Light: April 10, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY APRIL 10, 2015.

LIGHT

DEFINITION:

Something that makes things visible or affords illumination; exposure to truth.

SCRIPTURE:

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Ephesians 5:8.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

There is no doubt that we are living in a dark and sinful world. Darkness is a sign of evil and the world today for the most part is evil. Satan, the evil one, is running free in our world. Many people live today in situations where God is not acknowledged, where a Christian’s faith is mocked and godless living is applauded.

In most religions light is a symbol of God and godliness. The Bible is no exception. In I John 1:5, it reads that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Not only is God light but He is the giver of light to the world. In James 1:17, James reminds us that God is the “Father of the heavenly lights.” God created the sun, the moon, and the stars to give physical light to the world. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to give spiritual light to the world. In John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” In John 1:9 John the Baptist says Jesus was coming into the world to be the true light for everyone. In Psalms 119:105 it reads that His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Without light there is only darkness.

As believers, Jesus told us in Matthew 5:14 that “We are the light of the world.” After we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we are no longer in darkness and we are to walk as children of light. God expects us to represent Him in this world. A believer in Christ represents the opposite of evil and darkness and needs to shine as a light in a darkened world. When you as a believer live a life that honors God you are a light in this dark world.

We have been through two major earthquakes. The first one was in 1971 just before the birth of our sixth child. Earthquakes will knock the power out and at night it is really dark after an earthquake. There are many after- shocks following a major earthquake and some of these after- shocks would cause the lights to flicker or sometimes knock the power completely out. Being in total darkness was frightening to our young children. At the first hint of a tremor announcing a new aftershock they would come running and cling on to us for dear life. It was quite some time before they would go to bed unless the light was left on in their room.

Fear of the dark is very natural and common among children and adults. Since we live in an earthquake prone area we now keep flashlights and candles readily available. Darkness basically represents the evil side of life and light represents the good. This is not only true in the Bible but in the world we live in today. The plot of many books and movies today, (like Star Wars), are between good and bad -- between light and darkness.

Darkness and light are completely opposite. They are opposing forces. Darkness blots out the light and depicts evil and light has the power to light up the dark and depicts truth and love. Unfortunately, sinful man loves the darkness because their deeds are evil, and they hate the light of Jesus, because they are afraid it will expose their evil deeds. (John 3:20)

Each year, as our children were growing up we spent our vacation at the ocean. We always were awed by how clear and beautiful it was at night. Without the city lights hundreds of stars could be seen which were never visible in the city. This is a vivid contrast --- the light of the stars with the darkness of the sky is breath taking and always reminded us of the awesomeness of God. As the Psalmist said (Psalms 27:1) “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?”
 

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ecclesiastes 12:1.

Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them.

PRAYER:

Father, I thank You that You are my light and my salvation. Help me to be a bright light for You, shining in a dark world. Guide me in the teaching of my children that they may understand the difference between the light and the darkness of this world. Help them to know that Jesus is our light and sin is darkness. Help me to teach them to walk as children of light.

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Discipline: April 9, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY APRIL 9, 2015.

DISCIPLINE

DEFINITION:

Training to act in accordance with rules; the training affect of experience; punishment; instruction; correction.

SCRIPTURE:

He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly. Proverbs 13:24.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In Hebrews chapter twelve there are some wonderful, expressive and powerful words concerning the discipline we need in our lives as believers. The message translation of this passage from the Bible talks about the discipline needed for a long-distance race and relating it to the discipline we need in our daily lives.

The previous chapter gives us the experiences of all the godly men and women in the Old Testament and how they ran their race in life. They achieved victories in their lives in spite of difficulties and oppression. They all had one thing in common -- FAITH! Faith is what we must have to live victorious lives. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus and never lose sight of where we are headed. Living the Christian life involves hard work. It takes discipline on our part to keep our eyes on Jesus.

In verses three and four of Hebrews 12, we are reminded that we are in an all out fight against sin and we may have to suffer hardships. Some have suffered more than others but no one more than Jesus. He went through the suffering and agony of crucifixion to save us.

Then, in verse 5 the author of Hebrews reminds us not to feel sorry for ourselves when we get disciplined by God. He asks if we have forgotten how good parents treat their children and that God regards us as His children. He writes: “my dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but do not be crushed by it either. It is the child He loves that he disciplines; the child He embraces, He also corrects.”

These verses go on to remind us that when God disciplines us He is educating us and treating us as dear children whom He loves. He is not punishing us through His discipline but training us just like we as good parents train our children. We respect our parents when they train us so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live a life blessed by God. God is doing what is the very best for us, training us to live God’s holy best.

