Compromise: June 16, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017.

COMPROMISE

DEFINITION:

A settlement of differences by mutual adjustment or modification; to settle an issue by agreement.

SCRIPTURE:

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying to take Aaron and his sons with you, and the garments and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering, and the two rams and the basket of unleavened bread. And assemble all the congregation at the doorway of the tent of meeting. Leviticus 8:1-3.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

How many times a day to you compromise your faith in Jesus Christ. Many people compromise consciously and many unconsciously.

In the eighth chapter of Leviticus we read about Aaron, the older brother of Moses receiving a very high divine calling to serve as priest for the liberated nation of Israel. Aaron was the spokesman to the Children of Israel during the time of the exodus.

Being anointed priest was an enormous task and it carried great responsibility. He was in charge of Israel’s sacrificial system and led them in worshipping the Lord. Such a man had to be sure that he would live in a manner beyond approach. He was the mediator between God and the Israelites.

Unfortunately, Aaron had a weakness for unwise compromises in his life time. At a crucial time when Moses and his people needed Aaron to stand strong in honoring God and seeing that the Israelites also stood strong, he gave in to the clamoring of many of the Israelites and built a golden calf for them to worship.

This was a severe compromise with his relationship and responsibility with God. Through this compromising failure he missed out on God’s very best for him and as a result many Israelites had to pay the consequences and were killed for their sin. In Exodus 32:28 we are told that three thousand Israelites, Aarons fellow Hebrews died.

This is a real reminder to us today that God requires us, as believers in Jesus Christ, to have a full obedience to what is in His Word. No matter how we are tempted, and we will be tempted, we are not to compromise what we believe.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ecclesiastics 10:10.

If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.

PRAYER:

Thank You, dear heavenly Father, for the assurance I have to spend eternity with You. Help me to not compromise my faith in You. May your Holy Spirit lead me to always love and honor You with all of my heart, soul and mind.

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Religion: June 15, 2107

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY JUNE 15, 2017.

RELIGION

DEFINITION:

A set of beliefs concerning the cause and purpose of the universe; a particular set of beliefs and practices; something a person believes in; the service and worship of God or the supernatural.

SCRIPTURE:

If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their time of trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from this world. James 1:26-27

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God; and that is what we are. I John 3:1

Now if we are children of God then we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Romans 8:17

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

If we read the newspapers and magazines or watch the television, we will hear much about religion in our world especially from the middle-east. We continue to watch and see the turmoil in the middle-east and hear dialogue on the good and bad of religion in that area of our world.

The Islamic extremists believe they must die for Allah. Theirs is a religion of death. Jesus died for all who will believe on Him and gives us eternal life. It is important that everyone understands that Jesus died to pay the penalty of sin for every person who ever lives. Jesus died so that we would not have to suffer eternal death but have eternal life. One only needs to ask God for forgiveness and accept Jesus as your Savior.

Recently we received an e-mail message from a young man living in Afghanistan. He had been reading our devotionals for several weeks and said he finally had to write and ask us why we felt knowing Jesus was the only way that he could get to heaven. He went on to say that he had studied many religions and that they all said that one would go to some sort of heaven.  He went on to tell us that he was a Muslim but was searching and was considering trying Jesus as his new religion.

Many people are very confused, as is this young man, and even defensive when we talk about religion. This is because there are so many "religions" in our culture today and one hears so many conflicting concepts and ideas. It is widely believed today that there is more than one way to heaven. Many non-believers criticize Christians for believing that Jesus is the only way to heaven.

A non-believer in Jesus gets confused and does not know how to respond concerning their belief in religion. So, the normal response is that religion does not concern them. When we talk to someone about our "religion", we make it clear that we are talking about a "relationship" not a religion that is a series of concepts and "do's and don'ts". This is what we explained to our friend in Afghanistan.

Very simply we have a personal relationship with Jesus. This relationship began when we accepted Jesus into our hearts as our personal Savior. God sent His Son to this earth to pay the penalty for our sins and we accepted His offer of redemption. There is no other religion that makes this offer.

All other "religions" offer a set of rituals such as doing good works, church attendance, penance, etc. The difference is the "RELATIONSHIP."

A relationship with Jesus changes us because God’s Holy spirit comes to dwell within us. Knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior changes our heart and our desires which is what religious rituals cannot do. Those who accept Jesus as their Savior do not serve Him because they are told they have to, but because they want to serve Him.

We have with Jesus a family relationship grounded in love. It was because God loved us that He sent His Son so that by believing in Him we could become children of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. There is a reason that it was necessary for God to send His Son to this earth.

The reason is simple. As a result of the sin of Adam and Eve, we are all born sinners. This is a fact and not a theory. God is completely holy and entirely without sin. Sin is what separates us from God. There is no amount of good works or any amount of spiritual rituals that will cleanse us from our sins.

We are sinners and the penalty for our sins must be paid. This is why God sent His Son to this earth, to pay the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross.

