Loyalty: March 20, 2015

TODAY'S WORD FOR FRIDAY MARCH 20, 2015.

LOYALTY

DEFINITION:

The quality of being steadfast, faithful, and constant in devotion.

SCRIPTURE:

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one or love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Loyalty is an important character trait. Loyalty and faithfulness typifies the Christian. As believers we all know that our loyalty to God, our creator, our Savior and our Lord must be our first priority in our life. After being confident that we have complete loyalty to God we need to make sure that we are loyal to our spouses, our children, our parents and even our friends. Satan is constantly at work to weaken our faith and divide our loyalty.

Loyalty is a trait we admire in others and look for in a true friend. We all like to think of ourselves as loyal. Unfortunately, the reality is, we do not see much true loyalty in our world today. It is easy to be loyal if it doesn't demand anything of us. It is when loyalty costs us something that our resolve to be loyal crumbles.

Loyalty is difficult to maintain because it often puts us in a position of having to choose sides for whom or what we want to be loyal to. We must carefully evaluate whom or what we give our loyalty to.

Theodore Roosevelt, the former President of the United States, said in 1919:  "There can be no divided allegiance here. We have room for one God, one flag, one language, and for one sole loyalty, and that is to the American people.” That is not so true today. Loyalties have become very fickle and divided.

As children in school we were taught to be loyal to our country and our flag. Our parents taught us to be loyal to them and to our siblings. Most importantly, our parents taught us to be loyal and devoted to our Lord.

In the Old Testament Solomon was known for his God-given wisdom and devotion to God. In spite of his wisdom and his love for God he failed to remain completely loyal to God. In I Kings 11:4 we read that Solomon's loyalty became divided. He allowed pressure from his pagan wives to compromise his devotion to God, "As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God."

There are many pressures in this world that can cause us to compromise our loyalty to God. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus warned of this danger and compared it to trying to serve two masters. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one or love the other." Loyalty to the Lord our God requires making a choice. If we choose our Lord, He wants our loyalty without compromise.

Loyalty to the Lord may not be easy. Anyone who has lived under repressive governments such as communism knows that devotion to God comes at a heavy cost. Many have paid with their lives because of their faith and loyalty to their Lord.

We receive emails almost daily from Christians living in Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Libya and India whose churches have been burned down and live in fear of being killed. Every day we hear in the news of Christians being persecuted in terrible ways and in many cases killed for one reason only and that is because they are loyal to God and their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In America today we are often mocked for our faith. Even though we may be mocked, we must stay strong and loyal to our faith and God will honor us for it.

Dan Crawford was a person that loved to go into new areas of our world and explore. He tells of a native guide that was leading him on a long and new trail. Being uncertain of his direction, he asked the guide just where they were going. "You want to know the way? I am the way!" smiled the native guide, pointing to his head where the knowledge was stored.

Dan Crawford, being a Christian who believed in Jesus, later was able to share with his guide about the One who is the true and living way. To be loyal and faithful to God we must follow Jesus who is the one and only true way to God, the Father.  (John 14:6) If we do not have loyalty to our Lord, how can we expect to find our way through this life?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Thessalonians 5:21-22.

Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, give me strength to stay loyal and faithful to You no matter what others might say or do to mock and ridicule me for my faith. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. We pray for Christians across the world living in fear of persecution for their faith. Keep them safe and bless them for their loyalty to their faith.

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Sovereignty: March 19, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY MARCH 19, 2015.

SOVEREIGNTY

DEFINITION:

Supreme in power or authority; being above all others in importance, excellence and power.

SCRIPTURE:

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens and His sovereignty rules over all. Psalm 103:19 (NAS).

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The Sovereignty of God is a theological term meaning that our God has absolute authority and right of dominion over all His creation, because He is the self-existent creator. He has the sovereign right to do whatever He pleases. Sometimes we may feel He is not acting as we think He should, particularly when we look at the evil and corruption in this world we live in and wonder why God allows bad things to happen.

