TODAYS WORD FOR FRIDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2014.
UPSIDE-DOWN
DEFINITION:
Complete disorder or topsy-turvy.
SCRIPTURE:
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We must understand this fact: We are living in an upside-down world. Here is what we mean so you can understand our definition of an upside-down world.
People hate when they should love. People quarrel when they should be friendly. People fight when they should be peaceful. People wound when they should heal. People steal when they should share. People do wrong when they should do right. What we are saying is that people have lost any feelings they may have had to think of others. They do not understand the Biblical principles that America was founded on.
Have you ever seen a toy clown that has a weight in its head? No matter what position you put this clown in it always assumed an upside-down position. You could carefully place it on its feet or on its side but when you let go of it, the clown would always flip back on its head.
People that do not know Jesus today are just like this clown. You can talk to them, encourage them but when you leave them they always revert to an upside-down position.
That is why the disciples of Jesus were considered misfits to the world they lived in. To an upside-down person, a right side-up person seems upside-down.
To a sinner, one who does not know Jesus as their Savior, a righteous person, one who has accepted Jesus as their Savior, is an oddity and abnormal. A Christian’s goodness is a rebuke to the wicked because his being right side-up is a reflection upon the world’s inverted positions on the things of life.
We challenge you today to take your eyes off of the world of confusion and evil. They are living upside-down. Focus your eyes and heart on Jesus.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 2:4.
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
PRAYER:
Help me, dear Lord, to imitate what is good in life and not on the evil we witness daily. Guide me as I tell my family and friends that he who does good and lives a life that is not upside-down is of God.
November 9, 2014
Trials: November 6, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2014.
TRIALS
DEFINITION:
The state or position of a person or thing being tried or tested; suffering; grief; tribulation or distress.
SCRIPTURE:
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Almost every day we as believers face trials in our life. Some are minor and some are major. We have used the scripture above from the book of James for this WORD because when we face a trial of any proportion we need wisdom from God as to how to face that trial. We need wisdom to know how to respond to suffering, life situations, family issues and many other “things” that we face daily.
Many people think that if we know and serve the Lord we will have a problem free life. This is not what God promised us. God did promise that with Him we would prevail but without trials to prevail over we cannot know what it is to prevail with God. It is in the good times when life is rosy and carefree that we are most likely to forget God and think we do not need Him. It is also easy to want to blame God for our trials when life gets tough. Suffering and problems are painful but they are also opportunities for growth in our faith and dependence on the Lord. We learn more in our troubled times than in our good times. We need to see trials that come our way from God’s viewpoint and understand His purposes in allowing them in our lives.
We have eight truths to share with you today that will help you to look at trials in your life from a positive perspective, God’s perspective.
God is in full control of the timing and intensity of every one of your trials and He will not let it go beyond the boundaries that He has set.
God has a purpose for your trial or suffering which you may not understand until it is over. You will understand if you are in the proper relationship with Him.
The trial will be profitable if you submit it to God and trust Him through it.
A trying situation like a trial is a great chance for your faith to grow genuine and stronger.
When you endure extreme pressure while going through a trial with unexplainable peace and joy (that only the Lord can give you) the Lord will demonstrate His sustaining power to a world that is watching you and wondering how you will respond.
God will use your trials to produce a Christ-like character in you.
God will walk with you every moment through your trials.
The Holy Spirit will enable you to survive any and all your trials, if you give them to the Lord, and you will survive as a conqueror.
If you truly believe these principles and follow them as you face trials they will shape how you respond to every difficulty you might face in life. Instead of feeling miserable and hopeless when you face a trial you will experience peace and joy.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 2:4.
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
PRAYER:
Help me to grasp these 8 principles so that when a trial comes m way I might know how to face that trial and come out rejoicing. Help me to lead my family and friends to understand these principles so they may also experience peace and victory when they face a trial in their life.
TRIALS
DEFINITION:
The state or position of a person or thing being tried or tested; suffering; grief; tribulation or distress.
SCRIPTURE:
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Almost every day we as believers face trials in our life. Some are minor and some are major. We have used the scripture above from the book of James for this WORD because when we face a trial of any proportion we need wisdom from God as to how to face that trial. We need wisdom to know how to respond to suffering, life situations, family issues and many other “things” that we face daily.
