Brag: June 30, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR FRIDAY JUNE 30, 2017.

BRAG

DEFINITION:

To declare boastfully; to speak with excessive pride.

SCRIPTURE:

His brothers said to him (Joseph), do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us? And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he said. Genesis 37:8.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We look today at the life of Joseph who was the favorite son of his father, Jacob. There is no doubt that God used Joseph during his lifetime but as a young man Joseph had his problems with his 12 brothers.

We are told about the dreams that Joseph had. First, he had the dream where he and his brothers were binding sheaves and his brothers sheaves bowed down to his sheaf. Apparently Joseph had to do a little bragging so he told his brothers about the dream and it did not go well with them. They were outraged and asked him who he thought he was that he should reign over them.

Joseph had a second dream in which the sun, moon and stars all bowed down to him. Joseph shared this dream with his father. And then his father was angry with Joseph for being disrespectful as to think that not only his brothers would bow down to him but also his mother and father. Although what Joseph said was truthful Joseph’s family saw it as bragging.

Joseph was a young man and perhaps no different than most young children who do like to brag. We all know that these dreams were a forerunner to how God would use Joseph but the point for us today is that when one brags concerning themselves, it is not accepted by others.

We all know people that like to brag about themselves, about their successes, about their riches, about their intelligence and it goes on and on. All of our abilities come from God and He expects us to use the abilities He has given us for His glory. Above all we should not brag about them giving ourselves the glory.

When we are tempted to brag we need to remember the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 11:36: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.”

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 4:35.

Do you not say, there are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are white for harvest!

PRAYER:

May we acknowledge today that all things that we have and all that we are comes from You. Help us, in all that we do and say, give You the glory and thank You for all we have from You.

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Authority: June 29, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY JUNE 29, 2017.

AUTHORITY

DEFINITION:

The power to determine and settle issues; the right to govern or control; rightful power.

SCRIPTURE:

And Jesus came and spoke to them (the disciples) saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18.

Let every soul be subject to the government authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Romans 13:1

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Have you noticed the lack of respect for authority today? This includes in our schools where the students have no respect for their teachers and even the students for their peers. Then look at the work place and the lack of respect workers have toward their bosses and vice-versa.

In the verse found in Romans (above) we see that the Apostle Paul gives us direction about the authority that our government leaders have over us.

First of all, the scripture makes it clear that we are to respect our leaders. We are to be subject to civil authority. But when the laws of government conflict with the explicit commandments of God, then believers must say, as it is written in Acts 5:29, “We ought to obey God rather than man.”

As we know today in America, government laws and Biblical laws do not always mesh. Often, they contradict one another. We urge you to stand up for Biblical principles in the evil world we live in.

Christians must stand for what is right in God’s sight and according to what the scriptures teach us. When those in authority require us to do anything that goes against God’s Word and His spiritual standards then we must as Christian’s rebel. When one goes against government leaders and follows the standards that God gives us, it comes with a price.

In the Bible, we find that those that believed in God often had to rebel against those in authority who were requiring them to break one or more of God’s commandments.

When this happened, they all knew there would be consequences. Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace and many of the apostles and Paul were persecuted and paid with their lives.

No ruler can claim divine rights. The existence, the authority, the position, and the offices of government all are ordained by God according to His purposes. There are three institutions ordained by God. They are the family, the church and the government. All three exist because God set them up as the means by which men are to relate to each other and to Him as our God. Without some structure of authority we would have chaos. God expects the leaders of these institutions to be honorable and just and to operate within His laws. Those in authority in all three institutions ordained by God should understand that they are answerable to a higher authority than themselves. They must answer to God Himself and give an account to Him.

The scripture teaches us about family authority. In Ephesians 5 and 6, we are reminded that children should obey and respect the authority of their parents. Parents must recognize the areas of authority each has in the family and be willing to submit to each other. There first priority must be to submit to the authority of God.

Jesus taught the disciples in Matthew 28: 18 (above) that “All authority was given to Me both in heaven and here on earth.” God exalted Jesus to be Lord over all. Jesus has absolute sovereign authority. We know that we need to at all times, as believers, respect the authority of our Lord. In Matthew 7:29 we read that Jesus was teaching His disciples as one having authority, not as the scribes of the day taught.

When one is in a position of authority God expects that authority to be administered in humility and with respect. As believers our Lord expects us to go into all the world with authority and preach the gospel. This is our God ordained position of authority.

In Titus 2:15 we are told to speak these things (the saving grace of our Lord), “exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you” -- because you are God’s spokesperson.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 4:35.

Do you not say, there are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are white for harvest!