We must be willing to admit that we are sinners, confess our sins, and ask for God's forgiveness and then acknowledge Jesus Christ as our Savior and redeemer. The shed blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL our sins and restores us into a right relationship with God.

All who believe and receive Jesus as Savior become children of God and will spend an eternity with God and His Son Jesus. What a privilege to be the recipient of such great love and to be able to call God "Our Father." And just think of all the untold and unseen riches that will be ours as joint heirs with Christ.

In the verses that we have written above from the book of James, we read that the fruit of our religion is in what we do and what we say. Our relationship with Jesus is a heart relationship and not, as many think, a head religion. When we have a relationship (our religion) with Jesus we will watch what we say, bridle our tongue, and our deeds will be a commitment to honor our Lord by helping those in need, including widows and orphans.

When we have a relationship with Christ it is important that the people around us are able to see evidence of our relationship with Christ by the way we live our lives. When we do not live by God's Word and practice what God teaches James tells us that "our religion is useless."

Is your "religion" just a series of rituals that you do your best to try to honor? In your "religion" do you have a certainty that you will spend eternity with God? Is your "religion" a relationship with Jesus that gives you the privilege to talk to Him anytime and anywhere through prayer and do you have the assurance that He hears every prayer?

You can know about God, but you cannot know God until you have entered a relationship with God and become a "child of God." It is our prayer that you will become a "Child of God" if you have not done so already.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ecclesiastics 10:10.

If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.

PRAYER:

Help me today to live a God-honoring life so that others will be aware of my relationship with Jesus. Help me to watch what I say so every word that proceeds out of my mouth glorifies Your name. Give me today a caring attitude that compels me to reach out and help those in need.

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Distraction: June 14, 2107

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2017.

DISTRACTION

DEFINITION:

Having the attention or the mind drawn away or diverted.

SCRIPTURE:

Each one is tempted when he is drawn away (distracted) by his own desires and enticed. James 1:14.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Do you know that Satan’s greatest goal for your life is not destruction but distraction?  Satan wants to daily distract you from doing what the Lord expects of you. When Satan cannot get you to succumb to out and out temptation he works in more subtle ways to draw you away from the Lord. Corrie Ten Boom said that, “When the devil cannot make us bad he makes us busy.” That is so true.

Consider how busy your life is now. Typically in our homes today both spouses work and many have children to care for along with all that goes into running a household. Then, of course, we have all the electronic diversions to keep us busy when we have a few extra minutes on our hands. We have TV’s, computers, DVD’s, texting, the internet and I-pod’s. Satan can get us so involved in using these devices that we have no time to read God’s Word or to communicate to Him through prayer or to go to church.

Satan will use whatever he can to distract us from having a relationship with the Lord. It is not that everything that consumes our time and keeps us busy is bad in and of itself. What is bad, is letting distractions, like the things we have listed, keep us so busy that we are not spending time with our Lord and Savior.

As you know we raised six children and we were a very active family. We didn’t have all the modern technology that we have available today so the distractions were different when we were raising our children. As every parent knows raising children is time consuming and makes for a busy schedule. We had to set guidelines on the use of our time to keep from becoming so distracted by family activities and household chores that we neglected to do what was most important, spending time with the Lord. You will have to work at this just as we had to.

When Jesus was visiting Martha in her home He had to explain to her the importance of spending time with Him. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He was saying. Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made with the arrival of Jesus in their home. 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.” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better.”

James tells us that God is not to blame for our distractions. In James 1:13 it reads; “Let no man say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”

So when we are distracted and do not do what God would ordain for our life, who is to blame? The verse above under scripture makes it clear that we are distracted when we are drawn away from the Lord by our own desires. Just as a fisherman uses bait to lure the fish to his hook, the devil uses the bait of our sinful desires to distract us from doing what God wants us to do. As Jesus told Martha, we make the choice.

When we disobey God and make the wrong choice, do not try to shift the blame or justify your actions by saying that the devil made you do it. Instead take the full responsibility, confess your sin and pursue living a Christ exalting life. God will hear you, forgive you and honor you for honoring Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ecclesiastics 10:10.

If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.

PRAYER:

Give me the strength that only You can give today that I might not be distracted to the attractions of this world. Give me wisdom and decisiveness to live a life that totally honors You.

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Fear: June 13, 2107

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY JUNE 13, 2017.

FEAR

DEFINITION:

An emotion of dread or apprehension; profound reverence and awe toward God.

SCRIPTURE:

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. II Corinthians 7:1.

Blessed is every one that fears the Lord; that walks in His ways. Psalm 128:1

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Godly fear is not dread or apprehension nor is it the fear we feel at times of danger. Godly fear is awe and reverence of God because God is Holy and all powerful. Godly fear brings joy to our lives. Proverbs 1:7 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom to those that believe on His name. Godly fear not only brings knowledge and wisdom but it makes us hate evil and helps us to be righteous, holy and reverential. Godly fear results in righteousness (right-living), (Psalm 33:5), and reverential worship of God. Psalms 33:5 says God loves righteousness and Hebrews 12:28 says that reverential worship is acceptable to God.

