LEARNING DAILY

 

Deuteronomy 12:8-9, You shall not at all do as we are doing here today – every man doing whatever is right in their own eyes – for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you.

 

Reading through the various regulations God gave His people through Moses is exhausting to me – just being transparent. Honestly, I am not sure how the priests and the people kept all the procedures for the different sacrifices straight. I have been wondering what the people must have thought about all these things after coming out of Egypt. It had to a great change for them. When reading the Law given to Moses by God, it must be remembered that God was very concerned about the details of the lives of His people. He knew when they entered the Promised Land that there would be great temptations to follow and worship the gods of the nations living there. God wanted them to love Him from their heart and not substitute outward forms of religious.

 

But as they entered the Promised Land, they eventually did what God knew would happen; the people began to ignore God’s standards and did what they thought was right in their own eyes.  The last verse of Judges tells us, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 warns us that when our opinions are followed instead of God’s Word, we are in rebellion against Him. When we rebel against God, consequences and judgment come. Poor decisions and poor judgment on our part will bring God’s judgment, in His time. I cannot help but wonder if that time is not drawing near!!

 

When I read the verse above, I believe it could be read as something written for February 28, 2023. God is not pleased with what “we are doing here today – every man doing whatever is right in their own eyes”. Would you agree? It is a challenge every day to walk on the narrow way; it seems to be more difficult each day. Worldliness, pride is all around us, and sin is no longer hidden but worn as a “badge of honor”.

 

The warning Moses gave the Israelites seems to sound loud and clear to God’s people today. The faithful people of God, the Church, like the Israelites Moses was speaking to, “have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you”. We are still walking on the narrow way to eternity in God’s kingdom, moving toward the rest and inheritance He is giving us. As Jesus said, the narrow way is a difficult way because of greater temptations and trials that get in our path and try to get us off the path. Moses was reminding the Israelites that they were to destroy pagan places of worship to prevent the temptation of idolatry. Christians today must be filled daily with the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to be their guide, help and strength as they walk the narrow way. 

 LEARNING DAILY

 

1 John 2:27, But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

 

This past weekend, Max Lucado spoke at Community Bible Church; in his message, he referenced the verse above. I needed to study the verse to make sure I understood what it was saying.

 

All (defined to mean ALL) people who ask Jesus into their life to save them, receive the Holy Spirit, the “anointing”, to help lead them into truth (see John 14:26 and John 16:13). The Holy Spirit helps those who walk on the narrow way abiding in Christ and do all they can to walk or submit to the Word of God -- to understand its truth and live within its boundaries. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand the Word of God, guides us into its truth, and helps us to live in it (walk the narrow way). I have written in my Bible this comment I found somewhere: Living in the truth of God’s Word reveals Jesus to us and the way to heaven. It is arrogant to think one is good enough to impress a holy God that he is good enough to get into heaven.

 

“The phrase “and you do not need anyone teach you” does not deny the relevance of Bible teachers or preachers. It simply means that the truth of the Word of God – which Christians already possess – is sufficient for wisdom in “all things” (DJSB). I am so thankful for all the Bible scholars, the pastors I have listened to who truly preach/teach the Bible, and close brothers in Christ that I have great discussions with about the Word of God. When I write this blog, I consult several different study Bibles and consult various commentaries to try to make sure I am writing truth. These Godly people have helped me to better understand the Bible and the Holy Spirit has revealed truths to me. Believe me, this is a continual process.

 

Why stress this today? Why is this important? It is because TRUTH is being challenged everywhere today. Anyone who contradicts the Word of God must not be listened to; that person(s) is a liar, a deceiver, a false teacher or false prophet. Their purpose is to “deceive, even the elect, if possible” (Matthew 24:24). The Holy Spirit in each of us is to help us from being misled by false teaching; He tells us something is not right about a teaching and tells us to check out what the Word of God is saying for ourselves. In the days we are living in, Christians must be very careful about those who come with deceiving words and extrabiblical doctrine. That is in addition to the outright lies being told everywhere.

