a command not a suggestion. We are to trust in God’s Words that He speaks to us because God’s Word is truth.
There are three ways that God revealed to Noah the gospel of the grace of God and His will for Noah’s life. God spoke to Noah by word of mouth. In Acts 3:21 we read that God spoke to Noah by the mouth of his predecessors. Noah probably received God’s Word from Methuselah, who probably was taught by Adam. Methuselah was 253 years old when Adam died and lived 600 years after Noah was born. He was Noah’s grandfather and Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord through his grandfather. God continues today to speak to unbelievers by word of mouth, person to person. All we who believe in Jesus are His messengers to spread the Gospel message by word of mouth to unbelievers.
God spoke to Noah through written records. Adam must have created a language and a vocabulary that he reduced to writing because the scripture says that Adam gave a name to all the birds of the air and beasts of the field that God created. Adam created this language and vocabulary to express every thought and Noah must have had access to that. Today we have the Bible, the written Word of God through which God communicates to us.
God spoke to Noah verbally. God clearly revealed His will to Noah as is evident in the verse we have written above. When the ark was ready, He spoke to Noah and told him to enter the ark. When the flood ended and the land was dry, God told Noah to come out of the ark. God clearly spoke to Noah to reveal His will and He continues to speak in many different ways to men today to make known His will. He speaks to us through His Holy Spirit and through the Word of God. In the past 6000 years God has spoken to men through dreams, through angels or even a voice from heaven. In Noah’s case God was able to save Noah and his family because Noah was ready and willing to listen to God. God will reveal His will for all who are willing to listen. Are you ready and listening for God to talk to you?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
For by grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourself but it is the gift of God, not of works so no one can boast.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the example of faith and obedience that You have given us in the account of the life of Noah. May our family be willing to listen to Your voice and keep us faithful in obeying Your Word.
Daniel: September 24, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2014.
DANIEL
DEFINITION:
A man of purpose, prayer, power and faith.
SCRIPTURE:
So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. Daniel 6:4.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Daniel was a man of strong faith and godly character. Our goal in life should be to have a godly character like Daniel had so that others may say about us what was said about Daniel in verse 4 (above). Daniel was so faithful and upright that no fault could be found in him. As we look into the scriptures and read about Daniel we can learn many things from his life that can help us understand what it means to be faithful to God and the importance of having a godly character.
If Daniel had a flaw in his character it has not been revealed to us in the scriptures. The scriptures do give us four character traits of Daniel that we can apply to our lives.
Daniel was a man of purpose. In Daniel 1:8 we read that Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, or with the wine which he drank. Although Daniel was living in exile as a captive of Babylon, he had found favor with the king and was offered the privilege of eating from the king’s table. He would not allow himself to be tempted with the meat and wine of the king, because it was an offering to Babylon’s false gods and Daniel knew that to eat the meat and drink the wine would be to disobey God.
The food and wine were tempting but God gave him wisdom and strength to say “NO” and Daniel refused to partake of the food and wine. Daniel had resolved to stay true to his convictions and always faithful to God. We need to learn to say no to all of the temptations to do evil that Satan will present to us in order to draw us away from the Lord.
Daniel was a man of prayer. He recognized the importance of having communication with God. Daniel had been taken captive to Babylon and even though he lived in a pagan country he never strayed from his faith in God. He continued to pray to his Lord even when he faced death for praying to his God. Daniel not only prayed when he was in danger but he had a pattern of prayer, praying three times a day. We need to develop that kind of prayer pattern because we need daily communication with God.
Daniel was a man of power. King Nebuchadnezzar bestowed honor, gifts and great power on Daniel. Daniel received power from the king, but Daniel knew that his real source of power came from God, and he continually gave God the glory in all that he did and always put his total trust in God’s power not his own. If we want to be men and women of power that God can use we need to follow Daniel’s example.
