Victims: August 5, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 5, 2016.

VICTIMS

DEFINITION:

Sufferer; martyr; a person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action.

SCRIPTURE:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Our world is rapidly becoming more godless. Violence is on the rise and terrorism is increasing rapidly. Those who believe in God are ridiculed and suffer persecution for their faith in God. It is little wonder that believers in many ways feel they are victims.

God knows that the Christian life is not easy. Many times, we are certain, you have felt you have been the victim of a situation. When you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, He set you on a course. He mapped out all the bumps, turns, detours, hills, and valleys. He knew all the difficulties you would face. He knew long ago when you would become the victim of some situation.

He also knew when you would clash with the world, the flesh, and the devil. But the good news is that He did not just set you on a path hoping you would survive. He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell you, guide you, and encourage you. With the Holy Spirit, if you communicate and listen to Him, He will remind you of God’s faithfulness and power and you can remain faithful to Him through every difficult situation you face.

When the going gets tough, and it will, you can’t run away. You can’t quit. It is important for us to understand that the longer we faithfully obey the Lord, regardless of the circumstances, the stronger our faith becomes. We will become stronger and steadfast. Do not quit but persevere through all situations. You need not feel that you are the victim. You are a child of God who loves you, cares for you and will give you the strength to endure and keep on living for Jesus.

God chose Jeremiah to urge God’s people in Judah to turn from their sins and to return to God. Jeremiah preached and preached but no one listened. By the world’s standards he was a failure. He was persecuted, his life was threatened, and he stood all alone, a victim of his circumstances.

In Jeremiah 1:8 we read God’s promise to Jeremiah: “Do not be afraid of them for I am with you to deliver you.” God does not keep us from encountering conflict with the world but He has promised to be with us and deliver us from those who victimize us because we serve the Lord.

Take a moment today and read through the eleventh chapter of Hebrews where there is listed what some call God’s Hall of Fame. All of these people endured some of life’s toughest situations. But they kept firm in their faith, not allowing themselves to become victims, and God took them through whatever they face.

You are not alone; your sovereign Lord is with you in every situation just as He was with Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David and so many others. Call on Him today to infuse you with His power and wisdom and then obey anything He calls you to do. You are not a victim of your circumstances because the Lord will use everything that happens to you for your blessing and His glory.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Isaiah 25:4.

For You have been strength to the poor, strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

PRAYER:

Help me today to understand that I do not have to be a victim when I face serious situations in my life, but in Jesus I can be a conqueror. I call on You today to infuse me with Your power and wisdom. I commit to you that I will obey when You call. Help my family to stand strong in Your strength and in the power of Your Word. Thank You for Your promise to deliver us and to give us the victory.

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Eternal Life: August 4, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 4, 2016.

ETERNAL LIFE

DEFINITION:

Without beginning or ending; endless; everlasting.

SCRIPTURE:

And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us. I John 1:2.

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Today we will share with you some thoughts about eternal life. The verse above from I John tells us what the source of eternal life is. Jesus is the life that was manifested in John 14:6. Jesus testified of Himself that He was the way, the truth and the life and that no one can enter the Kingdom of God (Eternal life) without believing in Him. Jesus is the source of eternal life.

Eternal life can be claimed only one way. John 1:11-13 tells us that only those who receive Christ as their Savior become part of the family of God. John 6:47 tells us that all who believe receives eternal life. These are explicit statements. There are no “if’s” or “maybe’s” in them.

John in his book (John 3:14, 16) tells us that whoever believes in Jesus can have eternal life. So any one and every one can have eternal life. It is our choice to receive it or reject it. Eternal life is received when one believes on Jesus and asks for forgiveness of their sins and accepts Jesus as Savior. Jesus will forgive each and every sin, and will give eternal life to all, each and every one, who receives Him.

It is important for one that does not know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior that you cannot have eternal life by doing just good works or being kind or generous. There is only one way to know that you have eternal life and that is by asking God to come into your heart. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and accept Him as your Lord and Savior.

I John 5:13 gives us the assurance that we can know that we have eternal life. Our certainty is based on God’s Word that He has given us eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. I Peter 1: 4-5 assures us that God will keep His promise and that we will not lose our Salvation.

Peter tells us that through our faith in Jesus we receive an inheritance of eternal life which can never perish, spoil, or fade and which is kept in heaven for us.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Isaiah 25:4.

For You have been strength to the poor, strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

PRAYER:

Help my family to understand that our Soul will live forever and where we live is based on what we do now. Help us to be certain of our faith in Jesus and have full assurance that we will spend an eternity with you in heaven.

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Renew: August 3, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3, 2016.

