Aging: July 1, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY JULY 1, 2016.

AGING

DEFINITION:

Having lived a long time; advanced years; getting older; measuring how long one has lived or has to live.

SCRIPTURE:

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30-31.

Wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days, understanding. Job 12:12.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

As you can read in the above verses aging in God’s sight is irrelevant. In fact God is using elderly people, men and women, today in very unique ways to further His Kingdom.

I (Ken) can remember when I was a teenager spending six weeks one summer with my Grandfather and grandmother in northern Canada, where they lived. The days were long in the summer time and almost every night after dinner we would sit out on my grandfather’s back porch and listen to him talk about the Bible and how the Bible was relevant for our lives that day. What he told me those weeks have never been forgotten and helped guide me with more clarity how I should serve my Lord.

My grandfather was an old time fiery Baptist minister, retired at that time, and every once in a while he would stand up so he could use his hands and raise his voice to make his point. For me it was a time of learning and as Job wrote in the verse above, I learned from my grandfather’s wisdom and understanding what he had learned through his many years.

Americans spend more than $20 billion annually on anti-aging products such as items that claim to cure baldness, remove wrinkles, build muscles and renew the powers from ones youth. But there is absolutely no scientific proof that any commercial product will stop or reverse aging.

As a believer in Jesus one has the promise of spiritual vitality that defies the concern that a person may have of aging. Isaiah tells us in the verse we have put above that youth will faint, young men will fall but those that wait upon the Lord (no matter how young or old they might be) shall run, not be weary, walk and not faint.

Isaiah uses the eagle as a symbol of freedom and endurance for those that are believers in Jesus. As we put our trust in Him we are carried along by His strength and not our own.

The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 103:5 that it is the Lord who nourishes us so that our strength is renewed. Are you taking advantage of God’s anti-aging power?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 4:7.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

PRAYER:

Give me the strength today to have my trust in You grow. Make growing old a blessing as we strive to grow in godly wisdom and into a closer relationship with You.

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Judgment: June 30, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY JUNE 30, 2016.

JUDGMENT

DEFINITION:

The ability to make a decision or form an opinion; to pass sentence upon; a formal decision given by a court or a person in authority; a divine sentence.

SCRIPTURE:

The Lord is slow to anger and great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. Nahum 1:3

The Lord is good. A stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The book of Jonah has the makings of a great movie plot. It stars a runaway prophet who is tragically caught in a terrible storm and swallowed by a great fish. It has a happy ending as God spares the prophet's life which leads to his repentance and his fulfillment of his mission from God to bring the people of the wicked city of Nineveh to repentance. This is the account we receive from the book of Jonah and the result was repentance.

But in the book of Nahum the story has a different ending. Nahum ministered in Nineveh about 100 years after Jonah was there. Over those years the people had again turned to their sinful ways. The Ninevites had no interest in the message that Nahum was preaching and no interest in repentance. They rejected repentance and thus chose, by not responding, judgment.

Like so many today, they were in denial concerning their sin and rebellion against God. Assyria was the most powerful nation of that day so they believed they were invincible and that they could not possibly be destroyed. God rules over all the earth and no one can escape His authority. Nahum condemns Nineveh and on behalf of God pronounces judgment on the wicked nation for its idolatry, arrogance and cruel oppression.

God is patient. He withheld His judgment for several decades. God never judges in haste. He patiently waits for repentance but those that defy God will receive His judgment. God fulfilled Nahum's prophecy of judgment through the nation of Babylon who destroyed Nineveh and toppled the Assyrian empire.

In Nahum 1:3, Nahum preaches to the Ninevites, "The Lord is slow to anger but He will not leave the guilty unpunished." It is not wise to defy God and test His patience. In verse 7, he tells the people that the Lord is good and cares for those who trust Him. God knows those who trust in Him and those who trust in Him do not have to fear God’s judgment. The Ninevites did not listen and the result is that the Ninevites rejected repentance and accepted judgment.

We learn by these two accounts, Jonah and Nahum, that every generation has their individualistic responses to God and His message. In Jonah's time the people repented and God blessed them. In Nahum's time they did not repent and thus received God's judgment. We have the same choice in our lives, repentance or judgment.

When we are told (verse above) that "The Lord delights in those who place their trust in Him." We are being reminded that this concerns the delight the Lord takes in those who place their trust in Him and His Word, and not on the frail arm of man.