Daniel was a man of faith. He showed his faith in God in his times of great distress and anxiety. For example, he was forced to spend a night in a den of hungry lions because of his loyalty and trust in God. The scriptures tell us in Daniel 6:23 that King Darius came to the den in the morning, after Daniel’s night in the lion’s den, and found Daniel alive and well, “and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in God.” When we are faithful to God and put our trust in Him, God will be with us as we go through our times of difficulty and despair.
We all can learn from the life of Daniel. God wants us to live our lives like Daniel lived his and if we do God will work miracles through our life just as He did in the life of Daniel.
There is an old hymn written by Philip P. Bliss in 1873. We sang it in Sunday school, maybe some of you did as well:
The words to the chorus are:
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone,
Dare to have a purpose firm,
Dare to make it known.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourself but it is the gift of God, not by works so no one can boast.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the standard of godly commitment that has been given to us through the life of Daniel. May my life and the lives of my family be lives of purpose, prayer, power and faith like that of Daniel. Keep us from being tempted by things that would defile us and keep us steadfast in our faith.
DANIEL
DEFINITION:
A man of purpose, prayer, power and faith.
SCRIPTURE:
So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. Daniel 6:4.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Daniel was a man of strong faith and godly character. Our goal in life should be to have a godly character like Daniel had so that others may say about us what was said about Daniel in verse 4 (above). Daniel was so faithful and upright that no fault could be found in him. As we look into the scriptures and read about Daniel we can learn many things from his life that can help us understand what it means to be faithful to God and the importance of having a godly character.
If Daniel had a flaw in his character it has not been revealed to us in the scriptures. The scriptures do give us four character traits of Daniel that we can apply to our lives.
Daniel was a man of purpose. In Daniel 1:8 we read that Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, or with the wine which he drank. Although Daniel was living in exile as a captive of Babylon, he had found favor with the king and was offered the privilege of eating from the king’s table. He would not allow himself to be tempted with the meat and wine of the king, because it was an offering to Babylon’s false gods and Daniel knew that to eat the meat and drink the wine would be to disobey God.
The food and wine were tempting but God gave him wisdom and strength to say “NO” and Daniel refused to partake of the food and wine. Daniel had resolved to stay true to his convictions and always faithful to God. We need to learn to say no to all of the temptations to do evil that Satan will present to us in order to draw us away from the Lord.
Daniel was a man of prayer. He recognized the importance of having communication with God. Daniel had been taken captive to Babylon and even though he lived in a pagan country he never strayed from his faith in God. He continued to pray to his Lord even when he faced death for praying to his God. Daniel not only prayed when he was in danger but he had a pattern of prayer, praying three times a day. We need to develop that kind of prayer pattern because we need daily communication with God.
Daniel was a man of power. King Nebuchadnezzar bestowed honor, gifts and great power on Daniel. Daniel received power from the king, but Daniel knew that his real source of power came from God, and he continually gave God the glory in all that he did and always put his total trust in God’s power not his own. If we want to be men and women of power that God can use we need to follow Daniel’s example.
Daniel was a man of faith. He showed his faith in God in his times of great distress and anxiety. For example, he was forced to spend a night in a den of hungry lions because of his loyalty and trust in God. The scriptures tell us in Daniel 6:23 that King Darius came to the den in the morning, after Daniel’s night in the lion’s den, and found Daniel alive and well, “and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in God.” When we are faithful to God and put our trust in Him, God will be with us as we go through our times of difficulty and despair.
We all can learn from the life of Daniel. God wants us to live our lives like Daniel lived his and if we do God will work miracles through our life just as He did in the life of Daniel.
There is an old hymn written by Philip P. Bliss in 1873. We sang it in Sunday school, maybe some of you did as well:
The words to the chorus are:
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone,
Dare to have a purpose firm,
Dare to make it known.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourself but it is the gift of God, not by works so no one can boast.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the standard of godly commitment that has been given to us through the life of Daniel. May my life and the lives of my family be lives of purpose, prayer, power and faith like that of Daniel. Keep us from being tempted by things that would defile us and keep us steadfast in our faith.