PRAYER:

Thank You for the authority that You give those that put their complete trust in You. Help me today to understand Your Word and the commandments in Your Word so that I might live my life in submission to Your authority. Help me to respect the leaders in our family, in our church and in our government. Give me the proper discernment between right and wrong. Bless my family today as we honor You in all that we do.

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Power: June 28, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 28, 2017.

POWER

DEFINITION:

The capability to do, act, or accomplish something; the control or command over others; a Deity; physical and mental strength; influence; might

SCRIPTURE:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the world. Acts 1:8.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

The machines and mechanized devices we use today in our daily lives make life so much easier for us. All of these devices have something in common. They need a power source. They come equipped with a fuel tank, an electrical plug or a solar cell that provides a power source. And these devices are useless unless they have power. A vacuum cleaner needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet and an airplane cannot fly without fuel. Those who have been through a severe earthquake, tornado or hurricane know what it is like to be without power. Everything shuts down. Without power businesses, stores, gas stations, restaurants and schools cannot function.

People today are searching for a power source for their lives. Some look to money and others look to education or a political office. These sources of power are acquired by our own methods. Political leaders want power to control governing policies. Parents want power to control their children. When the power source is our own limited human abilities it is doomed to failure over time.

God is all powerful and has provided a power source for us that is greater than all other sources because it comes directly from Him. Jesus tells us in the above scripture that the Holy Spirit is that source for our power. It is important for all believers to remember that for power in our lives we need to stay connected to our power source that God provides for us.

When the disciples were with Jesus during His ministry on earth, Jesus was right there with them to be their power source. Jesus knew that when He returned to His Father in heaven His disciples would be left powerless.

The words spoken to His disciples in Acts 1:8 were the last words of Jesus to His disciples before He ascended into heaven. Jesus was placing a huge responsibility on the disciples. They were to be His witnesses. He knew that the disciples could not do this in their own power so He tells them that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit would come upon them.

In Acts 1:4 He told them to wait in Jerusalem for a few days until the Holy Spirit came and baptized them. During those few days they must have felt powerless. Perhaps Jesus purpose in this was to help them recognize their need for the power of the Holy Spirit.

Just as Jesus told the disciples to be witnesses first in Jerusalem, we are to be witnesses in our Jerusalem. This is our family, our home and our friends. Is your home considered by all that live with you a God-honoring home? Is Christ the head of your home?

Then we are to reach out beyond our home to our Judea and Samaria. This is to our neighborhood and city. What are you doing on a regular basis to represent Jesus in your city or neighborhood? Do you volunteer at your church? Do you help a ministry in your city?

And finally, we are to reach out to the end of the world. The world is our mission field. Most people cannot go to the mission field but all can share their talent and treasure to mission projects. God has given us the responsibility to be witnesses of Him wherever we go and has given us power to accomplish this.

As believers we are to be His witnesses. The disciples could not witness in their own power nor can we. We can only do it in the power of the Holy Spirit. This power is freely given to us today but we must be willing to plug into the source. God through His Holy Spirit empowers us to live a God-fearing life and to speak out with authority and with confidence about our faith.

The power is there for us through the Holy Spirit and is only limited by our lack of faith or lack of vision. The Lord has important work for every believer to do as His representative on this earth.  It is time to dream big dreams and then act by asking God through the power of His Holy Spirit to work through you. Do not limit what God wants from you.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 4:35.

Do you not say, there are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are white for harvest!

PRAYER:

I love You Lord, because You are my strength, my rock, my protection and my Savior. Thank You for being my rock so I can run to You for safety. Thank You for giving me the courage and power through Your Holy Spirit to be a witness for You this day.

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Leadership: June 27, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY JUNE 27, 2017.

LEADERSHIP

DEFINITION:

To guide by direction or by example.

SCRIPTURE:

Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

In Hebrews 12, the author likens living the Christian life to running a race. He is challenging us as believers to be leaders and to step out with confidence and run our Christian race with determination and endurance doing all we can to further the good news of the gospel.

As believers, we run the race by faith that is founded in believing God who says He is and will do what He says. He says we have a great crowd of witnesses to lead us and encourage us. He lists these leaders of the past, one by one, the great heroes of faith from centuries past in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.

He talks about the great faith of people like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, David and Samuel. They lived by faith and were led by their faith in God. They demonstrated their great faith by living in obedience to God and giving honor and glory to God giving us reason to follow their leadership.

People like these patriarchs of old, who followed God, serve to lead us today in our race of faith to keep us encouraged to persevere in the right direction. God expects us to follow their example of faith. We will have to struggle against sin and endure hardship just as they did. All these leaders were commended for their faith. If we are faithful in our Christian race of life, we too will be commended by God for our faith.