Many people think that if we know and serve the Lord we will have a problem free life. This is not what God promised us. God did promise that with Him we would prevail but without trials to prevail over we cannot know what it is to prevail with God. It is in the good times when life is rosy and carefree that we are most likely to forget God and think we do not need Him. It is also easy to want to blame God for our trials when life gets tough. Suffering and problems are painful but they are also opportunities for growth in our faith and dependence on the Lord. We learn more in our troubled times than in our good times. We need to see trials that come our way from God’s viewpoint and understand His purposes in allowing them in our lives.
We have eight truths to share with you today that will help you to look at trials in your life from a positive perspective, God’s perspective.
God is in full control of the timing and intensity of every one of your trials and He will not let it go beyond the boundaries that He has set.
God has a purpose for your trial or suffering which you may not understand until it is over. You will understand if you are in the proper relationship with Him.
The trial will be profitable if you submit it to God and trust Him through it.
A trying situation like a trial is a great chance for your faith to grow genuine and stronger.
When you endure extreme pressure while going through a trial with unexplainable peace and joy (that only the Lord can give you) the Lord will demonstrate His sustaining power to a world that is watching you and wondering how you will respond.
God will use your trials to produce a Christ-like character in you.
God will walk with you every moment through your trials.
The Holy Spirit will enable you to survive any and all your trials, if you give them to the Lord, and you will survive as a conqueror.
If you truly believe these principles and follow them as you face trials they will shape how you respond to every difficulty you might face in life. Instead of feeling miserable and hopeless when you face a trial you will experience peace and joy.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 2:4.
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
PRAYER:
Help me to grasp these 8 principles so that when a trial comes m way I might know how to face that trial and come out rejoicing. Help me to lead my family and friends to understand these principles so they may also experience peace and victory when they face a trial in their life.
Murmur: November 5, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5, 2014.
MURMUR
DEFINITION:
A low indistinct sound; a mumbled expression of discontent; a muttered complaint.
SCRIPTURE:
And all of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God if we die in this wilderness.” Numbers 14:2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Murmuring or muttering complaints is the outward expression of inner obstinacy and rebellion. It most likely is something every one of us has been guilty of some time in our life.
In the verse above we read about the Children of Israel murmuring against their leaders. They had become fearful of going into the Promised Land to conquer it as the Lord wanted them to do.
Twelve spies had been sent to spy out the land. Ten of the spies had aroused fear in the people by reporting that the Canaanites were too powerful to be conquered. Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the twelve spies who remained strong in their faith and took a stand against the other spies.
After all the years of hardships wandering through the wilderness, the Children of Israel were tired of waiting so they began to not only murmur but to loudly complain. It was Joshua that God used to speak out against the murmuring. He told the congregation of Israelites that the land was good and “If the Lord is pleased with us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.”
Joshua begged them to trust the Lord, but the congregation continued to murmur and complain and even threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb. Moses cried out to God for deliverance for his people. God was ready to wipe them out but because of Moses’ prayer of intersession for them, God forgave the Children of Israel for their murmuring and complaining.
Nevertheless, they still paid a price for their sinful complaining. God told them that they would wander in the desert for 40 years and no one but Joshua and Caleb and those under 20 years old would enter the Promised Land.
We can remember as children when our parents gave us something to do and we really did not want to do it, we walked away and would murmur under our breath. This did not go over with our parents and usually got us into deep trouble. Years later the roles were reversed. We were the parents and our children would walk away from us after we gave them a responsibility, murmuring under their breath. They soon learned, as we did, that murmuring and complaining got us nowhere, in fact, it brought consequences that just made them unhappy.
There are murmurers and complainers among Christians today just like as there were among the Children of Israel. They complain about everything and then always blame God for what went wrong. God is not the problem. We who complain are the problem. We only want to do what we want to do and do it in our own way. We disobey God, just like the Children of Israel did, and then when we fail or get ourselves in trouble we ask God -- WHY?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 2:4.
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
PRAYER:
Enable me to be obedient to You and do what You want me to do without murmuring and complaining. Forgive me for the times that I have been obstinate and rebellious against You. Give me a right attitude and keep me cheerful in all that I do.