 

As Christians, we are told by John to “abide in Him”! By doing so, we grow stronger and stronger in Christ. By doing so, the Holy Spirit’s voice or His warning becomes about error or deception or that something is not right about something is more clearly sensed. Jesus is coming! We need to stay ready!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

John 17:17-19, “Sanctifying them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.” Jesus

 

I often jot down notes or make copies of “short” things I read. Too often I forget to write down who said or who wrote it. This morning I came across one of those writings. I am going to put in quotation marks comments taken from the copy of this article.

 

God’s Word stresses that to enter heaven we need to live a holy, righteous life that is free from sin. Because God is holy and cannot look upon sin that has always been His standard for anyone who follows after Him. All of us fall short of that standard. Because of that, He provided away for the forgiveness of sin through the shed blood of animals sacrificed (Old Testament). Our salvation today is through the shed blood of the perfect, sinless Lamb Jesus Christ and His resurrection.

 

“Salvation is a three-step process; it includes justification, sanctification, and glorification.” “Justification is a one-time act which starts our Christian life. When we give our lives to Christ, He cleanses us through the blood of grace. He makes us pure, fit for eternity.” This is the requirement that allows each of us to walk on the narrow way to eternal life in God’s kingdom; it begins the moment we are justified (just as if I had never sinned).

 

The second step is the focus of this page of the blog – sanctification. “Sanctification takes a lifetime as God gradually changes us into the image of His Son. We don’t become divine in any way, but God subdues our fallen nature so that His nature may shine through us.” When Jesus prayed that the Father would “sanctify” us by His truth, He meant to make us “holy, to separate us from those who had not accepted the truth of Jesus, from the world. His followers are to be separated from the world and sin for the purpose of worshipping and serving God” (LSSB). Believers must be separate from the world in order to live for Him and become like Him. This must be in order to get us ready to live in eternity in God’s kingdom. “Sanctification comes as we draw closer to Christ.” It is accomplished by our devotion to truth revealed by the Spirit of truth (John 16:13), the Holy Spirit. Truth is both the living Word of God (how John 1:1 describes Jesus) and the reading/study of God’s written Word. We are “linked to Jesus Christ through His Word, prayer, and worship. As we apply these disciplines, we appropriate more of His grace and His fruit becomes more evident in our lives.” This is a process – a lifelong process – which “requires a partnership between us and God. Sanctification, on one hand, is God’s work, as all salvation is; on the other hand, we run the race, press on toward the goal, struggle against sin, and work out our salvation with fear and trembling”. That is walking each day on the narrow way that Jesus said would be difficult.

 

Today and every day, walk the narrow way with Him, drawing near to Him. Spend time with Him. Walk with Him in the faith you have. Worship, pray, read/study His Word. As you do, you will see His blessings and know the work He is doing in you as He sanctifies you by His truth!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Deuteronomy 10:14-21, The highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God. Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of His love. And He chose you, their descendants, above every nation, as is evident today. Therefore, cleanse your sinful hearts and stop being stubborn. The Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords. He is the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and takes no bribes. He gives justice to orphans and widows. He shows love to foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. You, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. You must fear the Lord your God and worship and cling to Him. Your oaths must be in His name alone. He is your God, the one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done mighty miracles you yourself have seen. (New Living Translation)

 

I know that is a larger portion of scripture than usual. Perhaps you should go back and read it; this time read it paying attention to the expression of God for His people. Read it with the sense of God’s amazing grace and His desire to be loved by them from their hearts. God did not want His people to substitute a heartfelt love for Him with outward religious forms.

 

It is important for Believers today to understand how much God loves you today. “He chose each of us. Our faith must come from our heart; we must cleanse our sinful hearts and stop being stubborn” about walking the narrow way the way He desires, directs us to. “Outward obedience such as following the commandments, going to church and other religious practices are valid and significant only if they are based on knowing Jesus Christ through sincere faith in and love for Him, because of who He is and what He has done for us” (LSSB).

 

Walking on the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom is a choice we choose each day. Each day is a matter of asking the Holy Spirit to fill us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness so we can walk with Him as He desires. This is not a hardship for those who desire to truly walk with Him. That is what revival is about – “fearing the Lord your God and worshiping and clinging to Him”.

