Determination: March 17, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY MARCH 17, 2017.

DETERMINATION

DEFINITION:

An unyielding perseverance to succeed or accomplish a purpose; firmness; resolve; a fixed purpose of intention, bringing about a positive result despite all obstacles; persistence.

SCRIPTURE:

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

A simple definition of determination is not giving up. Much of what has been accomplished in the world was not accomplished by the most talented, or the most highly educated or those with the most material assets but by those with the most determination.

Calvin Coolidge said, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Apparently, this was a concern that Paul had for the Christian’s in the church at Rome when he wrote them and instructed them to never be lacking in their zeal to serve the Lord. Our prayer every morning is to ask God for a strong determination, a fresh zeal to serve the Lord that day. We know that if we are not talking to the Lord every day our spiritual life will become lack-luster and dull.

The story is told of a student in the late 19th century, Mary McLeod Bethune. She spent two years training at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago to become a missionary in Africa. After she graduated, no mission board would take her as an African-American woman to serve under their mission.

Unable to fulfill her dream, and seemingly what was a calling from God, she did not give up because she was determined to serve Jesus. She went to Florida and started a small school for African-American girls here in America. God definitely had a different direction for her even though she was committed for years to go to the mission field. This small school because of her determination became Bethune-Cookman College and she became a powerful force for change in the status of women here in America.

Mary’s legacy came about because of her determination to serve her Lord. Her dream of going to Africa did not become a reality because God had something better for her. Mary did not allow her disappointment to lessen her determination to serve the Lord. She continued to think big and allowed God to do His thing through her.

That kind of determination is not seen often enough today. People are easily discouraged and become quickly satisfied with the status quo. Worse yet they seem to want everything given to them.

We as parents and as believers need to develop a new determination to give all that we have to serving the Lord and to train our children to serve Him. We need more believers outwardly serving Jesus. It takes determination to stand for our faith and for the moral standards that God has given us in His Word because we will always face opposition from the world.

We just saw a report as to how many Evangelical Christians voted last November in America in the last election. Only 28% voted and that is a disgrace. And then we as believers complain as to how our representatives in government vote. Just think if even 90% of Christians voted what could happen to America.

Not only here in America but the world needs people with a new and vibrant determination to do the impossible. With God, all things are possible. Just think what might happen if we all took the challenge from Paul to serve the Lord with zeal and determination.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

PRAYER:

Thank You, Lord, for my salvation that I have received by Your mercy and grace. Give me a new determination to serve You and honor You with my life. May the determination that You give me help me to lead my family, friends and neighbors to a relationship with You.

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Crown: March 16, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY MARCH 16, 2017.

CROWN

DEFINITION:

Any of various types of headgear worn by a king or monarch as a symbol of sovereignty or royalty; an award for a great achievement.

SCRIPTURE:

There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. II Timothy 4:8.

He will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12.

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. I Peter 5:4.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The crown of life, which James refers to, is eternal life that will be the ultimate award for all believers. The crown of life is a crown of victory. On the cross of Calvary Jesus defeated Satan and won the victory over death.

The crown of righteousness, which Timothy tells us about in the verse we have put above, represents the eternal righteousness we receive through Jesus Christ as a result of our Salvation.

The crown of glory we read above in I Peter is a reward Christ will award at His second coming, when all must appear before Him at the judgment seat where He will evaluate the faithful service of believers. What a glorious day that will be.

Recently we heard the story about a man who was dying. When asked by a friend about death, he responded by saying he had no fear about dying and going to heaven. He went on to say that he had sent on before all the things of importance.

Someone then asked him if he was concerned about losing his inheritance? His response was simple and direct when he said “NO” because he had sent his inheritance to heaven already. This insightful man concluded by saying that there was one crown in heaven that God has made for him and it will only fit his head and even the Apostle Paul could not wear it because it will fit only him.

We cannot lose our inheritance as a believer in Jesus.  God has a crown waiting for us who have been faithful and hold fast to our faith in Jesus Christ.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

PRAYER:

Thank You, Lord, for the valuable inheritance which will be mine in heaven. Help me today to make a priority of doing what God expects of me to receive my crown when I arrive in heaven. Help me and my family to put our priorities in serving and doing what will count for eternity.

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Storm: March 15, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY MARCH 15, 2017.

STORM

DEFINITION:

A tumultuous condition; a disturbance of normal atmosphere; a commotion; to rage or complain with violence or fury; to rush angrily; a violent assault or attack.