In verse eleven the purpose of discipline is given to us. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

The author of Hebrews goes on to challenge us to not to sit on our hands and drag our feet, but to clear the path of all obstacles that hinder us in living a victorious life in Christ. God’s discipline strengthens us so we can help those who are weak and struggling in their faith and make sure no one gets left out of God’s generous offer of eternal life.

Discipline in our lives make us better people and better representatives of our Lord. Just as God uses discipline to correct and to make us better, parents must discipline their children to correct them and make them better children. God disciplines us because He loves us. Discipline is an act of love. Lack of discipline puts a child on the path to destruction. Discipline must be given justly, lovingly and promptly.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ecclesiastes 12:1.

Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them.

PRAYER:

First of all we thank You for the discipline that our parents gave to us. We also praise You that because You love us You discipline us to make us righteous and mold us for the purpose You have for us in our lifetime on this earth. Help me to live for You today and to learn daily from Your teachings and by Your discipline that I may be the servant You desire me to be.

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Leadership: April 8, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 8, 2015.

LEADERSHIP

DEFINITION:

To guide by direction or by example.

SCRIPTURE:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In Hebrews 12, the author likens living the Christian life to running a race. He is challenging us as believers to be leaders and to step out with confidence and run our Christian race with determination and endurance doing all we can to further the good news of the gospel. As believers we run the race by faith that is founded in believing God is who He says He is and will do what He says. He says we have a great crowd of witnesses to lead us and encourage us. He lists these leaders of the past, one by one, the great heroes of faith from centuries past in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.

He talks about the great faith of people like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, David and Samuel. They lived by faith and were led by their faith in God. They demonstrated their great faith by living in obedience to God and giving honor and glory to God giving us reason to follow their leadership.

People like these patriarchs of old, who followed God, serve to lead us today in our race of faith to keep us encouraged to persevere in the right direction. God expects us to follow their example of faith. We will have to struggle against sin and endure hardship just as they did. All these leaders were commended for their faith. If we are faithful in our Christian race of life, we too will be commended by God for our faith.

God also expects us to honor our leaders. Our constant study of God’s Word is a way that we honor the patriarchs of the scripture as we develop our knowledge of the Bible and grow in our faith. Have you noticed the respect that young men and women who are serving in the armed services have today when they are in the public? They have learned to respect those who have trained them and set a good example to lead them in defending our country. Those in leadership deserve our respect unless they are leading us to go against God’s leadership.

Leadership for running the race of life must begin in the home. It is only by faith that parents can be successful leaders in their home. Parents are to be the encouragers of faith in their children’s lives. This requires spending quality time daily with their children and setting a Godly example for them to follow. Parents have the God-given responsibility for spiritual leadership in their home.

We will tell you again, our family had dinner together every night. There was no television or radio on, no telephone calls or other distractions. It was a time to communicate and to bond. The two of us still do this every day although our children are gone and on their own.

Spiritual leadership is lacking today in every area of life. We lack leadership that honors God at the government level, in our schools, in our workplace and, most importantly, in our families and even our churches. Without leadership that honors God our society and families will fail, and they are failing today.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ecclesiastes 12:1.

Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them.

PRAYER:

Help me to learn daily from the experiences the patriarchs left for me in Your Word. Enable me to be the spiritual leader I need to be for my family. Help our family to communicate our faith to others that we meet. Give us the courage to tell them that they need You in their hearts so that they can spend an eternity with You in heaven.

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Door: April 7, 2015

TODAY'S WORD FOR TUESDAY APRIL 7, 2015.

DOOR

DEFINITION:

A moveable barrier for opening and closing an entrance way; any means of access; gate.

SCRIPTURE:

Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the gate of the sheep." John 10:7

I am the gate; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. John 10:9

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Possibly you have seen the picture of Jesus standing outside a door and knocking. This is the mental picture we get when we read Revelation 3:20 (above). A door is a way in or out and is a barrier between those on the inside and those on the outside. The door must be opened in order to obtain access from one side to the other.

The verse above refers to Jesus standing at the door of our heart waiting for us to invite Him in and dine with Him. This refers to our accepting Jesus as our Savior.

Jesus is knocking at the door of our heart asking to come in. If we do open the door and accept Him and show our love to Him, He will come in and will dine (commune) with us. Jesus is standing ready for all to accept Him and to repent of our sins. He has paid the penalty for our sins and all we have to do is open the door of our heart and let Him come in. Then He opens the door to heaven for us.