 

I think people do not understand this because there is no fear of God. The people who left Egypt had seen God punish those who were disobedient to Him; there was immediate punishment, often the death of the one being disobedient. The consequences usually were experienced by the entire family. Strict? Yes, it was. But God demands obedience. Today, we do not see that sort of consequence. Therefore, I wonder if people have lost the fear of God. Too often people, even Believers, forget about worship, prayer, Bible study unless there is some major happening going on in their life. “Stop being stubborn”. Repent and return to your first love, doing the things you did when you first accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. Let Him be the Lord of your life as well!

 

Let Jesus Christ be the One worthy of your worship and praise today! Choose this day to follow Him and allow Him to guide your thoughts, your words, your actions! Choose to let the light of Jesus in you shine brightly in this dark and evil world!

 

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation2:4-5, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first work, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent. “  Jesus

 

I think of these verses once in a while, especially when I am considering my walk on the narrow way. Just what does (or did) “first love” look like? Is the expression of “first love” different for each person? I suppose each of us express this differently. “First love” must be centered in the love felt for Christ when realizing how much the Father loves us through the Son; because of His great love for us, we are made new, alive in Christ. Ephesians 2:1 states it this way, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin”. Because God’s great love and mercy, He gave us the free gift of salvation through faith because of His Son’s death on a cross. The new life we receive is expressed through gratitude and thanksgiving. It is expressed through a sincere desire to worship Him, draw close to Him in prayer and to know Him through the study of His Word. It is a time when we turn our attention to Him in humility. How this is expressed to others is an individual matter.

 

 What happens to that expression of “first love”? I would never have considered compromise of any sort when I got saved. I spent hours daily studying His Word. I spent time talking to others about the Bible. I have written often about watching, being alert to what interferes with our walk on the narrow way, and making sure we are not complacent about our relationship with the Lord. If we are not diligent about this the less important stuff begins to be our focus.

 

This particular page of the blog is about repentance and returning to our “first love”, when we first got saved and concentrated on the joy of walking with Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Have you been reading about or hearing about what has happened on the campus of Asbury University? Students went to the regularly scheduled chapel on February 8; during that chapel, the Holy Spirit moved in such a way that students and faculty stayed in the auditorium for days singing, worshipping, and giving thanks to God. Revival. I read a definition that seems pretty good: a spiritual awakening from a state of dormancy or stagnation in the life of the believer. Sounds like repentance and doing the work of one’s “first love”.

 

If we think back to when we decided to follow Jesus, we remember the love we felt for Him, the deep awareness of sin in our lives and sin around us. Do you remember the desire you had to repent and to grow in the righteousness of God? Returning to our “first love” brings that back. Jesus desires each of us to walk deeper in our faith and to walk in truth not deception of the world; it involves a freshness to living in obedience to God and His Word. It involves once again turning our attention to walking on the narrow way and pleasing God. The worldly desires are shown for what they are and aids us to live in this world without being controlled by it.

 

Revival begins with each individual realizing their need to repent and return to their “first love”. Doing so helps us to understand we can no longer be satisfied with outward forms of religion; instead, we must be filled every day with the power of the Holy Spirit. Complacency has plagued the church for too long. It is time for every Believer to bear fruit. The sign of revival in our lives is a changed life. Those that were and are involved in this movement at Asbury University will no doubt be changed. Each of us can experience this revival as we spend more time, quality time, in worship, prayer, and the study of God’s Word.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Deuteronomy 8:12-14, For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, that is the time to be careful. Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.  (New Living Translation)

 

When reading The Daily Bible in Chronological Order – 365 Daily Readings, these verses really stood out to me. Moses was warning those who had left Egypt with him to not forget what the Lord had done for them once they became prosperous. That warning still applies to each of us today. Prosperity and abundance can cause a sense of satisfaction with life on earth and cause our enjoyment to be in material blessings and stuff we have.  Doing so is a source of pride because we look at what we have or look at what we have accomplished and say, “Look at what I have done”. In this prosperity, the danger to forget God is always present. I do not know why those who have never accepted the salvation of Christ prosper; I do know that worldly wealth can be obtained by ungodly means and practices. Such wealth is not to be seen as God’s blessings.