Study: September 23, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2014.
STUDY
DEFINITION:
The mental effort of understanding; a branch of learning; examine thoughtfully.
SCRIPTURE:
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15.
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8.
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We feel that there is a great need for a reminder to all of us that we need to do a better job of studying God’s Word. Many sincerely professing Christians are spiritually starving, or spiritually ill, because they have never thought seriously about the quality of their Bible study.
If our physical diet is not well balanced, or if our digestive systems are not functioning properly, our bodies will decline in health. The same is true if we do not take full value of the spiritual diet offered to us in the Scriptures, we will become spiritually disabled.
We would like to suggest several important basics for you to consider if you would like to have an effective Bible study. Someone that is starving spiritually must regularly eat nourishing spiritual food, which is the Word of God. These foundations, we pray, will help you learn to study the Bible.
To begin with you must know what the Bible says about itself. In the verse above from Psalm 19:7 we are told that the law (the Bible) is perfect. It is the Word of God and without error.
We need to know what God intended the Bible to do for us. The Bible is clear that it was written for us by God. In the Old Testament alone the Bible asserts over 3000 times that God spoke what is written in it. The Bible is not only the Book from God, but is the Book about God. God’s purpose in giving us His Word was to reveal Himself to all mankind. In God’s Word we learn that He is our creator, our sustainer, our judge and our hope while we are in this world and for eternity.
We need to know that the Bible stands above all human options. It is the inspired Word of God so it saves us from listening to the babble of all human options. The Word of God will shape our opinions and give us direction for our lives if we allow God to work in us as we study.
God’s Word is truth. Perhaps the greatest lie that Satan gives us, being the arch-liar, is that there is no such thing as truth. But the fact is that JESUS IS TRUTH! When we study the Bible we need to understand that not only did every word in the Bible originate with God in heaven, but that most of its contents deal with how God’s truth relates factually to the way we are to conduct our lives on this earth. As we study God’s Word we need to pray that the Holy Spirit will illuminate the truth and how we are to apply it.
Finally, it is imperative that you develop a method of Bible study that is systematic and thorough (II Timothy 2:15). You will find Bible commentaries very helpful in giving additional insight on verses you read. In Bible book stores there are many excellent Bible study books.
Paul tells Timothy in II Timothy 2:2 to commit what he had heard from Paul to other faithful men who would be able to teach others. Thus the Gospel was passed from generation to generation. This is why Bible study is so important. It equips us to teach others the truths of the Bible.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
For by grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourself but it is the gift of God, not by works so no one can boast.
PRAYER:
Help me to first of all commit time daily to study Your Word. Then help me to learn as I read. May the Holy Spirit guide me in my study and give me the power of Your Word to strengthen my faith and draw me closer to You.
STUDY
DEFINITION:
The mental effort of understanding; a branch of learning; examine thoughtfully.
SCRIPTURE:
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15.
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8.
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We feel that there is a great need for a reminder to all of us that we need to do a better job of studying God’s Word. Many sincerely professing Christians are spiritually starving, or spiritually ill, because they have never thought seriously about the quality of their Bible study.
If our physical diet is not well balanced, or if our digestive systems are not functioning properly, our bodies will decline in health. The same is true if we do not take full value of the spiritual diet offered to us in the Scriptures, we will become spiritually disabled.
We would like to suggest several important basics for you to consider if you would like to have an effective Bible study. Someone that is starving spiritually must regularly eat nourishing spiritual food, which is the Word of God. These foundations, we pray, will help you learn to study the Bible.
To begin with you must know what the Bible says about itself. In the verse above from Psalm 19:7 we are told that the law (the Bible) is perfect. It is the Word of God and without error.
