Tag: word of the Lord
The Word of the Lord!
Scripture reading for February 9th: Acts 13, Psalm 29, Proverbs 29
Acts 13:44-49 “The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the Word the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, It was necessary that the Word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the Word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the Word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.”
Paul and Barnabas were sent out by the early church on a missionary journey to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They went from city to city, sharing the good news, first to the Jews because of their place in God’s plan of redemption. However, many Jews resisted the message and jealously opposed them and their preaching. As instructed by Jesus, they shook the dust off and went next to the Gentiles. God was not showing partiality to the Jews, but wanted all men to receive salvation and eternal life. As they preached the good news of Jesus, Son of God, God brought conviction and salvation to those who believed and the Word and voice of the Lord spread to the whole region causing joy and rejoicing!
Psalm 29:3-4 “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty!”
Prayer: Father God, through the Gospel message coming through those You sent to share with me, I was appointed to salvation and received the gift of eternal life! Thank You for Your mercy and grace! Thank You for speaking to my heart! Use me to speak Your Word to those still in darkness that the glory of Your voice may resonate in their hearts through the powerful Holy Spirit, bringing salvation and joy to them!
Proverbs 29:6 “An evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices.”
Famine in the land!
Scripture reading for September 16th: Amos 8-9
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land–not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.” Amos 8:11-12
We are so blessed in America! We have nearly 360,000 churches across our land. In our city of Owensboro and surrounding area, there are nearly 200 churches to choose from for a population of about 110,000. About 12-15% of those attend a church each week, a high number compared with other parts of our nation. We have services broadcast on television, cable, internet, and radio each day of the week. Christians should be out in the community sharing their faith and the word of the Lord each day. Access to Bibles is not restricted here either, and, indeed, most households have more than one.
Amos lived and ministered among a people who were religious and went to church each Sabbath day to hear God’s word! They had prophets who spoke to them regularly. To come into the adult world of that day, children had to memorize the Books of Moses before their thirteenth birthday. How can a person or people have the word of the Lord and still have a famine?
When we ignore the Lord Himself and disrespect the light that we have from Him, we go into darkness that is deeper than before! These people had the truth and willfully rejected it! This brought God’s wrath and judgment on them. This should be a strong warning to us today in America! To whom much has been given, much will be required!
God’s mercy was evident even in the dire prophetic writings of the prophet Amos. (Amos 9:8-10) God promised restoration after the shaking of judgment. He promised to restore the nation again and plant them in the land that He gave to them. (Amos 9:11-15) God’s goodness to a stubborn people is amazing! It should draw us to repentance and faithful love again! (Romans 2:4) Take advantage of the blessing of having God’s word as your living bread! Eat and be satisfied!
God’s accurate Word!
Scripture reading for April 12th: 2nd Kings 9-12
My father is a man who is true to his word. As I was growing up, he would buy and sell cattle worth hundreds of thousands of dollars over the phone. He would call the banker and tell him how much he needed put into his bank account as a loan. They would do it and he would come in later and sign the note. My father knew the value of a good reputation and it was a badge of honor to be a man of your word. In fact, this trait is honorable because it is one of God’s character traits, too!
The prophet Elisha sent a word with one of the members of the company of prophets. He was to anoint Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat to be king over Israel. He was also to give Jehu a mission of destroying the house of Ahab and Jezebel for their murderous and adulterous behavior. (2nd Kings 9:6-10) He told Jehu that dogs would devour Jezebel on the plot of ground at Jezreel that she had stolen from Naboth and that no one would bury her. Jehu went to Jezreel, found Jezebel and had her killed. As he rested, dogs came and ate up her body. The Word of the Lord was fulfilled! (2nd Kings 9:34-37)
Next, Jehu went after the remaining sons of Ahab in Samaria. He came to Samaria and killed all who were left of Ahab’s family. (2nd Kings 10:17) This was according to the Word of the Lord spoken to Elijah the prophet. (1st Kings 21:20-22) This word was given several years earlier. Time may pass, but God’s Word remains true!
We would do well to heed the Word of the Lord. God’s Word is the only source of ultimate truth. (John 17:17) God is faithful to watch over His Word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12) Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s Word will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35) As we live in these last days, it is more important than ever to give attention to God’s accurate and infallible Word!
Is there any word from the Lord? (Part 2)
Scripture reading for August 14th: Jeremiah 40-45
“Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.” Jeremiah 42:1-3
These Jews were scared and feared the wrath of Babylon because their Babylonian appointed leader, Gedaliah, had been assassinated. They were thinking about fleeing to Egypt but decided to seek a word from the Lord. They approached Jeremiah and asked him to pray for them to “your God”. People often ask spiritual leaders for a word, but not necessarily so they can obey!
After this group promised Jeremiah to abide faithfully by God’s word, he agreed to seek Him. They said the right words and seemed so sincere. (Jeremiah 42:5-6) As Jeremiah prayed over their request, ten days passed before the answer came. He called the Jews together to hear the Lord’s directions. If they would stay in the land, God would plant them and build them up. He would protect them from the King of Babylon and show them great compassion. (Jeremiah 42:10-12) However, if they did not obey and chose to go down to Egypt, what they feared would overtake them and they would surely die by the sword, famine and plague! (Jeremiah 42:13-18) Just to help them out, Jeremiah emphasized the right choice, “Do not go to Egypt.” (Jeremiah 42:19)
However, their words and actions were not really sincere because their hearts were not right with the Lord. They had no fear of the Lord or His holy word. They accused the prophet of lying and chose to do their own thing! (Jeremiah 43:2-7) They gathered everyone and headed for Egypt! Why would a people who knew God’s word and the penalty for disobedience choose to disobey and die?
As you think about this story today, examine your own life and check out your heart. Are you seeking the Lord to hear His word and obey? Or are you just curious about how He thinks? Knowing truth means responsibility to act!
God’s dependable word!
Scripture reading for April 12th: 2nd Kings 9-12
My father is a man who is true to his word. As I was growing up, he would buy and sell cattle worth hundreds of thousands of dollars over the phone. He would call the banker and tell him how much he needed put into his bank account as a loan. They would do it and he would come in later and sign the note. My father knew the value of a good reputation and it was a badge of honor to be a man of your word. In fact, this trait is honorable because it is one of God’s character traits, too! In today’s reading, we hear the writer of 2nd Kings recounting time after time how God’s Word was spoken by men and how it came to pass.
The prophet Elisha sent a word with one of the members of the company of prophets. He was to anoint Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat to be king over Israel. He was also gave Jehu a mission of destroying the house of Ahab and Jezebel for their murderous and adulterous behavior. (2nd Kings 9:6-10) He told Jehu that dogs would devour Jezebel on the plot of ground at Jezreel that she had stolen from Naboth and that no one would bury her. Jehu went to Jezreel, found Jezebel and had her killed. As he rested, dogs came and ate up her body. The Word of the Lord was fulfilled! (2nd Kings 9:34-37)
Next, Jehu went after the remaining sons of Ahab in Samaria. He came to Samaria and killed all who were left of Ahab’s family. (2nd Kings 10:17) This was according to the Word of the Lord spoken to Elijah the prophet. (1st Kings 21:20-22) This word was given several years earlier. Time may pass, but God’s Word remains true!
God’s Word is the only source of ultimate truth. (John 17:17) God is faithful to watch over His Word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12) Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s Word will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35) As we approach the last days of these last days, it is more important than ever to give attention to God’s Word. It produces faith in those who hear it and it will judge those who reject or ignore it.