God also expects us to honor our leaders. Our constant study of God’s Word is a way that we honor the patriarchs of the scripture as we develop our knowledge of the Bible and grow in our faith. Have you noticed the respect that young men and women who are serving in the armed services have today when they are in the public? They have learned to respect those who have trained them and set a good example to lead them in defending our country. Those in leadership deserve our respect unless they are leading us to go against God’s leadership.

Leadership for running the race of life must begin in the home. It is only by faith that parents can be successful leaders in their home. Parents are to be the encouragers of faith in their children’s lives. This requires spending quality time daily with their children and setting a Godly example for them to follow. Parents have the God-given responsibility for spiritual leadership in their home.

We will tell you again, our family had dinner together every night. There was no television or radio on, no telephone calls or other distractions. It was a time to communicate and to bond. The two of us still do this every day although our children are gone and on their own.

Spiritual leadership is lacking today in every area of life. We lack leadership that honors God at the government level, in our schools, in our workplace and, most importantly, in our families and even our churches. Without leadership that honors God our society and families will fail, and they are failing today.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 4:35.

Do you not say, there are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are white for harvest!

PRAYER:

Help me to learn daily from the experiences the patriarchs left for me in Your Word. Enable me to be the spiritual leader I need to be for my family. Help our family to communicate our faith to others that we meet. Give us the courage to tell them that they need You in their hearts so that they can spend an eternity with You in heaven.

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Meditation: June 26, 2017

TODAY’S WORD FOR MONDAY JUNE 26, 2017.

MEDITATION

DEFINITION:

Continued or extended thought; thoughtful and careful contemplation; devout religious or spiritual introspection.

SCRIPTURE:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8.

But the way of the righteous is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2

The book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

When you are out walking, riding the bus, driving the car or just sitting and relaxing, where does your mind wander to? Are you thinking about all your problems, family issues, all the work stacked up on your desk, someone or something that annoys you, envy, jealousy of someone who has something that you do not have, the frustration of traffic and the aggressive drivers who are always cutting you off or just plain day dreaming? You, no doubt, have a list of your own.

These verses that we have listed above remind us to meditate on God's Word day and night. This means thinking about what you read in the Bible. Of course, you must first read God's Word before you can meditate on it. Please do not pass over this statement. Again, we say -- as a believer you must read the Bible each morning before you can meditate on it during the day.

How else can God speak to you? Each day after you read the Bible take a few minutes to think about what you have read and apply it to your life. As you meditate ask yourself how the life you are living stacks up against God's principles that you have read about. You cannot miss His principles because they are on every page of the Bible. You need to take a hard look at what changes you need in your life.

After the death of Moses, Joshua became Israel's leader and had the responsibility to lead two million people to the Promised Land. God spoke to Joshua and reassured him that just as He had been with Moses, He would be with Joshua. In Joshua 1:8 (as written above) God gave a commandment to Joshua to be obedient to God's law and instructed Joshua to meditate on God's Word day and night. God expects the same from us today.

Most believers would agree it is important to read God's Word but many do not really meditate on the Word of God and think about how it applies to their daily life. When you read God's Word do you take time to really understand what you have read and reflect on what God is saying to you? God speaks to us through His Word.

Our thoughts have a profound influence on the way we live our lives. What we allow to occupy our minds will sooner or later come out in what we say or do. If we dwell on our anger eventually we will erupt with angry words or even worse with angry actions. If our thoughts are evil our deeds will be evil. Our thoughts reflect our character and meditating on God's Word will make a difference in our thinking, our attitudes and our actions.

Paul, before he found Christ as his Savior, had allowed his hate for those who believed in Jesus to drive him to persecute them and to have them thrown into prison. Paul well understood how thoughts influence what we do and how they determine the kind of person we really are.

That is why we must prayerfully consider what we are imputing into our minds and into the minds of our children. We must evaluate what we put into our minds through television, movies, books and through those we associate with.

If you want to change your life, Paul after he found Jesus, offers a solution as to how to change our thinking. In Philippians 4:8 (above) we are given his list of things that will lead us to a God honoring thought pattern which will lead to a positive change in how we live our lives. When we have God in our life and we are meditating on His Word, God changes "things" because He changes us.

Just think how your outlook on life might change if you would spend your time meditating day and night on God's Word instead of worrying about all the things that are troubling you.

Would your life style change? Would your thinking change? What would happen to all your problems in life? What role would worry play in your life? How would your family treat you and how would you treat your family?

The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to spend our time thinking on things that are pure, noble, just, lovely, praiseworthy and things of good report. Your life will change if you would meditate day and night on these things.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 4:35.

Do you not say, there are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are white for harvest!

PRAYER:

Help me today to learn how to meditate on Your Word and make my heart receptive to Your instruction. Thank You for changing my thought patterns so that I can think on those things that honor and glorify Your name.

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