We need to know what God intended the Bible to do for us. The Bible is clear that it was written for us by God. In the Old Testament alone the Bible asserts over 3000 times that God spoke what is written in it. The Bible is not only the Book from God, but is the Book about God. God’s purpose in giving us His Word was to reveal Himself to all mankind. In God’s Word we learn that He is our creator, our sustainer, our judge and our hope while we are in this world and for eternity.
We need to know that the Bible stands above all human options. It is the inspired Word of God so it saves us from listening to the babble of all human options. The Word of God will shape our opinions and give us direction for our lives if we allow God to work in us as we study.
God’s Word is truth. Perhaps the greatest lie that Satan gives us, being the arch-liar, is that there is no such thing as truth. But the fact is that JESUS IS TRUTH! When we study the Bible we need to understand that not only did every word in the Bible originate with God in heaven, but that most of its contents deal with how God’s truth relates factually to the way we are to conduct our lives on this earth. As we study God’s Word we need to pray that the Holy Spirit will illuminate the truth and how we are to apply it.
Finally, it is imperative that you develop a method of Bible study that is systematic and thorough (II Timothy 2:15). You will find Bible commentaries very helpful in giving additional insight on verses you read. In Bible book stores there are many excellent Bible study books.
Paul tells Timothy in II Timothy 2:2 to commit what he had heard from Paul to other faithful men who would be able to teach others. Thus the Gospel was passed from generation to generation. This is why Bible study is so important. It equips us to teach others the truths of the Bible.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
For by grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourself but it is the gift of God, not by works so no one can boast.
PRAYER:
Help me to first of all commit time daily to study Your Word. Then help me to learn as I read. May the Holy Spirit guide me in my study and give me the power of Your Word to strengthen my faith and draw me closer to You.
Creator: September 22, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2014.
CREATOR
DEFINITION:
Maker; one who creates or causes to come into being; God.
SCRIPTURE:
Remember now your creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, I have no pleasure in them. Ecclesiastics 12:1
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
There are many people today that question the fact that God created the world we live in today, but the Bible is very clear on this. In the very first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, we are told that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
There are only two legitimate choices for the origin of the universe. Either someone created this universe by intelligent design or the universe created itself. It takes a much bigger leap of faith to believe that the universe “just evolved” or “just happened” than to believe that God is the creator of this universe and everything in it.
If we believe that the Bible is the Word of God and was written without error then what else can you believe than that God created the world we live in? If you say no or doubt this fact then you are saying the Bible is not true and the Bible is not the Word of God. And worse yet, then you make Jesus a liar and not our Lord and Savior.
In addition to the fact that God created the heavens and the earth He also created man. In Genesis 1:27, God’s Word tells us that God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created both male and female.
Yes, God created man in His own image but man makes choices in life that affect his relationship with God.
Viktor Frankl in his book, “Man’s search for meaning,” describes two brothers with the same heredity, created by the same God, the same environment, including being in the same concentration camp under the Nazis treated the same.
One of the brothers became a saint and the other literally a swine. Frankl said that this was an example of how each man in this world created by God has the power to choose how he will react to any given situation. These two brothers acted differently and made different choices.
Many people today are the same way in their reaction to their creator. Some do not want to accept responsibility for their actions. Others blame society, the environment, and the schools, the circumstances they had to face in life, their parents or even their peers.
God created this world in six days and the scripture tells us that He then rested on the seventh day. In six days he created the heavens and the earth, light and darkness, waters and the dry land, grass and trees, the moon and the stars, the fish of the sea and the living creatures on the land (animals). Yes, God is our creator and everything we have today is because of God.
He created man but Adam sinned in a perfect environment and under perfect circumstances because God gave mankind a free will to choose or reject Him.
As parents we need to teach our children about creation as outlined in the Word of God. It is the responsibility of the parents to teach creation to our children so they are well prepared for the onslaught of evolution that they will face in school and the work place.
Solomon advises in Ecclesiastics 12:1 to acknowledge God as our creator in our youth. Honoring God as our creator and Lord of our life early in life can make a real difference in the direction of one’s life and will help a person avoid “difficult days that come from wrong choices.”
