Tag: life
Godly grief and repentance.
Scripture reading for August 6th: Psalm 72-75, 2nd Corinthians 7
Key Scriptures: 2nd Corinthians 7:9-11 “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.”
Paul was rejoicing because his difficult letter of correction had resulted in a godly grief over their sin and resulted in true repentance. Sometimes, people can have worldly grief. This is usually being sorry that they were found out. This results in no change of heart or mind and eventually spiritual death and eternal separation from God. Godly sorrow brings life and restoration.
Psalm 75:1-2 “We give thanks to You, O God; we give thanks, for Your Name is near. We recount Your wondrous deeds. “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.””
Prayer: Lord, correct me and convict me when I need it. Bring godly sorrow that leads me always to repentance and life. May I stand in Your grace when I face You as judge. Amen.
The Spirit Speaks!
Scripture reading for April 24th: 2nd Samuel 21-23, John 14
Key Scriptures: 2nd Samuel 23:1-4 “Now these are the last words of David: . . . . The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; His word is on my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God, He dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.”
King David’s last words are in the form of a song. In this introduction, God is called the “God of Israel” and the “Rock of Israel.” David declared that he ruled in the “fear of God” and allowed the “Spirit of the Lord” to speak His word through him. God was like a bright light, like the sun shining forth. and like rain causing the earth to bring forth vegetation.
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You that You revealed Your Father to us. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and let Your word and life shine in me. Water my life with the rain from Heaven! Amen.
God my “Stronghold”
Scripture reading for April 11: 1st Samuel 20-23, John 5
Key Scriptures: John 6:28-29 “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”
Jesus told His disciples that He would be the source of resurrection and eternal life. His voice would bring people out of their graves. But not everyone would enjoy eternal life, some who had done evil would suffer judgment and eternal punishment. God knows how to protect His people and punish those who do evil!
1st Samuel 23:14 “And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.”
Prayer: Father, thank You for the promise of resurrection life and reward and Your protection in this life. Help me to live in faith and make You my “Stronghold”. Amen.
Rejoicing in Real Life!
Scripture reading for February 27th: Deuteronomy 30-33
Key Scriptures: Deuteronomy 30:19-20 “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land He swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
God invited the Israelites to choose life. In doing so, they and their children would enjoy a life of loving God and hearing His voice. He would be their life and bless them with long life in the land of promise! This involved a faith choice, an act of their will. If they failed to choose the curses of sin and death would overtake them!
Rejoicing in real life: Jesus Christ calls all men to repent and choose eternal life through Him! “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” “I (Jesus) am the way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 10:10, 14:6)
Escaping the corruption in the world!
Scripture reading for November 15th: 2nd Peter 1
Key Scriptures for over-comers: 2nd Peter 1:2-4 “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
Peter’s last letter begins with a blessing, speaking grace and peace over the believers. This grace and peace comes through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ purchased eternal life and all we need to live a godly life here on earth until Jesus comes. Believers also have the privilege of participating in the divine nature through the indwelling Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit empowers us to live a life pleasing to God and free from the power of our old nature.
Observations for over-comers: God has provided all we need for living a godly life here on this earth. His Word and faithful promises call us to live in Christ’s power and character through the indwelling Holy Spirit. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water . . .” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
Jesus is the Christ, Son of God!
Scripture reading for April 20th: John 11
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 11:25-27 “Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she told Him, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was come into the world.””
Jesus tried to console Martha with promise of resurrection for her brother, who had been in the tomb for four days. Martha stated she believed in resurrection and then Jesus made an amazing promise. He stated one of the “I AM” promises recorded by the Apostle John, “I Am the Resurrection and the Life.” He stated that anyone who lived and believed in Him would never die and if you died believing you would live again. Mary told Jesus that she believed this too, because she believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God! Jesus then proved He had power to raise the dead by calling Lazarus from the grave!
Observations for over-comers: Faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God is the bedrock of resurrection life for each person. This truth is echoed by Job in the Old Testament! “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes, I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me.” (Job 19:25-27)
Who do you believe Jesus is?
Scripture reading for April 8th: John 3
Key scriptures for over-comers: John 3:35-36 “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin and the forerunner who prepared the way for the Messiah. He testified that he was not the Christ. He went on to state that the Father loved the Son, (Jesus) and whoever would believe on the Son would have eternal life. However, the converse was also true. Whoever rejected the Son would never see eternal life but would remain under God’s wrath. What a person believes about Jesus Christ determines their eternal destiny! This is the simple message of the Gospel and it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe! (Romans 1:16) “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Observations for over-comers: Simple trust and full reliance on Jesus Christ as God’s Son is the key to eternal life for disciples and all who will receive this message. Rejecting the Son means God’s wrath is upon those who do so. “Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 2:10-12)
Faith–antidote for a troubled heart!