MURMUR
DEFINITION:
A low indistinct sound; a mumbled expression of discontent; a muttered complaint.
SCRIPTURE:
And all of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God if we die in this wilderness.” Numbers 14:2.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Murmuring or muttering complaints is the outward expression of inner obstinacy and rebellion. It most likely is something every one of us has been guilty of some time in our life.
In the verse above we read about the Children of Israel murmuring against their leaders. They had become fearful of going into the Promised Land to conquer it as the Lord wanted them to do.
Twelve spies had been sent to spy out the land. Ten of the spies had aroused fear in the people by reporting that the Canaanites were too powerful to be conquered. Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the twelve spies who remained strong in their faith and took a stand against the other spies.
After all the years of hardships wandering through the wilderness, the Children of Israel were tired of waiting so they began to not only murmur but to loudly complain. It was Joshua that God used to speak out against the murmuring. He told the congregation of Israelites that the land was good and “If the Lord is pleased with us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.”
Joshua begged them to trust the Lord, but the congregation continued to murmur and complain and even threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb. Moses cried out to God for deliverance for his people. God was ready to wipe them out but because of Moses’ prayer of intersession for them, God forgave the Children of Israel for their murmuring and complaining.
Nevertheless, they still paid a price for their sinful complaining. God told them that they would wander in the desert for 40 years and no one but Joshua and Caleb and those under 20 years old would enter the Promised Land.
We can remember as children when our parents gave us something to do and we really did not want to do it, we walked away and would murmur under our breath. This did not go over with our parents and usually got us into deep trouble. Years later the roles were reversed. We were the parents and our children would walk away from us after we gave them a responsibility, murmuring under their breath. They soon learned, as we did, that murmuring and complaining got us nowhere, in fact, it brought consequences that just made them unhappy.
There are murmurers and complainers among Christians today just like as there were among the Children of Israel. They complain about everything and then always blame God for what went wrong. God is not the problem. We who complain are the problem. We only want to do what we want to do and do it in our own way. We disobey God, just like the Children of Israel did, and then when we fail or get ourselves in trouble we ask God -- WHY?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 2:4.
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
PRAYER:
Enable me to be obedient to You and do what You want me to do without murmuring and complaining. Forgive me for the times that I have been obstinate and rebellious against You. Give me a right attitude and keep me cheerful in all that I do.
Neutral: November 4, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 4, 2014.
NEUTRAL
DEFINITION:
Not aligned with or supporting any side or position in a controversy.
SCRIPTURE:
He who is not with Me is against Me. Matthew 12:30.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
A group of people were discussing religion, some were believers and some were not. One of them said that there was good in all religions so I believe in them all and therefore I have all my bases covered.
Anyone that believes that there is some good in all religions and that there are many ways to get to heaven may be sincere but they are sincerely wrong. It isn’t a matter of what we want to think is true. It is a matter of what is true.
The God of the Bible is the only true and living God. He is the only God who has provided a way to have eternal life. Jesus, God’s Son, is the only one who has overcome death and come back to life. All other gods are still in their graves. The God of the Bible is the only God who has made it possible to have a relationship with Him. God made that possible to all who accept Jesus as their Savior.
Other religions do not make this option possible so those that say they have all their bases covered have missed the most important base for this life and for eternity.
By accepting all religions as having some merit many feel they are remaining neutral. They feel by doing this they are open-minded. God has not given us the option of being neutral or open-minded. No matter how much good one might see in any one religion, Jesus said that there is only one way to heaven.
In John 14 we read about Jesus preparing His disciples for His death. He tried to comfort them by telling them that He was going to His Father’s house and that He would be preparing a place for them there. Then Thomas spoke up and said to Jesus that they did not know where He was going so how could they know the way. Jesus answer is what all the world needs to hear today. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.” There is no neutrality in this statement.
Jesus said there is just “one way” to God. He did not say there are many ways through many other religions. There is no neutral ground. Those who think that they can opt not to make a decision and just remain neutral need to realize that by remaining neutral and choosing not to accept Jesus they have chosen to reject Him. There is no middle ground with God. Not to act is to act. A choice has been made. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me.”
Consider where you stand. Remember there is no neutral ground Are you standing on God’s side or on Satan’s side?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 2:4.