SCRIPTURE:

He calms the storm so the waves are still. Psalm 107:29.

For you have been strength to the poor and a refuge from the storm. Isaiah 25:4.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Even though we as believers have our trust in the Lord, we all have many storms in our life.  A storm is some sort of disturbance or negative commotion. We have storms in our personal life, in our marriage, with our children, in our jobs, in our church and with our neighbors.

Recently we have had several close friends who have had serious storms in their lives, relating to health issues. Sometimes we wonder why God allows this to happen. It is important for us to realize that God does not cause these storms but He allows them for several reasons. Today let us take a few minutes and look at those reasons and apply them to our lives.

First of all, God allows storms to come into our lives to get our attention. We get so busy with the “THINGS” in our lives that we get caught up in just doing what we want to do and forget God. When we act this way, and forget God we then rely on our own abilities and think we can handle every situation ourselves. When this happens to believers, God will allow a storm to happen in our lives just to get our attention and help us refocus on what is important.

Secondly, He allows storms to get some sin out of our lives. God wants us to live a pure and clean life and since we are sinners we often fail to meet the standards that God wants from us. Then sin creeps into our lives and we pass it off and do not consider a little sin to be a problem. God will allow a storm to enter our lives to act as a warning. But the longer you hold that sin the stronger the storm will be. God does not want us as believers to live with sin in our lives.

He also allows a storm in our life because He wants us to surrender something. It is so easy in life to let evil and even material things get between us and God. For example, one can begin to forget God when one’s business becomes successful. Success often separates us from God, but more so just “THINGS” can separate us from God. When He wants us to surrender something in our lives, He will make it clear to us and if we do not respond He will allow a storm to come and wake us up to the fact that we are not self-sufficient.

We are not in control, God is. If we are willing to surrender all to God, He will not only go through the storm with us but He will reward us with His blessing. We need to understand that when we do the things that gets us through these storms that God always rewards us with something better.

God will allow storms to come into our lives because He wants us to conform to His image. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul tells us God wants us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice which is Holy and acceptable to God, and that we are not to be conformed to this world but rather we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind so that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God for our lives. He will allow a storm to come into our life in order to bring us back to doing what His will is for us.

Finally, He will allow a storm to come into our lives in order to equip us to serve Him better.  We are prone to refuse to do what God is calling us to do because it is hard and we feel incapable. We use our inadequacy as an excuse to avoid doing what God desires us to do. God can use a storm to make us willing and able to serve Him, just as He did when Jonah refused to serve God as God told him to do.

In the midst of the storm we may think God has lost control and forgotten us. God controls all things and He is in control of what happens to us in the storms of life as well as in the good times.

The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 89:9 that God rules the mighty seas and calms the stormy waves. We need to acknowledge that God is the one who is in control and that He has the power to control any storm in our lives. What we must do is to put our complete trust in Him, call upon Him and then be open to His direction and respond in faith believing.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

PRAYER:

Thank You, Almighty God, for bringing storms into my life to wake me up from my tendency to neglect to serve You as You desire. Keep me humble and obedient so that I will faithfully seek to do Your will. Keep me from sin and the desire for things of this world that will hinder my relationship with You.

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Distracted: March 14, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY MARCH 14, 2017.

DISTRACTED

DEFINITION:

The state of being unfocused because of something else that takes our attention; mentally distressed; not paying attention.

SCRIPTURE:

But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me.” Luke 10:40.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Jesus was visiting with Mary and Martha (the verse above) and there was much to do to prepare the meal for “their Master.”  The word “distracted” used here was translated -- dragging all around. The expression implies that Martha was in a tumult with all the preparations to be done. She was fussing about the details that for Mary and Jesus were unnecessarily elaborate.

Jesus wanted time with both women but Martha was distracted by unnecessary details. Martha was so busy doing things for Jesus that she was missing out on what was most important -- spending time with Jesus.

How many times have unnecessary details taken valuable time away from you spending time with the Lord? Do you set a time each day to read the Bible and pray and studying the Word and then situations come up that take you away from this time?

In Nehemiah chapters one and two we read about Nehemiah being troubled about the condition of his city, Jerusalem. He was the cupbearer to the king and with the king’s permission he went out to rebuild the walls of the city for his people, the Israelites. He encountered obstacles but refused to be distracted from the task. He set an example for all of us today.