Scripture reading for April 24th: John 14
After Jesus revealed Judas as His betrayer and Peter’s future denial, the disciples were troubled in their souls about the things that Jesus was telling them. Jesus sought to comfort them and prepare them for what was coming!
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3) Jesus knew that troubling times were just ahead where these men would have their faith shaken and broken. He knew that all would deny Him in their weakness of flesh. But He encouraged them to trust in God and in Him and His word. Jesus was preparing a place for them in Father’s house through the events of the next few hours. They must trust that Jesus would prepare that place by going away and then return to take them there to be with Him.
Thomas told Jesus that he did not know where He was going or the way there. Jesus answered, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Knowing Jesus was also knowing the way to Father’s house. It was the truth that would make them free! (John 8:32) It was the life that would never end! (John 3:16) Jesus told them, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) Jesus wanted these followers and us to know the way to Father’s house! Have you put your trust in God and His Son Jesus Christ?
Difficult choices?
Scripture Reading for February 29: Deuteronomy 27-30
“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord Your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
God so clearly spelled out His desire for His people’s blessing and life. He had redeemed them and shown them His love by the signs and wonders and continuous provisions. Their clothes and shoes had not worn out. They ate the manna each day for forty years and had meat too. They drank the water from the rock. (Deuteronomy 29:2-6) Their enemies had been defeated and God had cared for them. (Deuteronomy 29:7-8) Moses asked them to make a choice. Did they want “life and blessing”? Or would they prefer “death and curses”? He even gave them the answer if they were having trouble figuring out the right choice: “choose life”!
There is something about sinful human nature that is blind to simple truth. We are taken captive by the lies of the flesh that tell us that our own way is the best. God’s way is too narrow and life like He wants for us is too restrictive. It’s too difficult to try! (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)
Moses told the people it wasn’t too hard for them and the Apostle Paul quoted him in Romans 10:6-12. It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we can be saved from the curses of the Law and the penalty of death. We believe in our heart that Christ died for us and was raised from the dead. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!
“But what does it say? “The word is near you: it is in your mouth and in your heart”, that is the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” For it is with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:8-10
“Let us reason together.”
Scripture reading for July 17th: Isaiah 1-4
The book of Isaiah is a rich resource of prophesy and New Testament truth. Jesus Christ said of Isaiah that he “saw my glory and spoke about it.” (John 12:41) Jesus quoted from Isaiah a number of times and began His ministry quoting from Isaiah 61:1-2 as recorded in Luke 4:18-19. Isaiah was a faithful prophet of the Lord during over 50 years of ministry under four different kings of Judah. His book is considered by some to be a miniature of the Bible as a whole. The first 39 chapters record Isaiah’s messages of judgment on the sins of a backslidden and lost people. The last 27 chapters contain a message of hope and consolation to those God has disciplined. It is said that Isaiah was sawn asunder by Manasseh, the wicked son of good king Hezekiah. As we study this amazing book of prophesy, ask the Lord to show you His glory as well!
The first chapter contain a pattern of preaching that many of the prophets used and one that Isaiah used repeatedly as well. He had a four-point sermon outline that goes something like this: (A) Charges of accusation of sins, (B) Threats of coming judgment, (C) Call to repent and return to God, and (D), Promises of healing and restoration if they repented.
The charges against Judah sound familiar with other prophets and in the church today! The people of Judah were raised and delivered by God himself, but willfully did not know God. They were sinful people who had actually turned their backs on God and rebelled against their own Maker! (Isaiah 1:2-9) The results were sores and infection, a land under judgment and drought, and cities burned with fire! God likened them to Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities He had destroyed by fire because of their gross wickedness.
God was fed up and threatened judgment! He was sick of their hollow religious meetings and meaningless offerings. He hated their festivals and was burdened by their show with no substance. He promised to hide his face from them and would not respond to their prayers. (Isaiah 1:10-15)
God asked them to turn from their sins while there was still time. Their hands were full of blood and needed washing. They needed to turn from evil and learn to do right. They should seek justice and righteousness and begin to encourage the oppressed and help the fatherless and widow. God was concerned with social justice and particularly with the needy and weak who were being exploited. (Isaiah 1:16-17) He tried to reason with them about the stain of their sins. As red blood stains a white garment and is difficult to remove, God promised to blot out the stain of their sin and make them white as snow or white like a clean wool garment! (Isaiah 1:18-19)
The final section promises more blessings and healing. He promised that if they were willing and obedient, they would eat the best of the land, but if they refused and rebelled against His advice they would be devoured by the sword. What a deal! God will get revenge on the wicked rebels and afterward He will restore the godly judges and counselors. He will have mercy on those who are penitent but will punish those who are evil!