 

The message of Moses certainly is valid for us today. He was telling them that the God of Israel was giving them a choice: if you forget God, you will die, or if you remember Him, you will live. One who gains wealth without God may prosper in this life only to see that eternal life with God has been forfeited in the process (Yesterday’s blog verse – Luke 9:25).

 

The New Testament teaching tells us to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and live with Him by walking on the narrow way. John’s first letter exhorts everyone walking on the narrow way to not love the world. One way we do that is the “pride of life”, the arrogant desire to be recognized because of what one has or their position and the desire to be recognized. Satan tempted Jesus in this way and he attempts to do this in every believer to turn him/her away from God. The nonbeliever just keeps on doing what he can to get more or to be noticed among men without giving any thought about God. Being concerned about what those in the world think about you or how it judges you becomes more important than any consideration about how God judges you.

 

Today this is not about what a person has. It is about each of us being prideful, about not giving God the glory in our lives. A person might appear to be humble on the outside but inwardly their life is about pursuing self-glory, personal desires and worldly praise. This is certainly against what Jesus taught. There is no way to say it gently: the pride of life in a person will turn a person away from God; it causes us to be disobedient to Him.

 

The warning of both Moses and John is clear for everyone on the narrow way: our thinking, the way we live our lives needs to be less about ourselves and more on serving God and others. I refer back to the church member or disciple thought again. All of us are going to feel prideful at times over a comment made to us or something accomplished. The moment we do, we must acknowledge it and prayerfully ask God to use these moments for His honor and His glory. We overcome pride by being honest with ourselves and God. When we refuse to see our own pride, it is because of our own self-importance. For those on the narrow way, we ask for the Holy Spirit to fill us each day, surrendering to His will and desiring to be used for the Father’s glory. For those who have not surrendered to the salvation Jesus offers, overcoming pride begins there.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Luke 9:25, And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process? (New Living Translation)

 

Somewhere I heard (or I might have read) something about being a church member or a disciple. Any way I found a sheet of paper with this written on it: Church member or disciple; I decided to explore this today. It seems to be necessary to define the two words because today language and words are powerful and certainly shape who we are. For example, a person can just say who or what he/she is and others are supposed to go along with it as if what he/she believes about himself/herself is correct. I hope I got the pronouns correct.

 

It seems over the years the word “member” has also taken on a new or different meaning. In 1 Corinthians 12:12, Paul referred to the body of believers being many members, but members are of one body with Christ; one body with many members. He was describing many diverse talents and abilities united together by a common commitment to Jesus Christ. I wonder if somewhere over the years this thought has changed. I wonder if people refer to themselves as “members” of a certain church or denomination as one would refer themselves as a member of

any other organization. I think of many organizations which require dues and being a member of that organization results in various rights and privileges. For the most part, church “membership” requires nothing on the individual’s part to become a member. Church members are to volunteer, and we all know that only a few do. Church members may attend a church service but live the rest of the week like one who didn’t.

 

Churches are often evaluated by the number on their “membership rolls”. When numbers are the basis of success, when pastors are thought to be great and are patted on their backs for having large numbers sitting in attendance in their services, there is a problem. Too often those “members” are being fed “stuff” that keeps them coming back and does not have a lot to do with getting on and staying on the narrow way to eternity in God’s kingdom. The result is people getting religion without any obligation to walk the narrow way as Jesus demands. An unhealthy culture develops because numbers are more important than a relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

Can any of you remember where Jesus referred to His followers as “church members”? Did He not refer to His followers as disciples? Would it not be good for church members to become disciples? A disciple is any person who has decided to follow Jesus Christ and become like Him. This involves developing a relationship with Him through the reading/studying of His Word, time with Him in prayer, and learning to trust Him in every situation and circumstance that comes up in life. A disciple is one who follows Jesus and is being changed by Him. It is about walking the narrow way with the help of the Holy Spirit when things get difficult and allowing the Holy Spirit to help with one’s decision-making. It is also about serving or doing what Jesus said when He said to go make disciples. Serving means wanting to see all people come to know Jesus as their Savior and helping them grow in their relationship to Him by walking on the narrow way.