Creation is a very critical issue for families today. The world and everything in it is evidence that God exists. We ask, “How does anyone look upon the wonders of creation and not believe that there is a God who created it just as God recorded it in Genesis?” We do not have the choice of picking and choosing what we want to believe or disbelieve in the Bible because God’s Word is truth (John 17:17). We urge parents and children to study the Bible and study what the Bible says about our creator and how He created, not only the heavens and the earth, but each one of us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
For by grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourself but it is the gift of God, not by works so no one can boast.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the assurance that I have in my heart that You are not only the Creator of the world that I live in but my Creator. Help our family to be an example to those we meet so that we can show them they need to acknowledge God as their Creator and make Him part of their life.
CREATOR
DEFINITION:
Maker; one who creates or causes to come into being; God.
SCRIPTURE:
Remember now your creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, I have no pleasure in them. Ecclesiastics 12:1
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
There are many people today that question the fact that God created the world we live in today, but the Bible is very clear on this. In the very first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, we are told that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
There are only two legitimate choices for the origin of the universe. Either someone created this universe by intelligent design or the universe created itself. It takes a much bigger leap of faith to believe that the universe “just evolved” or “just happened” than to believe that God is the creator of this universe and everything in it.
If we believe that the Bible is the Word of God and was written without error then what else can you believe than that God created the world we live in? If you say no or doubt this fact then you are saying the Bible is not true and the Bible is not the Word of God. And worse yet, then you make Jesus a liar and not our Lord and Savior.
In addition to the fact that God created the heavens and the earth He also created man. In Genesis 1:27, God’s Word tells us that God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created both male and female.
Yes, God created man in His own image but man makes choices in life that affect his relationship with God.
Viktor Frankl in his book, “Man’s search for meaning,” describes two brothers with the same heredity, created by the same God, the same environment, including being in the same concentration camp under the Nazis treated the same.
One of the brothers became a saint and the other literally a swine. Frankl said that this was an example of how each man in this world created by God has the power to choose how he will react to any given situation. These two brothers acted differently and made different choices.
Many people today are the same way in their reaction to their creator. Some do not want to accept responsibility for their actions. Others blame society, the environment, and the schools, the circumstances they had to face in life, their parents or even their peers.
God created this world in six days and the scripture tells us that He then rested on the seventh day. In six days he created the heavens and the earth, light and darkness, waters and the dry land, grass and trees, the moon and the stars, the fish of the sea and the living creatures on the land (animals). Yes, God is our creator and everything we have today is because of God.
He created man but Adam sinned in a perfect environment and under perfect circumstances because God gave mankind a free will to choose or reject Him.
As parents we need to teach our children about creation as outlined in the Word of God. It is the responsibility of the parents to teach creation to our children so they are well prepared for the onslaught of evolution that they will face in school and the work place.
Solomon advises in Ecclesiastics 12:1 to acknowledge God as our creator in our youth. Honoring God as our creator and Lord of our life early in life can make a real difference in the direction of one’s life and will help a person avoid “difficult days that come from wrong choices.”
Creation is a very critical issue for families today. The world and everything in it is evidence that God exists. We ask, “How does anyone look upon the wonders of creation and not believe that there is a God who created it just as God recorded it in Genesis?” We do not have the choice of picking and choosing what we want to believe or disbelieve in the Bible because God’s Word is truth (John 17:17). We urge parents and children to study the Bible and study what the Bible says about our creator and how He created, not only the heavens and the earth, but each one of us.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
For by grace you are saved, through faith, and that not of yourself but it is the gift of God, not by works so no one can boast.
PRAYER:
Thank You for the assurance that I have in my heart that You are not only the Creator of the world that I live in but my Creator. Help our family to be an example to those we meet so that we can show them they need to acknowledge God as their Creator and make Him part of their life.
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