Holy: March 13, 2015

TODAY'S WORD FOR FRIDAY MARCH 13, 2015.

HOLY

DEFINITION:

To cry out in a loud voice; to summon or invite to come; to announce authoritatively; proclaim; to cause to come; to make a request or demand; a divine summons.

SCRIPTURE:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. Isaiah 6:3

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His Holy Hill; for the Lord our God is Holy. Psalm 99:9

It is written, Be holy, for I am holy. I Peter 1:16

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When people hear about something out of the ordinary, we often hear them say, "holy smoke," or "holy moley," or "holy mackerel" to indicate that they are surprised to hear it. We also have often heard the term, "holy terror" to describe an out of control child. When these expressions are used there is really nothing "holy" about what is being referred to as "holy."

Only God is truly holy. God is perfect in goodness and righteousness and without sin. He alone is worthy of our worship and devotion. As the psalmist says, we exalt the Lord our God and worship Him because He is our God and He is holy. In reality the word "holy" should only be used to refer to God Himself and His Holy Word and to those things that relate to God.

The word "HOLY" also means to be dedicated or set apart. When applying the word "HOLY" to places, persons or things it means being set apart for the service of God and thus sacred and removed from the realm of ordinary. In the Old Testament everything associated with worship was set apart in this manner, and thus was considered sacred or "holy." "HOLY" is God's realm and God was to be honored supremely so everything designated as "HOLY" was to be treated with the utmost of respect and care.

God’s purpose of His laws and regulations in the Old Testament was to set His people apart from the pagan nations of the world. He wanted them to separate from the corruption of the world and be holy, because He is holy. Leviticus 11:45.

Since the death and resurrection of Jesus, we no longer worship God with the Old Testament rituals. These Old Testament rituals were regarded as "HOLY" because of their association with God. These rituals of worship were led by the priests.

Today we, as believers who are in Christ, are called to His royal priesthood and serve as His priests to carry on His ministry. God has the same desire for us today as He did for the Israelites. He wants us to be holy and set apart from the world. In the verse above from I Peter the same commandments given in Leviticus is given to us: “Be Holy for I am Holy.”

So how do we who are unholy become holy? The believer in Jesus Christ becomes holy by being obedient to all of God's commandments and following Christ's example. As believers it is necessary to separate ourselves from the evil ways of the world. We should "stand out in the crowd' because our life exemplifies Christ-like qualities. As believers we are set apart from this world and should be totally dedicated to serving our "HOLY" God.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Colossians 1:10.

That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

PRAYER:

Help me to be aware daily that I serve a "HOLY" God. Keep me faithful so that I set myself apart from the things of this world so that I can serve You in all that I do. Help me to be obedient to Your commandments and to live my life according to Christ's example.

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Call: March 12, 2015

TODAY'S WORD FOR THURSDAY MARCH 12, 2015.

CALL

DEFINITION:

To cry out in a loud voice; to summon or invite to come; to announce authoritatively; proclaim; to cause to come; to make a request or demand; a divine summons.

SCRIPTURE:

Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Isaiah 55:6.

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14.

The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it. I Thessalonians 5:24.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

As Christians we have a most wonderful and reliable source to call on every moment of every day. God has promised to be with us through every trial and tribulation we have. And He has also promised to be with us through all the good times. All we have to do is call on Him and He is there for us. He is near and He can be found.

When we consider the word "CALL" as referred to in the scriptures there are several considerations for us.

In 1 Samuel chapter three we read of the account of God’s call to Samuel. From the time he was a young child Samuel had ministered in the temple under Eli, the high priest. Samuel was woken up in a dream and heard a voice calling his name. He first thought it was Eli, who was very old and Samuel thought he was calling because he needed him. But Eli told him to go back to his bed.

God called Samuel three times and after the third time Eli realized that it was the Lord calling and he told Samuel that if you are called again, respond by saying: "Speak Lord, for your servant hears." And that day Samuel was called to serve God as a prophet, priest and judge of Israel. When God calls you, are you ready to answer as Samuel did, "speak Lord your servant hears?"

God blesses those who answer His call, as Samuel did, and makes them a blessing to others. Now we realize that not everyone will be called as Samuel was. God will call in different ways. The point is for us to be ready to answer when that call comes.

The scripture tells us that those who reject God's call will be held accountable. In Isaiah Chapter 66:4 it reads: "Because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke you did not hear." Then the Lord will bring judgment and "you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit" (Isaiah 65:14). And in Psalms 81:11-12 we are told that when "My people would not heed my voice [call]; I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels." And finally in Jeremiah 7:13 and 15 we read that the Lord said: "but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer, and so I will cast you out of My sight."

