Boldness: February 13, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13, 2015.

BOLDNESS

DEFINITION:

Courageous; brave; fearless; undaunted; self-assured.

SCRIPTURE:

Great is my boldness of speech toward you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.
II Corinthians 7:4.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

“Political correctness” is a term heard frequently these days. It is becoming increasingly difficult, because of this so called political correctness concern, for Christians to speak out with boldness about their faith. Prayer is no longer allowed at many public events because it might offend someone and be “politically incorrect.”Even the display of religious symbols such as crosses, manger scenes, and the Ten Commandments are considered “politically incorrect.”

This is intimidating to believers and makes them more concerned about what the world thinks than obeying God’s command for us to be witnesses to a lost and sinful world. We feel that for some believers it is an excuse. This should be a deep concern and a wake-up call for all believers, not an excuse.

Some of the most powerful passages of scripture in the Bible are the Apostle Paul’s accounts of his journeys and imprisonments. Paul’s words are powerful because he wrote with conviction about what he personally had experienced. He never bowed to the so called “political correctness” of the day.

Paul wrote to the church at Philippi that he was not ashamed to have been serving Jesus. Paul also wrote that it was a privilege to suffer for Jesus. Paul looked for every opportunity to speak with boldness about Jesus and sharing with others God’s plan of salvation. He was not ashamed to speak boldly of his faith regardless of the consequences or the feelings of the world around him.

Paul knew the reality of persecution for the first century believers. Before his conversion he had been a persecutor of Christians. And then after he became a believer he was beaten, stoned and thrown into prison because of his faith. Paul did not let any of that persecution stop him from preaching with boldness. Even while in prison, Paul spread the good news of the gospel by writing letters to the churches he had helped establish.

As he waited in a lonely place during his last imprisonment, he wrote the church at Philippi asking them to pray for him that as he stood trial he would in no way be less bold than he always had been for Christ. Paul’s desire was to have a bold testimony whether he lived or died. In Paul’s own words (1:20) he wanted Christ always to be magnified in his body, whether by life or by death.

There are not too many Christians today that are bold in declaring their faith in Jesus. Some of the boldest that we have seen are children. Recently in Northern Iraq we received a report from one of the pastors that receives our daily devotionals of the ISIS terrorists coming into his village and taking the children from the homes and asking them to renounce their faith in Jesus. Not one child wavered and all were then killed.

How many people in your family are bold enough even to ask their friends whether they know Jesus? It is not easy to be outgoing and bold about our faith. We believe the Lord wants us to be courageous in living our faith and consistent in showing our moral standards so others will see that we are living a consistent Christ honoring life. Then when someone asks you about seeing something different in your life, you can respond with boldness about your faith. We must live boldly and we must speak boldly regardless of the consequences. Time may be running out because Jesus may be returning at any time.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

PRAYER:

Thank You for the examples that are in Your Word concerning my need to be bold about my relationship with You. Help me to respond to every opportunity that comes my way to be bold about my relationship with You.

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Servant: February 12, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2015.

SERVANT

DEFINITION:

One who performs tasks for another person. One who works for or is in subjection to another.

SCRIPTURE:

When He was in the house, He asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35-36.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

There is a natural desire within us to be great or to be the leader. People desire greatness because others look up to those who achieve something great.

The disciples were just ordinary people but they had egos. Each desired to be greater than the others. One day as they were walking to Capernaum they began to argue about who was the greatest. When Jesus asked what they were arguing about the disciples were too embarrassed to answer. Jesus did not need the disciples to answer because He knows all of our thoughts.

We can only imagine the look on their faces and how they must have felt when Jesus said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last and the servant of all.” Their egos must have been crushed. This was a far cry from the disciples’ idea of greatness.

Those who would be great in the kingdom must humbly serve others. Jesus lived by example and by what He taught.

When Jesus left His home in heaven to come to this earth, He came to serve. As His disciples we have been left on this earth to serve a lost and hurting world. The story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-9 gives us several Christ-like qualities that we need to develop in our lives if we are to serve as Jesus did.

First, we must be aware of what is happening around us and who might need our help. Zacchaeus was perched in a tree and even though there was a crowd around Jesus, Jesus stopped and took notice of this man because He knew he had a need. Zacchaeus was a tax collector and very rich. The people literally hated him but Jesus still was aware of his need.

Secondly, we must be available. Jesus was headed to Jerusalem to fulfill the most important act in human history, our redemption, but He still took the time to have dinner with a spiritually needy man.

Finally, we need to show the quality of acceptance. Jesus did not say to Zacchaeus to clean up your act and then I will come to your house. We are called not to fix people but to share the transforming gospel of Christ.