 

Many churches are helping their members become disciples of Jesus. Each of you reading this blog understands the need to be a disciple and are attending a church who is helping you do so. I want to encourage each of you as you walk the narrow way to continue to love God with all your heart, your mind, your soul. Follow Him by picking up your cross, deny yourself, and follow Him. Let me also encourage you to not only be hearers of the Word but to be doers of the Word. Do not be just a member of a church; be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

1 Kings 2:2-3, “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn; …”

 

There will probably be no blog tomorrow as I have an early appointment to have a cataract removed.

 

David is dying and the words of a dying man are significant. Perhaps these words are words of instruction a dad should say to his son(s) or daughter(s) as they begin on their journey as an adult. It is the responsibility of Christian parents to teach and show what walking with Jesus Christ means and it is their choice what they do with what they have been taught. As Christians, we are no longer bound by the statutes and ordinances of the Law of Moses; because Jesus took our place on a cross, we are under grace. However, we are to live a life that is described in the New Testament. Our conduct, behavior, attitude, and motives are important if we are to walk in a manner that represents Jesus Christ and His kingdom. If we live to honor Jesus Christ and bring glory to Him, we will prosper in all we do.

 

Sounds easy enough; walk the narrow way into eternity! However, the reality adds that the narrow way is a difficult way. Christians are told to stand strong, stand firm in the faith, let all you do be done in love! Paul’s exhortation in 1 Corinthians 16:13 tells us, “Watch, stand firm in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all you do be done with love.” Paul writes to Timothy in his first letter (6:11-12), “But you, O man of God, flee these things (Read 1 Timothy 6:1-10) and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life to which you were called and confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” Is this not the description of what godly man or woman of God needs to be today. Is this not what godly people are to be following after, the qualities we are to strive for.

 

Yet, temptations, jealousies, lack of forgiveness, unable to forget wrongs committed, are dangers along the narrow way. There is danger in these things. Be careful you do not stumble and you do not honor or bring glory to the Lord regarding your words and your actions. Your conduct, your words are important. Once spoken, once written, once the action is done, it cannot be taken back.

 

It seems to me to be the person David told Solomon to be or that Paul described is to make sure we are walking as close to God and His Word as possible. We do that by allowing Him to cleanse our hearts with His blood daily. Luke 6:45 tells each of us, “For out of the abundance of our heart his mouth speaks.” Isn’t this especially true in times of stress and difficulty; in those unguarded moments a great deal can be shown about one’s spiritual life. It is best for each of us to guard our heart in order to be the man or woman of God He desires us to be.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Ephesians 5:22, Wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord.

 

In the last page of the blog, I tried to give encouragement to husbands as to how “they are to love your wives”. A husband who fails to love his wife as Christ loves the Church makes it difficult for her to submit to him. I suggest it is important to get beyond the misconception that submitting means a subservient or inferior role for the wife. That is not what the above verse means. Read Ephesians 5:22-33 for the entire thought Paul is writing about. Submit actually means a voluntary act of obedience and respect.

 

Husbands, it is not up to you to demand your wife submits to you; it is not your responsibility! This verse is not a biblical command for the husband to be the head of the household. God is addressing the wife here and it is her responsibility to be obedient; the result of obedience is blessings within the family. Oh, how we struggle with the authority of God’s Word! Men need to stop using this verse to demand what they want it to say!

 

The Bible shows the voluntary obedience of Jesus the Son to His Father. He was equal in His Deity but submitted to the will of the Father, obedient to His death on a cross. These verses in Ephesians are God’s plan for marriage – husband and wife coequal before God but willing to follow His divine plan in marriage. Jesus Christ is in authority over the Church. He guides, protects, corrects, loves it. God has given authority to the husband to protect, nurture, and love his wife (and children). I might add that the husband will answer to God for what he does with this authority.

