Respect: February 24, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY FEBRUARY 24, 2017.

RESPECT

DEFINITION:

Treat with high regard and high esteem; to give honor to.

SCRIPTURE:

Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise. Ephesians 6:1-2.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

At times we wonder if people even know what the word respect means. The actions of people today tend to show a lack of respect. We have become a very impatient society. For example, when you drive a car do people driving other cars show any respect to you? They will cut in front of you just to get one car ahead of you causing you to hit your brakes along with the cars behind you.  When backing out of your parking place in a parking lot you must be very alert because no one waits for you to back out. They keep on moving and many times just miss a collision.

What kind of respect do you receive at your work place? It seems each person is out for themselves and even when you do a good job and complete a project your boss says nothing. It used to be that people were thanked and congratulated for a job well done. That does not happen today.

The two verses we have put above have to deal with children showing respect to their parents. In verse one, God commands children to obey their parents and in verse two they are to honor their parents. There is a difference between obeying and honoring. To obey your parents means children are to do what they are told while under their parent’s care. The commandment to honor your parents means to respect and love your parents for life.

When children obey their parents, they show respect to their parent. The motive behind a child’s obedience to obey should be the desire of the child to honor his or her parents by showing them respect. Children that obey and honor their father and mother are showing respect to them.

According to God’s Word society is built on the family. When the family breaks down, as is happening so often today, the society breaks down. We are seeing the devastating effect the break-down of the family is having on society.

One of the major factors needed for stability in the family is respect. Parents must respect one another and teach their children to respect them and their authority over them. But in many homes today, worldwide, this is not happening.

“To honor your parents” means to act in a way that shows courtesy and respect and to be submissive to them. It means to never speak disrespectfully to them or about them. Juvenile delinquency stems from the lack of respect children have for their parents and for authority.

If children do not learn to honor parents, the disrespect spills over into their adult lives, affecting every other relationship they will have. It is the responsibility of the parents to teach respect and if they fail to do so problems accelerate into the next generation. Soon an entire society is plagued with disrespect in homes, schools and workplaces. Does this sound like our generation today?

Our culture is disrespectful because parents have abdicated their responsibility. Instead of standing in the place of honor that God has given them, they have stepped down and tolerated bad behavior from their children. Some parents fail to recognize that disrespect is a serious matter that calls for immediate action. This is ignorance about the need for discipline. If you let such attitudes and behaviors continue it will escalate if it is not checked. You are not raising your child according to Biblical principles so how can you expect anything but trouble later in life.

There also is a misunderstanding about love. In their desire to be loved by their children, parents try to be a child’s best friend instead of a parent. Children need an authority figure in their lives. If children see a parent as an equal they are less likely to respect or love the parent.

Probably the biggest reason for the lack of respect today by children is that parents get overwhelmed with busyness and they let it slide when their children show disrespect. Teaching children to honor you takes time, effort, and consistency. If you as a parent do not teach your child does not learn. Parents must remember that they teach by example. Parents must also obey God’s command and honor their own parents.

In Ephesians 6:4 Paul instructs parents to be the right kind of teachers and bring their children up “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

LEARNING:

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

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

PRAYER:

Help me to teach my children what it means to show respect and honor. May I be strong and firm, in a loving way, showing them that it is Your will for them to love, honor and respect their parents. Help me to be a godly example for my children and to be deserving of their respect.

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Rekindle: February 23, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2017.

REKINDLE

DEFINITION:

Set on fire again; stir up and inspire; to excite.

SCRIPTURE:

Therefore, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. II Timothy 1:6-7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

What do you do when you have lost your enthusiasm for something you once were totally committed to? Did you lose that enthusiasm because you just lost interest, it was taking too much time, or situations in your life changed? Many people, who lose interest in something they are doing, just give up and move on to something else with no valid reason.