RENEW

DEFINITION:

To restore or replenish, to revive, to reestablish, to make new spiritually.

SCRIPTURE:

Let the people renew their strength. Isaiah 41:1

And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. Isaiah 40:31

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We are living in a time when many Christians around the world are facing difficult persecution situations. It also is a time when Americans have fallen further away from God. It is a time when we see civil wars, earthquakes, fires, tornadoes and hurricanes becoming more prevalent. There seems to be one crisis after another. It is a time of uncertainty. We do not know what another day will bring.

Today is a time when we as believers need to take the time to renew our faith in Jesus and look carefully at what we are doing to grow daily in our walk with Him. More and more our faith is going to be tested.

All things on earth need to be renewed. We all know that God created all things but no created thing continues by itself. God provided ways for the things He created to be renewed. For example, consider trees. They must have the water of the rain that falls and must be fed with the nourishment from the soil and the light of the sun or they will wither and die.

Years ago we were in the country of Lebanon. We had read so many times in the Bible and in other books about the Cedars of Lebanon. We went to the part of Lebanon where many of these beautiful Cedars of Lebanon trees grow. God planted (created) these trees but they only live because God provided for them the right environment to meet their daily needs for renewal and growth.

Just as these beautiful trees need daily renewal our spiritual life can only be sustained by receiving a daily renewal from God. We must consider what kind of an environment we are choosing our time in and what we are feeding our mind and soul.

God’s Word provides nourishment to our soul. Studying and meditating on God’s Word changes our thinking and redirects our minds and puts us in a spiritual environment that allows the Holy Spirit to do His work of renewal in our lives.

Just think how depressed mentally and how weak physically we would be if we missed many meals. Even so we will get more depressed spiritually when we miss reading and studying God’s Word, but many believers do not understand this. Without constant spiritual renewal in our lives we become spiritually weak and we will not be ready for the constant evil assaults on our lives or the turmoil we have from within. If we do not renew our strength in the Lord daily, we will grow weaker spiritually and evil will gain a stronghold in our life and soon it will have mastery over all we do and say.

We need to not only read the Bible daily but we need to pray daily asking God to renew the spirit within us as the Psalmist said in Psalm 51:10. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

The apostle Paul wrote in II Corinthians 4:16 that “even though our outward man is perishing, yet our inward man is being renewed every day.” Paul could write this because physically he was failing in jail but spiritually, because of his commitment to the Lord, he was growing in his faith.

Yes, every day we get older and the aches and pains get stronger and our burdens get heavier, but when we are in a right relationship with God, He will renew us inwardly with spiritual strength through His Holy Spirit who works within us.

We urge you to remember the words of Isaiah (40:31) in your daily life. “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” Let us put our failures behind us today and set a new course by putting our hope in the Lord and renewing our commitment to serve Him. God is faithful in His promises. He will renew our strength.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Isaiah 25:4.

For You have been strength to the poor, strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

PRAYER:

Help me to renew my trust in You. Help me to be diligent to make it my priority to take the time to read Your Word and meditate upon it, to wait upon You in prayer so that I may have renewed strength to face every issue that comes my way in this crisis torn world. May I also learn anew today to commit all that I do today, and every day, to You.

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Emptiness: August 2, 1026

TODAY'S WORD FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 2, 2016.

EMPTINESS

DEFINITION:

Containing nothing; devoid of contents; hollow; meaningless; lost vitality.

SCRIPTURE:

But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness. II Timothy 2:16.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The apostle Paul in the verse we have written above is reminding Timothy to teach his workers not to wrangle with words but for them to be diligent in their working for the Lord.

Many parents today can not recognize emptiness in their children. But the fact is that most young people today are living a frustrated life with no hope. Parents do not recognize this because they do not communicate with their children.

The other day a dean of a large American university was asked by a news reporter, “What is the greatest problem at this university?”  He paused for a moment and then told the reporter just one word: “Emptiness.”

His reasoning was that he felt that most of the students he talked to were bored with life, lonely and searching for something. He went on to report that a wealthy father of a girl in the university, who the Dean knew well, told him that his daughter came home for Christmas break and said to her father, “I want something in life but I do not know what it is.” From a material perspective she probably had all she needed and more. Yet she felt empty.

The sad fact is that the father when asked this question by his daughter had no answer because he too was empty and searching for something to fill his own emptiness.

So much of what the world talks about is just empty chatter with no meaningful value and little or no satisfaction. The reason is that worldly chatter is godless.

We learned, through our parents the importance of daily communication with our children. We have mentioned many times in previous devotionals that we always made it a priority to have dinner together with our family. This was a time around the table that we discussed all the good things that happened that day and the bad things.