First, Nehemiah was in the center of God’s will. When Nehemiah cried out to God for help as to how to rebuild, the Lord showed him exactly what to do. God also caused the king to be favorably disposed toward the rebuilding and even provided to Nehemiah all the materials that was needed to accomplish the task.

Secondly, Nehemiah knew that the Lord’s priority for him was to rebuild the city walls. Without walls Jerusalem was defenseless and vulnerable to attack. Nehemiah never wavered from his goal. God has planned for us, just as he planned for Nehemiah, things of great value to Him for us to do. We are not to underestimate our part in what God wants to do through us.

Thirdly, following every crises, Nehemiah returned to accomplish the task he set out to do. He had to deal with opposition and threats of warfare from the enemy of the Jews and with fear and conflict among his own workers. These were difficult problems but Nehemiah did not let any of them distract Him from what God had called Him to do.

Finally, Nehemiah took time to identify each distraction he faced. When we are interrupted, have our attention diverted, or receive a personal attack, we need to be aware that it is not of God. Distractions originate outside of ourselves and with our Father’s help we will learn who to heed and who to ignore.

Do not let the distractions of life get you off course. Things like gossip, criticism, personal desires, and praise from others toward us will turn us away from God’s perfect plan for our lives. We need to be single-minded focusing all of our thoughts on our Lord and not let the distractions of the world keep us from spending time with Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

PRAYER:

Help me to recognize daily who to heed and who to ignore in life. Help me to follow Your example and do the will of our Father in heaven, as did Nehemiah, so You can achieve great things in and through me.

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Burden: March 13, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY MARCH 13, 2017.

BURDEN

DEFINITION:

An extra heavy load; that which is carried; that which is borne with difficulty, spiritually or physically.

SCRIPTURE:

Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2.

We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. I Thessalonians 5:14.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

There are many things in life that are called burdens. In the Old Testament (Exodus 23:5), a heavy load is called a burden. It speaks of a donkey falling down under the weight of its burden. The characteristic of a burden is that it is hard to bear up under.

People are called a burden in Numbers 11:11-17.

In the New Testament, hard labor is referred to as a burden in Matthew 20:12. In Acts 15:28 we are told that a burden is a difficult requirement. Burdens make life difficult and are hard to endure. Burdens can hinder the faith and spiritual growth of a believer.

In Romans 15:1-2 we are told to help those who are weak and struggling. Doing this effectively requires three things of us.

First, we must be aware and sensitive to the struggles of those around us.

Secondly, we are not to bear the burden of someone around us based on our personal feeling about that person. We need to have a spirit of acceptance and help them, no matter who they are. Jesus did not discriminate and neither should we.

Thirdly, we need to be available. Many Christians relegate the work of caring to someone else like their pastor or friend. You must be available to share in the carrying of the load.

Recently listening to a message of Dr. Charles Stanley he gave some practical suggestions for us to consider. Let us share with you in part some of what he said. Here are six practical ways, several from Dr. Stanley, that can help you bear someone’s burdens.

First, you must be there. Sometimes the best way to help is just to be with the hurting person. In a person’s darkest hour for the most part a hurting person does not need someone to fix something. They just need a friend.

Secondly, you must listen. Do not attempt to give answers to unasked questions or tell one what to do next. Injured souls frequently only want a listening ear so they can express what is on their mind.

Thirdly, learn to share. Never set yourself in the position of one that has all the answers, because you do not. But do allow your own pain and failures to help others.

Fourthly, pray with the one you are there to help. There is power in speaking people’s names before the Lord. When someone hears someone talk to Jesus on their behalf, healing often starts to take place.

Fifthly, be willing to give. Sometimes helping others involves more than a hand shake or a warm hug. Maybe there is a need for financial or material help. Be willing to give to a person who you know to be sincere and genuinely hurting.

Finally, be willing to be a substitute. You may know an individual who bears the burden for caring for someone else and is overwhelmed. Be willing to step in and be a substitute for a while. Jesus became our substitute when He died on the cross for our sins. We should be willing to be one also.

Jesus bore all of our sins, even unto death. As a result, we now can live eternally in communion with our Father. If Christ was willing to take our heavy burden of sin, how can we ever say that I am too busy to bear someone else’s burden?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

PRAYER:

Help me to care for others enough that I might be willing to help carry their burdens when I have an opportunity. Thank You for carrying the burden for my sin all the way to the cross. Thank You that I can bring all my burdens and cares to You.

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