Here in America we are fast becoming like Nineveh. It was not so many years ago that this country respected God. People were allowed to pray in public, and our leaders honored the Christian-Judean principles that this country was founded on. This is not so true today. Will we repent or receive God's judgment? Remember God honors those that repent of their sins and honor Him. God also judges those who rebel against Him. He has the power to destroy any nation who rejects Him. How long will God withhold His judgment?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 4:7.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

PRAYER:

Help my family to learn from these accounts from the Old Testament concerning how the people responded to Your prophets Jonah and Nahum. Thank You that You are patient and compassionate giving us a chance to repent of our sins. Give us the courage to stand up for what we believe and may others be able to see Christ through us and turn from their sins and accept Him as their Savior.

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Inheritance: June 29, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 29, 2016.

INHERITANCE

DEFINITION:

Acquire by gift or succession; something such as property, a title, or a right received as an heir; something gotten by legal right from a person at his or her death; something received as a legacy or promise.

SCRIPTURE:

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will. Ephesians 1:11.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Did you know that you are an heir to unimaginable wealth that will never perish, spoil or fade? If you believe in Jesus Christ and have accepted Jesus as your Savior you have become a child of God. God has for His children an inheritance reserved for us in heaven.

Do you need to be reminded that here on this earth He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10). In heaven He has reserved for us an inheritance far beyond what our minds can comprehend here on earth.

Our divine inheritance is so certain, according to the scriptures (above), that it is as if we have already received it. It is certain because it was determined (predestined) by God's will and guaranteed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the will of God that every one of us, no matter how vile a sinner we may have been, that we are to be made righteous by believing in Christ and therefore becoming entitled to receive the inheritance God has prepared for us.

In I Peter 1:4, Peter tells us that if we belong to Christ, we are one of His children and our inheritance is incorruptible and undefiled and does not fade away and is reserved and waiting for us in heaven. No one can take our inheritance from us because God has guaranteed it by sealing us with His Holy Spirit of promise.

Naturally, we all want to know what we are going to inherit. Much of our inheritance is far beyond our human comprehension but the scripture gives us a few hints. Part of our inheritance will be the transformation of our body and soul. We will be conformed to the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29 and I John 3:2). Our weak perishable bodies will be changed into strong, glorious ones that are free from sin and death. Not only will we live forever and forever, but we will live in the glorious presence of our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians 2:7 we are told that God will show us "the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." As we live our days on this earth let us show love and gratitude to our Father for such amazing goodness. Let us devote each day of our lives to living for Him and make these words of Colossians 3:23-24 a part of your daily life: “Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto man; knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance. For you serve the Lord."

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 4:7.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord for the inheritance You have stored up for me in heaven. Help me to daily show my love and gratitude to You for Your amazing goodness to me by faithfully and heartily serving you.

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Joy: June 28, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY JUNE 28, 2016.

JOY

DEFINITION:

A feeling or state of gladness, elation or rejoicing; An emotion of sudden pleasure; exultant satisfaction; keen delight; an emotion evoked by well-being or by success.

SCRIPTURE:

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5.

These things that I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Joy as spoken of in the Bible is not based on the happiness that the world considers happiness. The joy that we are talking about today will not come to a person because he or she has wealth, possessions, fame or status. This kind of joy is temporary. People work hard to obtain these things in order to find happiness, but as Solomon, who had everything, tells us in Ecclesiastes 1:2, that it is all meaningless.

Webster's closest definition of JOY as used in the Bible is "exultant satisfaction." Only those who know the Lord understand the true meaning of JOY. Those who have accepted Christ as their Savior have peace in their heart and "exultant satisfaction" because they know their sins have been forgiven and that they are in a right relationship with the Lord.

Jesus explains what He means when He says "MY JOY" in John 15:11 (above). In the previous two verses He says: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father's commands and remain in His Love." Jesus loved His Father and found joy in doing the will of His Father and obeying His Father's commands. When we do the will of our Heavenly Father and obey His commands, we will come to know that joy that Jesus has. This is the "JOY' we pray you have in your life.

In the scripture, Matthew 25:21 where Jesus told the parable of the "Talents", He talked about the joy that the master had in his heart when one of his servants responded as he had hoped. He said: "Well done good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the Joy of the Lord." The servant's faithfulness and the success he obtained because of his faithfulness brought joy to his master and allowed the servant to share in the master's happiness. There is joy in doing well because it pleases our Lord.

The apostle Paul lists the fruits of the Spirit that are evidenced in the lives of Christians through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. These are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. [Galatians 5:22-23]. Only those who have united themselves with Christ can understand the true meaning of joy. James reminds us in James 1:2 that when we face the trials in our day to day life we are to "count it all joy." He does not mean we are to be happy about our trials, but we are to face our trials with an attitude of joy because of what it can produce in our life for Christ's glory. Joy is a vital need for our everyday peace of mind.

What we learn from the scripture is that we as believers can have a spirit of joy that is not based on the positive or negative circumstances of our life. Joy comes from a consistent relationship with Jesus. When we have Jesus in our life, He will help us walk through adversity without sinking into despair.