When we are called to serve, by our Lord, it means that we need to first die to our selfish attitudes and motives. Only then can we live to glorify Christ. Jesus told us, as recorded in Matthew 27:37-39, that the greatest commandment is to love God wholeheartedly and then to love others as ourselves. Ironically, it is only when we humbly serve others that we experience God’s fullness in our lives.

In Revelation 22:12 we are told that we will receive a reward for serving Him, every man according to what he has done. All service, large or small, done in His name will be blessed. Some rewards will be given in Heaven; other blessings can be experienced now on this earth. We know great joy in our hearts when we allow God to bless others through us and we should have great satisfaction in realizing that we are pleasing Christ.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

PRAYER:

Give me a servant’s heart with a desire to serve others. Open my spiritual eyes to see all the needy people around me. May I be attentive to Your voice so that I do not miss opportunities to serve others today.

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Fellowship: February 11, 2015

TODAY'S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2015.

FELLOWSHIP

DEFINITION:

Sharing together; companionship; association of persons having similar interests.

SCRIPTURE:

God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ, is faithful.
I Corinthians 1:9

Finally, all of you be in one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, and be courteous. I Peter 3:8.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:


God's purpose in creating Adam was so He could have fellowship with him. God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone (Genesis 2:18) so He created Eve to be his helpmate so that they would have each other to fellowship with as well as have fellowship with God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God their sin separated them from fellowship with God.

There are just too many "pressures" we face in today's world to live without friends, communication and fellowship. Fellowship is the sharing together of our time, our talents and our treasures with others. It also includes the sharing together of our thoughts, our concerns and our joys.

In the age of the computer, the cell phone, IPods, and the internet, many people live as “loners.” It is just them and their electronic devises. People do not seem to know what it is to have true fellowship. Fellowship has become texting, twittering and writing on face book. In restaurants we watch people, seemingly unable to get through a meal without using their cell phone, let alone say a word to anyone they are eating with. The technology of these makes it possible to be in contact with others, but it is a poor substitute for real fellowship.

We especially need fellowship with our family. This includes daily communication with our spouses, our children and our parents. For many today time for fellowship is difficult to schedule in our homes. We use the word schedule but fellowship should be desired and come naturally to a healthy and functional family.

As believers the scripture tells us that we should fellowship with other believers. This is why we need churches, Sunday schools, Bible classes and small group studies. These all provide places and programs to not only grow in our faith but to give opportunity to have fellowship with other believers.

Christian fellowship combines social and spiritual interaction. Fellowship among Christians is unique because it is made possible only through a true relationship with Jesus Christ. Believers by their faith in Jesus have a common bond. We are all His children.

But most important we need to have daily fellowship with God. As Paul tells us in I Corinthians 1:9, God has called us into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Sin broke the fellowship Adam and Eve had with God. Our sins keep us from fellowship with God. To have fellowship with God takes a commitment that includes reading His Word daily and communicating to Him through prayer daily.

God's Word makes us aware of our sins so we can repent and confess our sin to the Lord in prayer. The 133rd Psalm is only three verses long but David wrote clearly in this Psalm for us that fellowship should be our purpose in life. He says, “How good and pleasant it is for believers to dwell together in unity.”

Peter writes in I Peter (above) that as believers we are to be all of one mind. This involves an agreement in doctrine -- what we believe -- but also in our practical aims in life. This is the opposite of the way the world thinks. We are not to render evil for evil but have compassion for one another, love one another and be courteous.

In Galatians 2:9 we read the account of when James and John, who were pillars in the church of Galatia, heard that Paul and Barnabas were leaving to minister to the Gentiles (known as the heathen) they gave them the right hand of fellowship. In other words they gave them their blessing and assurance of their prayers and support. As believers we need to extend our hand of fellowship to those who are ministering for the Lord by praying for them and giving them support.

Fellowship is important for believers and their families. It holds a family together. Make sure you also are having fellowship daily with your Lord and Savior. That is the source for our strength and our direction to live a Christ honoring life.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

PRAYER:

Thank You, heavenly Father, for making it possible for me to have fellowship with You because of the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help each one in my family to make it the priority to have fellowship with You every day, and to have fellowship with each other.

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Riches: February 10, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY FEBRUARY 10, 2015.

RICHES

DEFINITION:

Abundant and valuable possessions; wealth.

SCRIPTURE:

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
I Timothy 6:17.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:


We began early in the lives of our children to teach them to be responsible with their money. We are grateful to our Lord that He provided just enough riches to us to provide our children what they needed. But we were not always able to provide the "wants" they would have liked to have. It was an important lesson for them to learn that having everything we want is not what is important in life.