 

Submission is not just for the wife.  Ephesians 5:21 tells us “to submit to one another in the fear of God”. In too many marriages there is a power struggle between husband and wife because each one wants to have their own way. The struggle occurs because of the worldly principle of pleasing the “self” in each person’s life. Too often this struggle ends in divorce due to unwillingness to meet somewhere in the middle. Christian based marriages need to be different. There should be no competition between the husband and wife as each seek to build the other up in the Lord, trusting Him to provide for their needs and placing their lives under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. When both the husband and wife do, they begin to grow in humility, gentleness, patience, love, and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit. This takes the place of authoritarian, self-centered quarreling over leadership.

 

God’s plan is for the husband to love his wife, to never assert his authority to get his own way, to never force her to do anything against God’s will and never push her to do anything harmful to her. In decision-making, the husband should always ask for his wife’s input and insight in order for decisions to be made together. Prayer should always be involved. Husbands, any time you make a decision against your wife’s point of view, you best do so in fear and trembling before God; recognize is plan holds you accountable for your decision.

 

Living a biblical marriage is about giving up egos and self-centered motives. It is about living the way God desires us to live as husband and wife. It is living as God desires so others will see the godly marriage and want to have their marriage to be like that; it brings honor and glory to Him. It is one more way to submit to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit and walk together on the narrow way into eternity in God’s kingdom.

 LEARNING DAILY

 

Ephesians 5:25, Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

 

It has happened. I think we knew it was going to. Saturday, my grandson proposed to the love of his life. She said yes. Now, I am just grandpa, but I had to give him a piece of advice. I told him he needed to look up what the Bible said about how a husband needed to love his wife. Okay, I said something else. I told him that Jesus needed to always be at the center of their lives and marriage.

 

As we were eating, I was asked, “Grandpa, how did you propose to grandma?” I had to laugh a little because there were no elaborate proposals at the time. Since this is my story, I can only answer the question as I remember. I replied that Grandma and I talked about marriage, went to the jewelry store, picked out some rings, and put them on lay away. Since she was attending a different college than me, I waited until she was coming to visit for the weekend (and the rings were paid for) to get them and surprised her with them while she was there. That was it – just the two of us. That was 56 years ago!

 

How does a husband love his wife as Christ loved the church? I bet husbands would say that this is more difficult than it sounds. Husbands your love for your wife is not to be based on her fulfilling a particular role(s) you have set in your mind. Jesus loves the Church unconditionally and sacrificially. Jesus loved His bride, the Church; He sacrificed His life for His bride. The husband must be willing to do the same for his wife. Selfishness and self-centeredness can be fatal to a marriage.

 

I made plenty of mistakes when we were first married! Being young, I did not think about helping and doing what I could around the house. A few “encouraging” words from my wife helped me to better understand that helping was good. Jesus said in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” To love your wife does not mean you lord it over her but to willing help her. Jesus is a great example! This simply means the husband needs to set aside his own interests when the opportunity to serve His wife comes about. Jesus was never too busy to listen to others. He was never distracted, never uninterested; He is always willing to hear our prayers and do good. (I have a lot of work to do!) Jesus is never too busy checking on his phone, never too busy with hobbies. He is always present, always caring, always attentive and faithful to His bride.

 

Let me share something I believe is important for every husband who wants to love their wife as Christ loves His bride. Husband you must be saturated, washed in the Word of God. Verse 26 states a husband is to “cleanse his wife with the washing of water by the Word”. A marriage with Christ at the center of it is shaped by the Word of God. That means reading and studying God’s Word together, praying together and worshipping together.

 

Paul’s writing for husbands is quite a high standard for the love a husband is to show his wife. The love of a husband must be a deep, lifelong commitment and the willingness to make any sacrifices necessary on her behalf. This standard could be and needs to be applied among Christian husbands today.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Luke 14:27, And whoever does not bear His cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

 

I have probably written on this verse before. It would be good for you to open your Bible to Luke 14:25-31 to read the entire parable Jesus spoke on discipleship. Today’s thoughts come from the last thoughts about counting the cost of following Jesus. At a different time, Jesus told one who had lots of wealth that he needed to sell everything he had to follow Him (read Matthew 19:16-22). The young man went away sad because he had so much wealth.