In John 10:7, Jesus is called the door of the sheep. Jesus is the good shepherd. A good shepherd kept his sheep in a pen to keep them safe at night. The shepherd then acted as the door to the pen, letting the sheep in so he could watch over them and protect them.

There was only one way for the sheep to access the safety of the sheep pen and that was to enter through the sheep gate. There is only one way for us to access the safety of the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells us in John 10:7 and again in John 10:9 that He is the gate.

Jesus is our door to God. It is only through Jesus that we can come to God. Once we have entered the door of salvation, Jesus becomes our shepherd and as our shepherd He is our protector.

One of the definitions of "door" (above) is: "any means of access." We urge you to open the door of your heart today to let Jesus into your heart, and yield your life to the leading of His Holy Spirit. Jesus wants access to your heart so He can give you eternal life and bring you into God’s eternal kingdom. He is standing at the door of your heart and knocking. Do you hear Him?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ecclesiastes 12:1.

Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them.

PRAYER:

Thank You for standing and knocking at the door of my heart and giving me the opportunity to receive You into my heart. Thank You for being my shepherd and watching over me and protecting me.  Help me to always follow You wherever You may lead me.

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Sharing: April 6, 2015

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY APRIL 6, 2015.

SHARING

DEFINITION:

Having something jointly; a portion or an allotted part; giving a portion to others.

SCRIPTURE:

But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Hebrews 13:16.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Many children do not understand what it means to share. They have never experienced the joy that one can have in their heart when they learn to share. Children are not being taught to share today mainly because they do not see their parents doing good and sharing with others. Sadly, we have become a very self-centered society.

When a child is not taught properly, when they are young, how can we expect them to be any different when they grow up? The verse above from Hebrews is so clear. It reminds us that sharing is doing good and that this is what pleases God.

We began when our children were very young to teach them to share. We taught them to share their toys, not only with their siblings but with friends who would visit them. We taught them to share their time when someone needed help. We taught them to share their resources (ten percent), which we referred to as tithe with our church.  Sharing is tough to learn for children but when you start when they are young and then are consistent and lead by example they will learn. At the beginning, their response would be something like "that is mine and I want it."

When we taught our kids to share, we constantly reminded them that sharing was a two way street. It was important for them to understand that if one shared an item with another sibling then the other needed to share an item with the child that shared with them. This will ultimately become a life principle when they are adults.

When we think of the word sharing we need to think about how we share our faith with others that we touch every day. Very few believers today feel comfortable about talking about their faith with a non-believer. This type of sharing is close to non-existent and there are possibly several reasons for this.

It is thought that most people, first of all, do not feel any kind of urgency or burden to share their faith with others. They feel that that should be the responsibility of the pastor, the missionary or the evangelist that comes to town. This thinking is not acceptable to God. He expects every believer to share the good news of the gospel to all the world -- everyone one meets.

A second reason is that they feel unprepared and could not answer the questions that they may be asked. If this is your problem it can be easily solved if you are willing to study the Bible daily and pray daily. God will give you the answers.

And thirdly, most believers are not willing to take a stand for the Lord. They are fearful of being thought as narrow minded or crazy or not with it. What will you say when you stand before God in heaven when you are asked did you share your faith with all those you met?

In the first chapter of John we read about Andrew who was one of the two first disciples called by Jesus. Andrew was a humble person, devoted and Christ like. His name means "manliness." After Jesus chose Andrew to be His disciple Andrew spent time learning from the Messiah. He became a rugged evangelist and he was known for his consistency in sharing Christ personally with all that he came into contact with daily. When he first met Jesus he shared with his brother Peter the good news that he had met the Messiah.

Part of sharing the message of God’s love is developing a compassion for others to the extent of being willing to share with them some of your time and possessions, when needed time, along with your faith.

In Isaiah 58:7, Isaiah explains what pleases God. It is more than just going to church. "Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him."  It pleases God and we honor Him when we have compassion for others, especially the poor, and willingly share what we have with them.

Sharing should begin with all of us by sharing our faith with our family, friends and neighbors. Secondly, we must be consistent and willing to share with others our time, talents and treasures.  And finally we must share with the poor what God has blessed us with. Andrew shared his love for Jesus to everyone he came in contact with as an example to us as to how we are to share by our words and deeds what God has given us.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ecclesiastes 12:1.

Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, I find no pleasure in them.

PRAYER:

We want to praise You for Your sharing of Your Son by sending Him to this world to pay the penalty for my sins. Give me the discipline and boldness to share my love for You with those I meet today. May the joy of the Lord that is in my heart be reflected in all that I do and say.

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