When something becomes difficult it takes perseverance to continue on. For example, when difficult situations arise in personal family relations many just walk away. If a job becomes too difficult, they quit. If there are serious difficulties in their marriage, they walk out. If a child is out of control they walk away. Quitters never win and these are not acceptable reactions. The fire of love and desire that once was felt for someone or something can quickly die out when dampened by obstacles and difficulties.

When a person loses the fire of enthusiasm in their spiritual life it is even more serious. When our faith grows cold it affects our relationship with the Lord and our desire to serve Him and permeates the relationship with our family and associates. The lack of faith leads to discouragement and an attitude of indifference that says “I do not care about God, the Bible or anything spiritual.

II Timothy is Paul’s letter to Timothy, his young assistant, written by Paul when he was in prison in Rome and waiting to be executed. There is a sense of urgency in Paul’s letter. Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus to deal with some difficulties that had risen from some immoral people and from some false teachers in the church. Some in the church opposed Timothy’s leadership and Paul was deeply concerned that Timothy’s enthusiasm for his faith might die in the face of opposition and persecution.

Paul wrote to urge Timothy to “kindle afresh the gift of God that is in you” (I Timothy 1:6-7).

Satan is continually at work to destroy our faith so that we become spiritually empty. The following are five “R’s” that will help you rekindle the gift of God that is in you.

First you need to REFILL. Get on your knees and ask God through His Holy Spirit to give you a refill, a rekindling of your love for the Lord. Examine your life, repent of any sins, and then submit to His leadership in your life.

Secondly, you need to REFOCUS. Take your focus off the problems in your life that have caused you to lose your enthusiasm for the Lord. When we focus on obstacles in our life they become bigger and nothing will dim the flame of enthusiasm in your life more than fixing your thoughts on the problem that caused you to lose enthusiasm. The remedy is to fix your eyes on Christ, instead of your problems and He will become bigger than any problem you may face.

Thirdly, when we are spiritually down, the devil whispers lies into our minds such as: You can’t do this, no one appreciates you, why not call it quits. You need to recognize that these discouraging thoughts come from the devil and you need to REJECT them.

Finally, the time may have come to take a break from the busy hubbub and tumult of your daily routine and get alone with the Lord to rekindle your relationship with Him. This RETREAT will allow you to turn off the phone, be by yourself and will allow the Lord to speak to you.

RELY on the Lord and He will empower you to live your life for Him.

LEARNING:

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

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

PRAYER:

Strengthen my faith in You and rekindle my passion to know You and to serve You so that the fire of the gift of God does not die in me. Help me to refill by studying Your Word, refocusing on You, rejecting what is of the devil and taking time to be alone with You. May my relationship with You be what You desire it to be so You can use me to bring honor and glory to You.

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Friendship: February 22, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2017.

FRIENDSHIP

DEFINITION:

A state of attachment to someone by affection or esteem; close association; companionship; support; harmony; fellowship.

SCRIPTURE:

A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24.

He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. Psalm 13:20.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Very few people today have trusted friends that will be with them through not only the good times in life but the deep valleys of hard times that one goes through. We have noticed that friendships change when circumstances change in our lives.

We developed friends when we were involved in the lives of our 6 children through the sports they played and the school functions they were involved in. Then they all moved on to college and life on their own and a new set of friends needed to be found.

Friends are lost when people move, people change jobs or they no longer share common interests.

In the book of Proverbs Solomon gives us wise words of advice to teach us how to live a godly life and how to choose our friends. Solomon gives us words of wisdom on three aspects of friendship:

1.    The foundation of a true friendship in Proverbs 17:17.

2.    The necessity of choosing friends wisely in Proverbs 18:24.

3.    The influence friends have on a person’s life in Proverbs 13:20.

In Proverbs 17:17 he notes the foundation of a friendship is love. A true friend is a constant source of love. To love at all times requires loyalty. Friends may not always agree but loyal friends will continue to love each other. Loyal friends will be there for each other in the good times and in the bad times. A real friend will love at all times.