 

Dietrich Bonhoffer has written, “Salvation is free but discipleship will cost you your life.” Jesus was clear when He said following Him meant to give up everything we own. Bonhoffer referred to the meaning of discipleship as “self-denial, suffering, voluntary forfeiture of civil rights”. I tried to find the quote in order to write it correct, but could not find it. You will know what I mean. It is okay to have things; don’t let the things have you. Do you tithe to your church? Do you give from your abundance to the church or another in need? Or, do you hold on tightly to what you have when a need comes before you?

 

There are going to be different views on this subject. I want each of us to examine what Jesus said and apply it to your life; count the cost of following Him. Why does God give abundance to a person? It seems to me, that Jesus is speaking to us to provide for our families and others and to be willing to give up anything He asks us of us. The key is what He asks of us! Our commitment to Him must be nothing less than that.

 

When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him, they left everything behind and followed Him. Paul left everything behind to follow Jesus. In return, he was imprisoned, stoned, and eventually beheaded because of following Jesus. The disciples were given the task to spread the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ and teaching those saved about the cost of following Him.

 

Today, His disciples are to do the same thing; we are to lay down our lives, pick up our cross and follow Jesus. Every day we battle against sin by crucifying our sin nature, our sinful desires. We must take a stand against false teachings – and there are plenty around us – that distort the truth found in God’s Word. Many around the world suffer the hatred and ridicule of worldly philosophy; that hatred and ridicule is growing in the society here, around us.  We not only believe in the saving grace of Jesus Christ; we must commit to sacrificially follow Him. That simply means choosing to deny ourselves or living for our own selfish desires each day.

 

Read Luke 9:24. When we choose to make our happiness and pleasure the goal of our life instead of living in the will of God and by the principles found in His Word, we will find disappointment and loss in the end. We only find true happiness and a fulfilled life when we live our lives on the teachings found in God’s Word, by walking the narrow way to eternal life in His Kingdom!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

1 Kings 18:21, And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

 

Do you think there is a more important statement or question to think about other than Elijah’s question to the people of Israel? Do you remember Joshua telling the people of Israel, “to choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

 

Choosing to follow Jesus Christ through the salvation He offers each of us is a personal choice, one we all make. To choose to follow other gods, is to choose to walk on a broad way that leads to destruction, an eternity separated from God. To make the choice to accept His salvation is to choose to walk on a narrow way that is difficult; however, it leads to eternity in the presence of Jesus in the kingdom of God. As with the choice given the people by both Joshua and Elijah, the choice of who we follow is ours today. Once we decide to follow Jesus and walk on His narrow way, we must make the conscious decision to follow Him each day.

 

I want to make this as encouraging as possible today. I know how easy it is to allow the busyness of the day interfere with my walk on the narrow way. I have found when I fail to start the day with my Bible or even a short time in prayer, I tend to walk closer to the edge of the narrow way and temptation becomes so much stronger. Are you following me? It seems to me, that Joshua and Isaiah were telling the people they needed to count the cost of serving Jesus.

 

In Luke 14:28, Jesus said, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it – lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it will mock him,”. Jesus taught that whoever choses to follow Him and be his disciple should first decide whether he/she was willing to pay the cost. The cost of real discipleship is to give up all relationships and possessions; do not misunderstand this. This does not mean we must reject all that we have, but that all we have must be used for Christ’s service and under His guidance for His honor and his glory.

 

Today this means each of us must decide who we will follow; there is no place for a middle of the fence position. The prevailing mood, today, is to remove all things representing God and His Word. The people of God must renew their commitment to follow Him, to walk with Him on the narrow way. We must not be like many who followed Him while He was on earth. They enjoyed the miracles and the free food, but He knew their hearts were not really interested in the way of life He was calling them to live.