This was the question Job asked when God allowed him to endure terrible suffering that is recorded in the book of Job in the Old Testament. Job had been faithful to God and led an upright life. Job could not understand why God allowed him to suffer. God spoke to Job out of a storm but did not answer Job’s question. Instead God asked Job who he thought he was to question God’s wisdom and authority. Confronted by God in all His holiness and majestic sovereignty Job could only bow in humble reverence and submission before his almighty God.

God is sovereign in absolute control of all things and of all people. It is not our right to question why God does what He does or what He allows. The powers of darkness, sin, Satan, demons, and the wickedness of mankind cannot alter the purpose of our sovereign God.

Habakkuk, a prophet of God, questioned God’s inactivity concerning the evil that prevailed in Judah in his day. He cried out to God with all his concerns. He said there is violence and evil deeds everywhere. People love to argue and fight. The wicked far out number the righteous. Justice has become perverted and there is no justice in the courts. He could have been describing the day and age we are living in today. Habakkuk felt God was not seeing or hearing what was going on.

In Habakkuk 1:5-6 God answered and assured Habakkuk that He was already doing something about it. God said: “I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you.” Judah’s day of reckoning was coming. God was raising up the Babylonians who God would use to punish Judah. God is in absolute control of all things and of all people and not obligated to reveal “the what” or “the why” of His works. God is at work in our lives even though we cannot see it.

Even these prophets of old found it hard to understand the sovereignty of God and the same is true of us today. It is so reassuring to know that God has unlimited authority over all things and that He always creates and molds everything perfectly -- even our lives when we put our trust in Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Thessalonians 5:21-22.

Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

PRAYER:

Thank You that I serve a sovereign God. I stand in awe at Your marvelous works and come to You as my God who is all knowing, all powerful and sovereign. May others see by my actions that I honor You as the sovereign Lord of my life.

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Works: March 18, 2015

TODAY'S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY MARCH 18, 2015.

WORKS

DEFINITION:

Effort put forth; labor; toil; be employed; perform labor; useless human efforts to gain acceptance from God

SCRIPTURE:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14

For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9.

As the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. James 2:26.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We were taught as children and we taught our children as well, that the most important decision one will make in life is whether to accept or reject Jesus as their Savior. We taught them, as we were taught and as the scripture says (above in Ephesians) that we were saved by grace through faith.

Yes, it was God’s grace that provided a payment for our sins and then our faith that accepted that payment made by the death of Jesus our Savior. After we accepted Jesus as our Savior then we were commanded by our Lord to "work" for Him.

Many people we talk to really believe that their "GOOD WORKS" will get them into heaven where they can spend an eternity with God. Most of these people are good people and live a clean life. They are the kind of "neighbors" you would love to have living next door to you. They are also the hardest to talk to about their need for a Savior. They truly believe that their good works, clean living and being kind to everyone will get them into heaven.

We remember several conversations we had with a friend who was very generous with his time and talent with our ministry. When we talked to him about his relationship with Jesus he always talked about his good works and told us not to be concerned about him because he would see us in heaven. We continued to talk to him about why we accepted Jesus but he always reminded us that because of his clean living he would see us in heaven. We can present the gospel message that redemption from our sins comes by accepting Christ as our Savior but only the Holy Spirit can convict of sin. This is why praying for someone who is unsaved is so vital.

Some people find the two verses that we have listed above from Ephesians and James contradictory. They ask: Is salvation simply by grace through faith alone or do we have to work for it? Paul wants us to understand that there is nothing we can do to merit or earn our salvation. Keeping all the laws in the Bible will not earn us salvation, it is only by the grace of God through faith that we can be saved.

Paul in Ephesians talks about salvation through faith. James in James 2:14 says faith without deeds (WORKS) is dead. They do not contradict each other, actually they supplement one another. James would never argue against Paul's assertion that salvation is by faith but James presupposes that we understand these doctrines that are so clearly stated in Paul's letters. James goes a step further by saying that a commitment to Christ is expressed through our actions.