God is patient and gives us ample opportunity to respond to His call. When we continually reject His call, He lets us continue in our stubborn ways satisfying our evil desires but there are always consequences when we turn a deaf ear to God. We not only lose God's blessings on our life, but we bring God's judgment on our lives.

In contrast to those who do not respond to God's call we read about how the disciples responded [Mark 1 and 2] to the call of God. They did not ask questions. They immediately left what they were doing and followed Jesus. They were moved by the call of God and responded not knowing all that Jesus had for them. They responded as Samuel did --- YES LORD, HERE AM I.

And we are told in the book of Acts 16 verses 9-10 how Paul responded to the vision calling him to Macedonia to preach the gospel. Paul answered the call of God without reservation. He got ready at once and left for Macedonia to preach the gospel.

When God calls we can be sure that "He is faithful and will do all that He has promised" (I Thessalonians 5:24). How we respond to God's call is a matter of our will. We can stubbornly cling to our will to do what we want to do or we can respond to God's call to follow His will for our life. Now it is your decision as to how you respond when God calls you.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Colossians 1:10.

That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

PRAYER:

I commit my life to You today, dear Lord, willing to answer Your call for my life. Give me an open heart to listen and a willing heart to respond. Unite my family as together we yield to Your call to follow You. Bless us, challenge us and lead us in the paths of Your righteousness today.

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Distractions: March 11, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY MARCH 11, 2015.

DISTRACTIONS

DEFINITION:

The act of distracting; mental distress or derangement; a person or thing that prevents concentration.

SCRIPTURE:

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the Word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and he becomes unfruitful. Matthew 13:22.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Jesus, when He spoke using the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:22 above), is really simply saying that the cares of this world chokes the Word. In other words, the cares of this world is a distraction to many that attempt to follow Jesus.

When we think of distractions our thoughts turn to cell phones. Everywhere we go we see people talking, texting, playing games or listening to their cell phones. Truly for today’s culture there is no greater distraction. When you are with your family or friend’s common courtesy would be to turn off your cell phone and spend time communicating, talking and listening. But that does not seem to happen.

We have sat down in restaurants and witnessed couples at table’s right next to us not saying a word while they eat their whole meal. They eat and their eyes never leave their cell phone. This is how easily we can be distracted, whether it is in our relationship with others or with the Lord.

In Matthew 13:15, Jesus told His followers that spiritual distraction begins with hearts that have grown dull, ears that are hard of hearing, and eyes that are closed. In the parable used above, Jesus uses the illustration of a farmer scattering seed. Jesus compared the seed that fell among thorns to a person who hears God’s Word but whose heart and mind is focused on other things of the world around him or her. The Word of God never takes root in their lives and so it becomes unfruitful.

There is great value in having times in our lives throughout each day when we turn off the distractions of mind and heart and focus on the Lord. Focusing on Christ puts everything else in perspective.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Colossians 1:10.

That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

PRAYER:

Help me to not allow the distractions in life to hamper my relationship with You. May You direct me and my family daily in a way that keeps our eyes focused on You and our ears hearing Your Word and hearts desiring to serve You.

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Battle: March 10, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY MARCH 10, 2015.

BATTLE

DEFINITION:

A hostile encounter between opposing military forces; a fight, conflict or struggle as between two people or teams

SCRIPTURE:

For the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hands. I Samuel 17:47b

By faith they (Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel and the prophets), quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness they were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to fight the armies of the aliens. Hebrews 11:34.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

These two verses above give strength to the fact that as believers in Jesus we must prepare for the battles we will be facing. In I Samuel David was preparing to fight Goliath and he made it clear that the battle he was facing was in the Lord’s hands. In the Hebrews passage this is known as the faith chapter and the author was giving honor to these men of faith because they put their trust in God and became valiant in their battles.

An unprepared soldier will not be successful against his enemy. As believers we are at war daily in battles with Satan. So we must train wisely so our heart stays clean and our testimony remains strong. We want to share several thoughts today about what may be considered a soldiers guide to preparing for a battle.

First and most important is that the soldier must acknowledge that he or she is in a war. The Bible is clear, telling us that the devil is determined to destroy those who believe in Jesus. In I Peter 5:8 we are told that we must view our life as a battleground. Our enemy is the devil. Like a roaring lion he prowls around looking for someone to attack.

Soldiers must also know the enemy. Satan uses ways and tricks that are deceitful, but also very tempting. Thus as believer’s we must be aware of what is right and what is wrong in God’s sight and we must beware of Satan’s temptations.