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
PRAYER:
May my life be a testimony to others so that they can see that I am standing on the Lord’s side. Help me to be firm with those that I meet by letting them know there is no neutral ground concerning where they will spend eternity.
NEUTRAL
DEFINITION:
Not aligned with or supporting any side or position in a controversy.
SCRIPTURE:
He who is not with Me is against Me. Matthew 12:30.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
A group of people were discussing religion, some were believers and some were not. One of them said that there was good in all religions so I believe in them all and therefore I have all my bases covered.
Anyone that believes that there is some good in all religions and that there are many ways to get to heaven may be sincere but they are sincerely wrong. It isn’t a matter of what we want to think is true. It is a matter of what is true.
The God of the Bible is the only true and living God. He is the only God who has provided a way to have eternal life. Jesus, God’s Son, is the only one who has overcome death and come back to life. All other gods are still in their graves. The God of the Bible is the only God who has made it possible to have a relationship with Him. God made that possible to all who accept Jesus as their Savior.
Other religions do not make this option possible so those that say they have all their bases covered have missed the most important base for this life and for eternity.
By accepting all religions as having some merit many feel they are remaining neutral. They feel by doing this they are open-minded. God has not given us the option of being neutral or open-minded. No matter how much good one might see in any one religion, Jesus said that there is only one way to heaven.
In John 14 we read about Jesus preparing His disciples for His death. He tried to comfort them by telling them that He was going to His Father’s house and that He would be preparing a place for them there. Then Thomas spoke up and said to Jesus that they did not know where He was going so how could they know the way. Jesus answer is what all the world needs to hear today. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.” There is no neutrality in this statement.
Jesus said there is just “one way” to God. He did not say there are many ways through many other religions. There is no neutral ground. Those who think that they can opt not to make a decision and just remain neutral need to realize that by remaining neutral and choosing not to accept Jesus they have chosen to reject Him. There is no middle ground with God. Not to act is to act. A choice has been made. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me.”
Consider where you stand. Remember there is no neutral ground Are you standing on God’s side or on Satan’s side?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 2:4.
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
PRAYER:
May my life be a testimony to others so that they can see that I am standing on the Lord’s side. Help me to be firm with those that I meet by letting them know there is no neutral ground concerning where they will spend eternity.
Opportunity: November 3, 2014
TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2014.
OPPORTUNITY
DEFINITION:
A favorable occasion or time; timely; a situation on condition favorable for attainment of a goal.
SCRIPTURE:
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are the household of faith. Galatians 6:10.
Be very careful how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The Apostle Paul in his writings (above) to the churches at Galatia and Ephesus emphasizes how the believers need to take advantage of the opportunity of time given to them by God. Paul points out that the believer’s entire life provides the unique privilege by which he can serve others in Christ’s name.
In Ephesians 5:15-16 (above), Paul tells us that we are to make the most of our time in this evil world in fulfilling God’s purposes, seizing every opportunity to tell others about Christ.
In Galatians 6:10 (above), Paul instructs us to do good to all wherever we have the opportunity. He puts emphasis on doing good not just to the non-believers but also to our fellow believers. Members of the body of Christ must uphold one another. So often, believers are critical of other believers. Jesus taught us that we are to love one another.
By definition the word opportunity suggests that it comes with a time limit. The term “windows of opportunity” is used to denote the period of time available or highly favorable to take action about something. Once the window is closed the opportunity is lost. It is then too late. In Isaiah 55:6-7 we read, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.”
The Lord can return at any moment and we as believers must be ready. For the unbeliever time of opportunity is critical to find Jesus. None of us know what tomorrow will bring. Luke 13:25-28 tells us that the day will come, if we miss our opportunity to find Jesus as our Savior, when He will say, “I tell you I do not know you or where you come from.” When you find yourself standing at the door of heaven, will Jesus know you?
God does give second chances to listen and accept Him. Jonah refused to do what God asked him to do. (Jonah 1:1-3) God used the big fish (whale) to give Jonah a wakeup call and Jonah responded by going and doing what God wanted him to do. If God gives you a second chance, your wakeup call may not be as big as the whale, but will you respond?