WORKS IS AN EVIDENCE OF YOUR FAITH!

Martin Luther puts it this way: “A man is justified (declared righteous before God) by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone. Genuine faith will produce good deeds, but only faith in Christ saves.”

God is expecting us as believers to work hard until His return. Some have asked us the big question: When are you going to retire? Our answer is very clear and simple -- NEVER.

God has put each one of us on this earth for a purpose. When we consider the great price God and His Son Jesus paid for our salvation, we cannot sit back and retire. We are committed for a life time to work for Him. We firmly believe that God will take us to be with Him when we have completed "the good works" that God has for us on this earth. Our prayer today is that you will join us by doing the "good works" that God has for you.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Thessalonians 5:21-22.

Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

PRAYER:

Help us as a family to share our faith with those our lives touches daily so they can know You as their Savior. Help us to also "WORK" daily to do Your will, so that our actions will show others the evidence of our faith in You.

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Memorial: March 17, 2015

TODAY'S WORD FOR TUESDAY MARCH 17, 2015.

MEMORIAL

DEFINITION:

Something designed to preserve the memory of a person or event.

SCRIPTURE:

In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. When it (the Ark) crossed the Jordan the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever. Joshua 4:6-7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Our memories tend to be very short. Memorials are a way of preserving and perpetuating the memory of people or of events that were important to us.

Memorials are very important to those that lose loved ones and family. That is why we have memorials in cemeteries to remind loved ones of their family member. Memorials serve to remember great events and people in public life. In Washington D.C. we have many memorials that remind us of great events in our history. These memorials for families and our history are important for future generations so they can see the heritage that was before them.

Throughout the Bible we read about memorials that were erected at locations where God had done something special. Those memorials are very important for us to study today because they are reminders of how God worked in the lives of those who loved Him and how He protected and blessed them.

After crossing the Jordan River the first thing that God instructed Joshua to do was to build a memorial. While the priests who were holding the Ark of the Covenant were still standing in the middle of the Jordan River, Joshua, in obedience to God, instructed one man from each of the twelve tribes to take a stone from the Jordan river at the spot where the priests were standing. These twelve men then carried the stones to the place where they were to camp the first night in the Promised Land.

There at Gilgal, Joshua set up a monument as a memorial to remind future generations of the miracle God had done in parting the Jordan River. Children who were born after the crossing of the river would see the stones and ask what the stones meant? Their parents would have the opportunity to tell them the story and teach them about God and what He had done for them.

The memorial served as a reminder to all the people of the earth, past, present and future that the God of Israel is powerful and a God of miracles.

We took our children across America to Washington D.C. to see all the memorials and historical places in our nation's capital. As we visited the Washington memorial, the Lincoln memorial and others, we had the opportunity to teach our children about who these men were, what they believed and what they had done for our country. We were able to point out to them the impact that God had on their lives and in the forming of America.

Reminders of God are rapidly being banned by our government leaders here in America and this could well bring about the fall of our country. Prayer is no longer allowed in schools. The Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in schools or government office locations. When children and youth go to our nation's capital and see all the memorials today they do not understand the significant role God had in the founding of our country.

The reason is very clear to us. Parents, teachers and even churches are not teaching our children about why America has been great. The reason it has been great is because God was involved. Children also have not been taught the reasons for memorials and why they are where they are. It is up to us as Christian parents and grandparents today to teach our children and grandchildren to trust in God and work to keep America a nation that puts God in the center of all its activities.

Children love to ask questions and as parents we need to be ready to give an answer. Many questions can be answered by referring to our heritage here in America and the memorials that are standing to remind us of that heritage and the role God had in the founding of our country. Of greater concern is the lack of teaching that our children receive about the Biblical memorials. These memorials were built to show how great a God we have, and to show us how much He loves us.