Many people base their friendship on what they can get out of it. These kinds of friends do not last and either you will leave them or they will leave you as soon as one sees that they cannot benefit in some way with the friendship.

Genuine friendship means being available to help in times of trouble and distress. We must consider what kind of friend we are. We cannot expect a friend to love us at all times if we are not a friend that loves at all times as the Bible encourages us to be.

In Proverbs 18:24, the writer Solomon is telling us that the person who makes friends too easily and indiscriminately does so to his own destruction. On the other hand a friend chosen wisely is more loyal than a brother. It is to our own best interests to choose our friends wisely. Friends who are true friends will want only what is best for each other. The word “friend’ here is a strong word meaning one who loves. Friendship was used in II Chronicles 20:7 to describe Abraham’s close relationship with God.

The type of friends we choose as close friends speaks volumes about us. Friends that we spend a lot of time with have a significant effect and influence on our life. Proverbs 13:20 admonishes us that, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffer harm.” We must choose our friends wisely.

It is of most importance that parents get to know who their children’s friends are and to make sure that they are the right kind of friends. Friendships are important to everyone, but especially to teenagers. Christian parents have a responsibility to get their children involved in church and with groups that uphold Biblical values so that their children can choose wholesome friendships.

Friendship is based on love. As Christians, Christ told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. We need to be friends to our neighbors and especially be friends that are there when the needs are the greatest for our neighbor.

Abraham Lincoln said that the better part of one’s life consists of building and keeping friendships. Mark Twain once said that friendship is only purchased with friendship.

True friendship begins with the certainty that you must have in your heart that you are a friend of God. Do you communicate with Him daily? He alone can help us to be a friend that loves at all times.

LEARNING:

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

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

PRAYER:

Guide me in my choice of friends that I will choose wisely. Give me a spirit of love and concern for all those around me that need a friend. Help me to be the right kind of friend, a friend that loves at all times, that is loyal, and that influences friends to walk with God.

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Guard: February 21, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2017.

GUARD

DEFINITION:

Protect; keep safe; be cautious; a means of defense; watch over; look out.

SCRIPTURE:

For false Christ’s and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect, if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. Mark 13:23.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again and it is a safeguard for you. Philippians 3:1.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

As believers in Jesus we are commissioned by Him to be stewards (guard) the gospel. The power to proclaim the greatest news in heaven or on earth was not given to the angels but to redeemed men and women on this earth.

Some think that only ministers are to preach but every Christian is to be a witness to guard the good news of the gospel (I Timothy 6:20).

When we are told to guard the gospel, it means first of all for us to study God’s Word daily and know what it says so we can guard against those who speak words that deny the truth of God’s Word.

Secondly, we are to tell others the true gospel message and exalt Christ by our actions daily. The best sermons are both seen and heard. God expects us to be His witnesses and to guard the good news of the gospel that is to rule our lives. If we do not live what we preach we deny the validity of our faith.

To guard our faith we must guard ourselves from the evils of the world we live in. Our parents regularly reminded us to be alert and guard ourselves from things in life and people that could lead us into a sinful lifestyle. As parents, we had great concern for our own children that they would be alert and on guard against Satan’s temptations and not be led astray. Spiritually, children and adults need to guard themselves against false teachings concerning the scriptures and against Satan, the great deceiver of the whole world Revelation 12:9. The Bible has been taken out of our schools so it is especially needed for parents to protect their children from the false teaching they receive in school.

The third chapter of Philippians is noted as one of the great chapters in the Bible. In it Paul gives his personal testimony and speaks of the principles that governed his life. His desire was always to guard the gospel, to grow in the Lord and to become more Christ-like. That should be our goal as well.

In this chapter Paul emphasizes that a believer must guard his faith against false teaching and he gives us practical advice to safeguard our faith. Take the time today to read this third chapter.