Down through the ages there have been men who have changed history because they were God-fearing men. In the Old Testament, there are wonderful examples of how God worked through those who feared God. These men accomplished great things for the Lord because they feared God.

•    Noah and his family were saved from the flood because they obeyed God.
•    Abraham became the father of a great nation because he feared God and responded with obedience.
•    Joseph became a leader in a foreign nation and saved his family from starvation.
•    Moses led the children of Israel out of bondage from Egypt.
•    Joshua led two million Israelites to the Promised Land.
•    David conquered nations and was the greatest King of Israel.

To fear the Lord is to stand in awe of Him and to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24) and to serve God acceptably and with reverence. This is what the great men of the Bible learned and lived by daily in their lives. Is there Godly fear (awe and reverence) in your heart?

These statements from scripture will help you evaluate if you are living in awe and reverence of God.

•    If we who profess to be believers say that we have fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ and walk in darkness (un-confessed sin), we lie and do not practice the truth.
•    If we walk in the light as He is in the light and have fellowship with other believers and God we are in His righteousness. Godly fear that makes us righteous can only be known by those who have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
•    If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us of our sins and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Godly fear will cause you to search your heart every time you read the Bible and go to Him in prayer. If you find sin in your life then judge it, confess it and forsake it.
•    Godly fear can also help you to resist temptation in your life. This is why the Psalmist has said "Let all the earth fear the Lord."

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ecclesiastics 10:10.

If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.

PRAYER:

Thank You that the scripture reminds us that Godly fear brings joy to one's life because it is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge that keeps me from sin. Thank You for Your promise in Psalm 128:1, that all those who fear the Lord and walk in His ways will be blessed.

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Testimony: June 12, ,2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY JUNE 12, 2017.

TESTIMONY

DEFINITION:

The statement or declaration of a witness under oath; evidence in support of a fact or statement; proof; open declaration or profession as of faith.

SCRIPTURE:

This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things, and we know his testimony is true. John 21:24.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I Corinthians 2:1-2.

He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. I John 5:10-11.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The word testimony is probably best known in the secular world as statements made in a court session. In the Christian world, a testimony usually refers to the words one gives in a group or to an individual concerning one’s relationship with Jesus. This testimony usually contrasts one’s life before accepting Jesus as one’s Savior with the life one is living now.

We can remember as kids going to church and often hearing moving testimonies of life changing experiences from guests arranged by the pastor.

When we were working with Youth for Christ we had Saturday night youth rallies attended by thousands each week. The programs included music, skits, and contests and always ended with the testimony of some speaker, usually a known personality, whose life had been completely changed because they had accepted Jesus as their Savior.

A testimony is of no value unless it is based on truth. That is why when a testimony is to be given in a court of law, the person testifying must swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. In John 21:24 the Apostle John is speaking of himself as the one who is testifying that Jesus was God. John's testimony is true because he was an eye witness and his account was based on his personal relationship with Jesus. John walked with Him, talked with Him, and worked with Him daily while He was on this earth. John's words testified that Jesus is the Christ and that He was the Son of God.

In the passage, we noted above from I Corinthians chapter two, Paul is writing to the church at Corinth verifying the testimony that Jesus is Lord and Savior and available for them. Paul always looked for every opportunity to give his testimony that Jesus was his Lord and Savior. Paul was a learned scholar and could preach with eloquence. In this passage, Paul says he preached a simple testimony of Jesus and wants us to understand it is not the eloquence of the words of a person’s testimony that brings others to faith and a relationship with Jesus, but it is by God's power. We should never fear to give our testimony because of its simplicity because God will use our testimony no matter how eloquent or simple.

And finally, in I John 5:10-11, John tells us that whoever believes and receives the testimony that God has given us, will receive His promise of eternal life. In these verses John and Paul testify that the Bible is a true testimony that God is who He says He is and Jesus is His Son and the Savior of all who believe.

If you ever doubt personally or talk to one who doubts the truth of your faith and the certainty of your relationship with Jesus, just remember you have the testimony of Jesus Himself that He is God's Son. You have the testimony of the disciples who walked, talked and lived with Jesus while He was on this earth. And you have the testimony of God’s Word, the Bible, and those that were led by the Holy Spirit to write down for us the testimonies of those who lived during Jesus time here on earth and had a personal encounter with Him.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Ecclesiastics 10:10.

If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.

PRAYER:

I rejoice today in the certainty that I have of knowing You and the anticipation of spending eternity with You. Thank You for the TESTIMONIES that You have given us to confirm that You are the very Son of God and the Savior of all who believe in You. May my life be a TESTIMONY of my love for You and the life-changing power of the salvation I have received through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.

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