We always then read a portion of the scripture, memorized together a verse from the Bible and prayed together. We desired it to be a time of real godly communication and fellowship, not worldly and idle chatter.

Children are like empty vessels and need to be filled. They want and need something but do not know what it is. What everyone wants is hope, love, joy and peace. God alone through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ is the source of eternal hope, life and salvation.

Consider what you talk about with your children. Is it just worldly and empty chatter or are you talking about God’s Word which is truth and will never pass away.

David said concerning emptiness in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” He also said in Psalm 34:10, “Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” The Apostle Paul expressed it, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” You do not have to throw up your hands and give up on life. You can have God’s peace, God’s joy, God’s happiness, God’s security, and your life can become the most fulfilling life in the world. Say good-by to loneliness, being bored and searching for something and seek the Lord.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Isaiah 25:4.

For You have been strength to the poor, strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

PRAYER:

Help me to be a person that You can use. Keep me alert to those of my family first and then to my neighbors and friends who are feeling empty and are searching to fill the void in their life that only the hope that comes in knowing Jesus as their Savior can fill.

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Blameless: August 1, 2016

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY AUGUST 1, 2016.

BLAMELESS

DEFINITION:

Innocent; without fault; not guilty.

SCRIPTURE:

He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous. Psalm 15:2.

Who (Jesus Christ) will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 1:8

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The Bible is very clear when it tells us that we are all sinners so we are anything but blameless. The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 18:30, “As for God, His way is blameless.” To be blameless is to be perfect. Only Jesus and God are perfect. Yes, we are all born sinners. Christ paid the penalty for our sins, and we need to repent of our sins and accept Jesus as our Savior. When we accept Jesus we are made blameless because we enter into an eternal union with the eternally perfect Son of God.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:4, “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”

One of the most difficult things that a person, including one who believes in Jesus, has to learn is to live a blameless life. Our parents taught us, not only by their words but probably more so by their actions, to live a blameless life. We realize that only our Lord is blameless but the scripture is very clear that God expects us to work constantly on living a blameless life.

The Psalmist exhorts us to walk blameless and do what is righteous. This means that we must turn from our old sinful ways and do what is right by God’s standards. We are to honor God in all we say and do.

As parents, we knew it was our God-given responsibility to teach our children what it meant to live a blameless life. We taught them to obey God’s Word, to always tell the truth, to be kind to people, to be consistent in their walk and talk and at all times be helpful to someone in need. When a person lives this way they will be respected as they work toward living a blameless and righteous life.

What do we need to do to be blameless before our Lord in the evil world we live in today? David specifically wrote in Psalms 15:2 that we must do what is righteous. It will always be a challenge for us to live a Christ-like life and do what is right in each and every situation. Paul assures us that even though we fail, Jesus has confirmed us blameless for all eternity.

Moses was talking to the children of Israel (Deuteronomy 18: 9-13) telling them when they entered the Promise Land, which the Lord has given them, they were not to live lives like their neighbors. The neighbors were pagans and idol worshippers and the Israelites would face many temptations to join in their evil ways. The evil ways of the pagan Canaanites were based on the occult. Satan is the origin and the promoter of the occult. Moses told the children of Israel that they must not get involved with these evil practices because they were detestable to the Lord. God would hold them accountable for their actions. Moses continually instructed the children of Israel to be blameless before the Lord their God, but they were hard headed and would not listen. They intermarried with the Canaanites in disobedience to God and took up their evil practices of idol worship and it led to their destruction.

Today we as Christians also live in a wicked godless society. Parents must be aware that occult practices are very prevalent in our world today. Parents must be alert to what is and who is influencing their children. The occult is intriguing but it is also very dangerous. Remember Satan is behind the occult and it will lead to destruction.

God did not want the children of Israel to follow the evil ways of their world and God does not want us to follow the evil ways of our world. He expects us to guard our daily activities against the evil in this world we live in.

Peter tells us in II Peter 3:14, referring to the coming again of Christ, that we should be steadfast and strong in our commitment and beliefs. And we are to “look forward and be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.”

Before getting involved with something questionable we should consider how we would feel if we were to come face to face with Jesus at that moment. Would you feel guilty or blameless?

This is our prayer for you today that you will be strong in the Lord, steadfast in what you believe and be blameless, waiting for the soon coming of Jesus. And let us assure you, He is coming soon!

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Isaiah 25:4.

For You have been strength to the poor, strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

PRAYER:

Help me and my family today to be like Job of old when you said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on this earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil.” Keep Your guiding hand on me as I work toward this goal in my life today.

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