We also taught our children that 10% of all money earned or received as a gift belonged to the Lord. God has proven to all of our family over these years that He will bless us if we honor this commitment to Him. We encouraged our children to spend their money on their "wants" after they gave their tithe to the Lord.

Although our budget was at times tight, we tried to show our children, by example, the importance of sharing with others a portion of what God blessed us with.

Money in itself is not evil. It becomes evil when the desire for it becomes all consuming and the driving force in one’s life. In I Timothy 6:10, Paul describes the “love of money as the root of all evil,” and he warns that the love of money causes people to wander from their faith.

Riches and money are powerful forces in the world we live in today. Despite the evidence that money cannot buy happiness most people still believe it will so they put their trust in money, rather than God who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Trusting in wealth and using it to gain power clogs our spiritual arteries and spiritual development.  We are told in Deuteronomy 8:17 and 18, "You may say in your heart, my power and the might of my hand has gotten me this wealth. But you shall remember the Lord your God, it is He who has given you power to get wealth." Our hope is not to be found in riches but in the Lord.

The apostle Paul tells us in I Timothy 6:17 (above) that those who are rich in this world should not be conceited about their wealth because worldly riches are temporary and cannot be taken with us when we die. Paul also tells us not to put our trust in uncertain riches. He infers in this verse that it is very hard to have riches in this world without having to put some measure of trust in those riches, therefore it is important for us to remember that riches can be quickly lost.

With riches comes responsibility. God expects us to use wisely what He blessed us with. In verse 18, Paul tells us that if God does bless us with riches that we should be ready to give and willing to share. When you use your riches, God wants you to use them to do good. By doing this you will be laying up treasures in heaven (verses18-19).

God wants us not to put riches first in our lives nor put our trust in riches. We are to recognize that all riches come from God and we should be thankful for what we have. It is He who will supply all of our needs. Riches are a blessing only to those who make them a blessing to others.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

PRAYER:

Give me the right attitude about riches. Help me not to be jealous of those that have riches. Help me to be the steward of any riches You give me in a way that honors Your name.

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Investing: February 9, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2015.

INVESTING

DEFINITION:

To commit money in order to gain a profitable return; devoting, using, or giving of time, talent, or energy to achieve something.

SCRIPTURE:

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

Then He said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Luke 12:15.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:


We spent some time recently reading through a newspaper that had numerous pages of reports, suggestions and recommendations about investing. We read about good investments, shaky investments and bad investments.

We read about investing in land, in real estate, in gold, in banks, and in the stock market to name some listed on the pages of the newspaper. The so called "professionals" gave varied opinions with very few agreeing on what to invest in.

We read reports on why some investments were successful in the past and why some failed. The one thing that we read continually was the uncertainty of all the investments.

When you think of the word INVESTMENT, what comes to your mind? Over the years we have met many people that live in cultures where the word investment would never be discussed and for most people could not even be defined. All of their thoughts each and every day were centered on surviving that day.

We want to share with you today some thoughts from the scripture that deals with investment from God’s perspective. God is concerned about how we invest our time, talent and treasure.  The scripture gives us the best investment advice. Our primary purpose for investment should not be to amass earthly wealth but to amass heavenly riches. As believers our purpose and desire should be to invest our assets, whether time, talent or money in things that have eternal value.

In the verse above from Matthew six Jesus gives an investment alert when He said where our treasure is, there will be your heart. In other words if you spend your time in investing your time in getting more money, being more popular or gaining a better position in life then what is most important to you. That is where your heart is. These things are temporary and do not last. They have no value in eternity.

In Luke 12:16-21, Jesus told a parable of the rich fool. A rich man who already had plenty of material things, but he tore down his barns and built bigger barns so he could store up more of this world's goods. The parable has a sad ending. He died with his barns full leaving it all to someone else. He had put all of his effort in preparing for his life before death but had neglected to prepare for his life after death.

This man was rich in possessions but he was not rich in the treasures of God’s kingdom. This is the warning that we read in Luke 12:15 (above). We must "WATCH OUT!" and be on guard that we do not make the purpose of our life be to obtain worldly possessions. The riches of the world will not last nor can we take them with us. The riches stored up in God’s kingdom are eternal and are waiting for us.

We become rich in the treasures of Heaven when we invest our time, talent and riches in serving God. Every act of obedience and faithfulness in doing His will is a treasure stored up in heaven.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

PRAYER:

Help me and my family to carefully evaluate where we are investing our time, our talents and our treasures. Give us the wisdom that only You can give to help us be in Your perfect will concerning our investment of our time, talent and treasure.

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