Children often ask questions about God and heaven. Parents that do not know God and who have never read the Bible cannot answer because they do not know the answer. If your child were to ask you a question about God or Jesus, could you give them an answer from God’s Word? When your children ask you about God, do you take the time to talk to them about who God is and what He has done for you? Do you share with them how God has blessed you and this country and how He has answered your prayers and how He continues to meet your needs? Telling your children about God is one of the keys to having a happy family.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Thessalonians 5:21-22.

Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord for all that You have done in my life. Help me to always take time to talk to my children about God so that they can know Him and understand all that He has done for me and know that He will do the same for them.

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Money: March 16, 2015

TODAY'S WORD FOR MONDAY MARCH 16, 2015.

MONEY

DEFINITION:

Any circulating medium of exchange; means of payment; measure of wealth.

SCRIPTURE:

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. I Timothy 6:10

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

A recent survey taken in America asked the question: "What is your greatest desire in life?" Over 74% said money.  The sad thing about this survey was that only 14% listed having a happy family relationship. Probably most concerning was that only 6% wanted to have God in their lives. This is a strong reminder and a real indication that money has become the "god" for many people in America. These people are convinced that money can buy happiness, success and popularity.

People that have money and have acquired success and popularity soon realize that it is not the source of happiness. Money will only bring happiness if it is used to honor God.

It is important for us to realize that it is the LOVE OF MONEY that is the root of all kinds of evil. Timothy tells us in 1 Timothy 6:10 (above) that not money itself, but the love of money leads to greed. Greed leads to an all consuming desire to get rich by any and all means. People can be so driven by their love for money that they will steal, cheat and participate in all manner of evil things. Timothy warns the believers that the love of money can cause them to stray from their faith and bring on sorrow in their lives. Having money is not the problem; it is how we use it and the importance we attach to it.

We believe that God blesses some people with money because He knows that they will use it for His glory.  We have shared with you in the past about our dear friend of some years ago, Lawrence Young. This man was a wonderful example for us and we learned many important life principles from him. No one really knew for sure how wealthy he was but he and his wife were very well off financially. They lived humble and unpretentious lives. Their desire was not for material things of this world. Their desire was to serve the Lord using the blessings God gave them.

Several times he invited me (Ken) to drive with him so we could talk about our mission and its needs. As he collected rent money on his many pieces of property, he would give advice and counsel that was always valuable. His business counseling and tutoring assisted me in making wise and good decisions later in life.

He converted an old school bus into his "CAMPER" which he used to take his 7th grade Sunday school kids on outings. He taught 7th grade Sunday school at Hollywood Presbyterian Church for well over 40 years and never missed a year taking "his kids" camping.  He owned a printing press and did the printing for literally scores of Christian ministries at his cost and many times at no cost to the ministry.

World Opportunities, the missionary organization we helped establish in 1961, needed warehouse space. We shared this need with him and several weeks later he found just the right building to meet our needs. He not only found the building but he and his wife gave the necessary funds as a loan to purchase the building. God honored these dear people with money and they used what God gave them for His glory.

As you can see, God blessed Lawrence and Ruth with money and this is the ministry that God entrusted to them. They were faithful stewards and by their overwhelming generosity, honored God with what God had blessed them with. We witnessed that down through the years the more they helped ministries the more God blessed them.

Lawrence Young is a great example for each of us, reminding us that when God blesses one with money He expects it to be used for His glory. Mr. and Mrs. Young lacked for nothing and because they honored God, He continued to pour His blessings upon them. If they had lived for the love of money, the scripture tells us that would be the beginning of evil things that would not be of God.

God does not bless us all with financial wealth but He does bless us in so many other ways. God does not promise to give us what we want but what we need. We have not been blessed with financial wealth but God has blessed us with certain abilities, talents and time that He has given to us to use to serve Him. All along the way He has supplied our every need because we have tried to be faithful to Him. God is faithful and will reward those that honor Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I Thessalonians 5:21-22.

Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

PRAYER:

Thank You for guiding me and my family in the use of the money You bless us with. Keep us from allowing money and wealth to be our all consuming goal in life. Keep our eyes on You so that our desire will be to store up treasure in heaven rather than treasures here on earth.

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