The bottom line that we learn from these scriptures and from what we have learned in real life is that we are to face every moment of every day with a spirit of Joy! When we do this the negatives in life seem to diminish and the positives of life seem to stay with us. We all need to remember to put Christ first in our lives and be obedient to all of His commandments.

Over the years we have had several close Christian friends that were facing serious health problems. Each one had been through many tests, consultations, treatments and medicines and you often wondered how much they could humanly take. But the one thing that was true in each of their lives was that they were living each day with a spirit of joy. They put everything into God's hands. They understood the meaning of Psalm 30:5 where it says that weeping and suffering lasts only for a while, but for the believer there is joy coming. Because of their faith and consistent relationship with the Lord they faced their adversity without losing their joy in the Lord.

Do you live a life of joy? If not, we encourage you to look at your relationship with God. Do you enjoy reading His Word and talking with Him in prayer? Joy comes from having a close relationship with Jesus Christ.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 4:7.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

PRAYER:

Thank You Lord that true joy does not depend on my circumstances but on my relationship with You. Thank You for the assurance I have that no matter what adversity I may face, You will walk through it with me.

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Energize: June 27, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY JUNE 27, 2016.

ENERGIZE

DEFINITION:

To make energetic, vigorous or active; to enliven or fire up.

SCRIPTURE:

When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 20:1.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

What kind of energy do you put forth each day to serve the Lord? Are there lessons and principles that you have learned that inspire you to serve the Lord will all your energy? We need to learn not to glory in accomplishments of days past, because that is all behind us. Instead we do need to be energized every day to serve our Lord anew. Do you look for new opportunities to serve the Lord or will it be the same old schedule day after day?

Helen Keller once said, “I am only one, but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do the something I can do.” Are you prepared to do something new and fresh today for the Lord?

You may have issues you are facing physically or spiritually that you have used as excuses but God still expects you to give Him time and to serve Him. He expects you to spend time daily reading His Word and communicating with Him through prayer. But it does not end there. He desires you to serve Him with renewed energy every day.

In order to serve the Lord wholeheartedly and energetically you must:

VIEW YOURSELF AS A SERVANT.

In Matthew 25 we read that Jesus came to this earth not to be served, but to serve and He instructed us to adopt the same attitude. You need to be a servant to your spouse, to your family, at your workplace, in your activities and in your church. The best pathway to promotion in real life today is servanthood. If you want to be a leader in your home, workplace, neighborhood or your church the best pathway to promotion is servanthood. Never doubt the impact of your servanthood attitude on everyone around you.

SECONDLY REALIZE THAT YOU WORK FOR THE LORD.

Colossians 3:23 tells us, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as to the Lord rather than for man.” But let us warn you, as we warned our children and now our grandchildren, when you have a servant attitude and set out to do things for the Lord you will face a battle with the evil of the world we live in.

Read God’s words of warning that He gave to the Israelites concerning the challenges they would be facing as written in the verse from Deuteronomy above. God was telling the children of Israel that they would have times and situations where the horses, the chariots (the armor of the day) and a great number of people would appear overwhelming to them.

We, like the Israelites will face overwhelming opposition in life and we need to remember the words that God gave the Israelites because they are for us today. He said do not be afraid because, “Your God is with you.” God spoke these words to be an encouragement to the children of Israel to prepare them and to energize them as they faced the battles ahead of them.

So, remember you will face many battles but when you are in the will of God He will be with you, protect you and lead you to victory. Our battles are won with God’s power, not ours. Your faith is the energy and driving force in serving the Lord.

Do not make the mistake by segmenting your life. You may think that Monday through Friday you go to work or school, Saturday you play and Sunday you worship. God has not designed life in these segments. Serving Jesus with energy demands a life that puts Jesus first and a desire to minister to others wherever you are each and every day.

FINALLY, REALIZE THAT YOUR REWARD COMES BOTH NOW AND IN THE HEREAFTER.

In Colossians 3:24 Paul tells us, “From the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.” We may not receive an immediate compensation or reward for our energetic efforts and hard work but the Lord ensures us of a just and eternal compensation for our faithful service. Our labors may go unnoticed but God is watching and will reward all those who are faithful and enthusiastically serving Him. The scriptures tell us that He is storing up a glorious reward for us in heaven.

Do you see yourself as a servant energized with excitement and a plan to serve the Lord?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in I John 4:7.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

PRAYER:

It is my prayer today that You would give me energy to serve You in a new and fresh way. I pray for your blessing on me and my family as we endeavor to worship You daily and serve You with a renewed energy fueled by a desire to see more people come to find You as their Savior.

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