During trials in life we can be especially vulnerable to Satan’s attempts to destroy our faith. We can guard our faith during the trials of life by rejoicing in the Lord. When we focus on rejoicing in the Lord the trial becomes insignificant. As we walk our daily walk we face physical and spiritual challenges and we must face them straight on. It is important not to allow these trials to take our eyes off Jesus, because Satan will use them to destroy our faith.

Satan loves to have his evil-minded followers belittle our Lord and our faith in Him by making us feel that the Lord has forgotten us because He allows us, as believers, to suffer trials.

Peter also warns us in I Peter 5:8 to be on guard and watch for the devil and false teachers because they are our enemies and are on the prowl to destroy us. Satan seizes every opportunity to overwhelm us by enticing temptations, so we can never let our guard down allowing Satan any kind of an open door into our lives. So always be on guard and watch out!

The greatest thing that “rejoicing in the Lord” does for the believer is that it places and keeps a person in the presence of Christ. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35-39). We will face trials in this sinful world but there is no trial so big that it can separate us from our Lord.

Paul faced so many trials in his life including being stoned, beaten, being homeless without food and water, and being imprisoned but he always continued to rejoice in the Lord. The source of Paul’s joyous contentment, no matter what his circumstances, was knowing Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior.

Rejoicing in the Lord according to the apostle Paul is the sure way to guard your faith in the midst of the trials of life that you will face. In Philippians 4:4 he said it twice,” Rejoice always in the Lord.”

LEARNING:

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

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

PRAYER:

Keep me alert today to guard my actions against Satan’s temptations and to watch out for false teachings that will lead me astray and destroy my faith in my Lord and Savior. Keep me rejoicing in You always.

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Inquired: February 20, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2017.

INQUIRED

DEFINITION:

A searched for direction or knowledge; asked about or investigated.

SCRIPTURE:

And David inquired of the Lord, and He answered. II Samuel 5:23.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When David made this inquiry of the Lord for advice, he had already achieved great victories. He had killed the giant Goliath with a sling shot and a stone. He had defeated the Amalekites and the great hosts of Philistines. The people were singing praises to David for his great victories.

In II Samuel 5:10 it says, “David became more and more powerful because the Lord God almighty was with him.” David continually sought God’s instruction and then did just as the Lord directed him. David knew these were all the Lord’s victories and he gave God the credit and all the glory.

The Philistines now came the second time and David would not go out to fight without inquiring to the Lord first (verse above). Once David had been so victorious in his battles one might think that he would just go out and fight feeling confident that he would be victorious once again. David would not venture out based on past victories but wanted to ask the Lord first for the same assurance that the Lord had given him before.

He asked very simply, “Shall I go up against them again?” He then waited until God gave him an answer. He did not move ahead of God. David did as the Lord commanded him (verse 25). There is a lesson for us in this. David asked, listened, and obeyed. As we walk down our path of life, we need to allow God to be our compass.

God promises us that He will instruct us and teach us in the ways we should go. The words of a Puritan some years ago were, “As sure as ever a Christian carves for himself, he will cut his own fingers.” Another Puritan said, “He that goes before the cloud of God’s providence goes on a fool’s errand.” When we trust in ourselves alone we are sure to fail.

As believers in God we need to learn to inquire of Him in all we do. It is so easy for us to rely on our own strength feeling we are invincible. The times of failure come often unless we make it a practice to begin each day inquiring of God. Our confidence must be in the Lord, not in ourselves. Every believer needs to ask God daily to give them wisdom, to give them direction and to open and close doors according to His will for their lives. Ask God daily what you should do, how you should do it and then march out every day to face your battles as David did. Walk with confidence that God is with you and leading you.

We learn from David to acknowledge that God is the one who gives us victory. David said in Psalm 60:12, “With God we will gain victory.” When you have victory remember that it is God who made you victorious and give God the glory.

LEARNING:

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

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

PRAYER:

Thank You for the example You have given us in Your Word from the life of David. Keep me faithful to inquire of You for wisdom and direction in the battles of life’s daily problems. Help me to listen and obey and then to move forward with confidence when I know that I have received proper direction from You.

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