Paul tells us about the many times that God gave him opportunities to serve Him. Paul always took advantage of the opportunities that God gave him and God blessed him because of his faithfulness to God. Even in times when Paul should have been concerned for his own welfare, his desire was to make it an opportunity to witness. In Acts 21 we find Paul being arrested and Paul asking the guards to allow him to speak to the crowd to give his testimony of how he had come to his faith in the Lord.
How many of us would consider the moments before being carried off to prison an opportunity to give our testimony. Paul did and you can read his testimony in Acts 22:1-21.
Paul always wanted to make the most of every opportunity that God gave him. He was concerned about the shortness of time and wanted to tell everyone he could about the love of Jesus.
Every day we have opportunities but there are very few people that take advantage of the opportunities that God gives to tell someone about the love of God. We must not ignore the opportunities that God gives. There are opportunities all around us to help the hurting and hungry, opportunities to help build relationships, opportunities to help the sick or crippled. Are you making the most of your opportunities to do good to all?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 2:4.
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
PRAYER:
Give me new opportunities today to share my love and the love of Jesus with people that need to know You. Help me to make the most of every opportunity to help those that are hurting, both physically and spiritually. Bless my family and help us to do good to all that we meet today.
OPPORTUNITY
DEFINITION:
A favorable occasion or time; timely; a situation on condition favorable for attainment of a goal.
SCRIPTURE:
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are the household of faith. Galatians 6:10.
Be very careful how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
The Apostle Paul in his writings (above) to the churches at Galatia and Ephesus emphasizes how the believers need to take advantage of the opportunity of time given to them by God. Paul points out that the believer’s entire life provides the unique privilege by which he can serve others in Christ’s name.
In Ephesians 5:15-16 (above), Paul tells us that we are to make the most of our time in this evil world in fulfilling God’s purposes, seizing every opportunity to tell others about Christ.
In Galatians 6:10 (above), Paul instructs us to do good to all wherever we have the opportunity. He puts emphasis on doing good not just to the non-believers but also to our fellow believers. Members of the body of Christ must uphold one another. So often, believers are critical of other believers. Jesus taught us that we are to love one another.
By definition the word opportunity suggests that it comes with a time limit. The term “windows of opportunity” is used to denote the period of time available or highly favorable to take action about something. Once the window is closed the opportunity is lost. It is then too late. In Isaiah 55:6-7 we read, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.”
The Lord can return at any moment and we as believers must be ready. For the unbeliever time of opportunity is critical to find Jesus. None of us know what tomorrow will bring. Luke 13:25-28 tells us that the day will come, if we miss our opportunity to find Jesus as our Savior, when He will say, “I tell you I do not know you or where you come from.” When you find yourself standing at the door of heaven, will Jesus know you?
God does give second chances to listen and accept Him. Jonah refused to do what God asked him to do. (Jonah 1:1-3) God used the big fish (whale) to give Jonah a wakeup call and Jonah responded by going and doing what God wanted him to do. If God gives you a second chance, your wakeup call may not be as big as the whale, but will you respond?
Paul tells us about the many times that God gave him opportunities to serve Him. Paul always took advantage of the opportunities that God gave him and God blessed him because of his faithfulness to God. Even in times when Paul should have been concerned for his own welfare, his desire was to make it an opportunity to witness. In Acts 21 we find Paul being arrested and Paul asking the guards to allow him to speak to the crowd to give his testimony of how he had come to his faith in the Lord.
How many of us would consider the moments before being carried off to prison an opportunity to give our testimony. Paul did and you can read his testimony in Acts 22:1-21.
Paul always wanted to make the most of every opportunity that God gave him. He was concerned about the shortness of time and wanted to tell everyone he could about the love of Jesus.
Every day we have opportunities but there are very few people that take advantage of the opportunities that God gives to tell someone about the love of God. We must not ignore the opportunities that God gives. There are opportunities all around us to help the hurting and hungry, opportunities to help build relationships, opportunities to help the sick or crippled. Are you making the most of your opportunities to do good to all?
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 2:4.
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
PRAYER:
Give me new opportunities today to share my love and the love of Jesus with people that need to know You. Help me to make the most of every opportunity to help those that are hurting, both physically and spiritually. Bless my family and help us to do good to all that we meet today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