Soldiers must undergo training. Like soldiers, believers need to be trained so that they can stand strong in the battle against Satan. New believers need to look to older leaders (ministers and Bible teachers) who can train them in the truth of God, God’s Word which is the Bible.

Soldiers must know how to use their weapons. We have two powerful weapons available to us. The Word of God gives us direction in how to combat Satan by strengthening our faith, encouraging our hearts, and guiding our decision making. Prayer then keeps us in touch with God our commander in chief.

And finally, Soldiers must resist propaganda. Satan will use every way possible to entice us. This includes the media, entertainment industry, educational system, and false religions which are all part of his tools of trade. Believers must be wise in deciding what to allow into their minds.

A prepared soldier is a believer whose mind and heart are full of the Lord and His Word. Only a prepared soldier will be victorious in battle. Believers need to prepare each day to be ready for battle against the enemy which is Satan. Satan never gives up.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Colossians 1:10.

That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

PRAYER:

Help me to begin each day by preparing for the battles in life that I may face. Teach me from Your Word to be a strong and well trained soldier so that I can resist the devil and stand firm in my faith.

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Storm: March 9, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY MARCH 9, 2015.

STORM

DEFINITION:

A tumultuous condition; a disturbance of normal atmosphere; a commotion; to rage or complain with violence or fury; to rush angrily; a violent assault or attack.

SCRIPTURE:

He calms the storm so the waves are still. Psalm 107:29.

For you have been strength to the poor and a refuge from the storm. Isaiah 25:4.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Even though we as believers have our trust in the Lord, we all have many storms in our life.  A storm is some sort of disturbance or negative commotion. We have storms in our personal life, in our marriage, with our children, in our jobs, in our church and with our neighbors.

Recently we have had several close friends who have had serious storms in their lives, relating to health issues. Sometimes we wonder why God allows this to happen. It is important for us to realize that God does not cause these storms but He allows them for several reasons. Today let us take a few minutes and look at those reasons and apply them to our lives.

First of all God allows storms to come into our lives to get our attention. We get so busy with the “THINGS” in our lives that we get caught up in just doing what we want to do and forget God. When we act this way and forget God we then rely on our own abilities and think we can handle every situation ourselves. When this happens to believers, God will allow a storm to happen in our lives just to get our attention and help us refocus on what is important.

Secondly, He allows storms to get some sin out of our lives. God wants us to live a pure and clean life and since we are sinners we often fail to meet the standards that God wants from us. Then sin creeps into our lives and we pass it off and do not consider a little sin to be a problem. God will allow a storm to enter our lives to act as a warning. But the longer you hold that sin the stronger the storm will be. God does not want us as believers to live with sin in our lives.

He also allows a storm in our life because He wants us to surrender something. It is so easy in life to let evil and even material things get between us and God. For example, one can begin to forget God when ones business becomes successful. Success often separates us from God, but more so just “THINGS” can separate us from God. When He wants us to surrender something in our lives, He will make it clear to us and if we do not respond He will allow a storm to come and wake us up to the fact that we are not self-sufficient.

We are not in control, God is. If we are willing to surrender all to God, He will not only go through the storm with us but He will reward us with His blessing. We need to understand that when we do the things that gets us through these storms that God always rewards us with something better.

God will allow storms to come into our lives because He wants us to conform to His image. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul tells us God wants us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice which is Holy and acceptable to God, and that we are not to be conformed to this world but rather we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind so that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God for our lives. He will allow a storm to come into our life in order to bring us back to doing what His will is for us.

Finally, He will allow a storm to come into our lives in order to equip us to serve Him better.  We are prone to refuse to do what God is calling us to do because it is hard and we feel incapable. We use our inadequacy as an excuse to avoid doing what God desires us to do. God can use a storm to make us willing and able to serve Him, just as He did when Jonah refused to serve God as God told him to do.

In the midst of the storm we may think God has lost control and forgotten us. God controls all things and He is in control of what happens to us in the storms of life as well as in the good times.

The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 89:9 that God rules the mighty seas and calms the stormy waves. We need to acknowledge that God is the one who is in control and that He has the power to control any storm in our lives. All we need to do is to put our complete trust in Him, call upon Him and then be open to His direction and respond in faith believing.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Colossians 1:10.

That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

PRAYER:

Thank You Almighty God for bringing storms into my life to wake me up from my tendency to neglect to serve You as You desire. Keep me humble and obedient so that I will faithfully seek to do Your will. Keep me from sin and the desire for things of this world that will hinder my relationship with You.

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