 

To choose to live for Him by walking the narrow way with Him is a difficult way. But He is there to guide and strengthen us to finish what we began when we chose to accept His salvation.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 4:8, The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

 

John has just finished writing letters to the seven churches and finds himself in heaven (raptured) to see wonderful and amazing things. He finds himself seeing the throne of God where astonishing creatures were leading worship day and night, continuous worship saying “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!” What a glorious scene this is. I imagine the not only the four living creatures singing praise and honor to God but all the angels and all the saints of heaven joined in! These heavenly worship leaders were created to worship God continuously; they never tire because God’s glory is endless, without limit. As we walk the narrow way and prepare to enter God’s kingdom, we prepare to join this heavenly worship because His glory will be there for eternity and will never lose its wonder.

 

Holiness is an eternal attribute of God; His holiness will never change! Holiness comes from the Greek word hagios which means “separate, holy”. God is completely separate from all of creation and all evil; He is total purity and holiness. The repetition of the word holy adds emphasis to God’s nature. His holiness and purity are the first quality John encounters as he enters the throne room, into the awesome presence of God. “It is His almighty power (Lord God Almighty) and the knowledge that He has always existed (Lord God Almighty) that guarantees His holiness (Holy, holy, holy) will triumph over all evil in human history and in the universe” (LSSB).

 

Isaiah 6 describes the calling of Isaiah to be God’s prophet. It describes the seraphim as those heavenly creatures leading the worship in heaven just as John saw and wrote about. Isaiah saw himself as an unclean man, one not worthy of being able to join the seraphim in their song of worship and praise. As we saw with the very simple and brief thoughts on the tabernacle, those who place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ will be cleansed and purified to join in the song(s) of worship when they get to heaven. Yet, we do not have to wait until then. Because of the blood of Jesus, we can understand God’s glory, be in awe of Him, and reverently worship Him right now. The vail has been torn away, and all Believers can come boldly before Him to “worship in Spirit and truth”. Do not wait! He desires you to worship Him, to show your love for Him and to express your gratitude for His salvation, for choosing you to be in His family for eternity. He deserves our best; He expects us to walk with Him, growing in our understanding of His will and allowing His light to shine brightly through us to all people.

 

You do not have to wait to join with the worship of heaven. Do so today with the way you think, speak, and live your life as you walk the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom.   

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Hebrews 9:11-14, But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

 

The tabernacle of the Old Testament points the way to salvation through Jesus Christ and the cross. Look at the picture of the tabernacle with this page of the blog. I found this pictured long ago and wanted you to see one Bible authority’s picture of the cross superimposed on the description of the tabernacle.

 

The blood shed on the cross by the Lord Jesus Christ provided a once and for all sacrifice for whosoever would call on His name for salvation. Yes, Believers fail – daily – and go to the cross for forgiveness; but Believers who have come to Jesus for salvation only need to be saved once. The blood of Jesus is greater than the blood of animals sacrificed by those in the Old Testament; it is a new covenant. When the writer of Hebrews writes “of the good things to come he writes of the salvation Believers have in Christ and the accompanying reward of life with Him forever” (DJSB).

 

An interesting thought is included by the writer who writes that Jesus would also, “cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God”. How often do we as Believers, do something we know to be against what God wants us to do – sin – and that causes us to stop reading the Bible, causes us to stop praying, causes us to stop being the light of Christ because our conscience tells us we sinned and we should be ashamed? Do you get what I mean? The blood of Jesus cleanses our conscience! When we sin, we ask for forgiveness (back to 1 John 1:9). We do not have to go around ashamed of not being perfect. We are not going to be perfect until we step into eternal life in His kingdom. The narrow way is the difficult way, remember?

 

Jesus Christ rose from the grave and now sits at the right hand of the Father; He is now our High Priest. Where the animal sacrifices in the tabernacle made the people’s flesh pure and temporarily allowed them to do what God desired them to do, Jesus’ sacrifice cleansed the hearts and minds of those who come freely to Him so they might worship Him with praises, fellowship, and good works. The difference between dead and doing good works (serving the living God) is about surrendering to Him. As our High Priest, Jesus is continually interceding for us when the devil accuses us of all the wrong we have done. When we surrender ourselves to Jesus, He forgives and cleanses us (our conscience) in order for us to serve the living God by faith.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.