LEARNING DAILY

Jeremiah 2:31-32, “O generation, see the word of the Lord! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are lords; we will come no more to You’? Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet, My people have forgotten Me days without number.”

In this portion of Scripture, we read Jeremiah’s “analogy of an immoral, adulterous prostitute to illustrate the depth of Judah’s unfaithfulness to God, her husband” (Life in the Spirit Study Bible). God had done so much for the people of Israel. He had led them out of captivity and slavery in Egypt, provided for all their needs while in the wilderness, protected provided for all their needs while taking control of the Promised Land. All he demanded was for this people to be look to Him to be their God. To answer the question above, He was neither a wilderness nor darkness to this people.

But they did not want to live as He wanted them to live. They began to look at themselves as self-sufficient, wanting to be in control of their lives; they did not want any of the rules or restraints imposed on them by God. They said we will do what we want and worship who we want and do it the way we want. They looked around at the people and their beliefs – the people they were to destroy – and no longer gave thought or practice to the ways God demanded. The result was falling into idolatry and immorality.

It is important to reread the darkened portion of the verses about; it is my emphasis because this is the message of today’s blog. Is this an expression of God’s disappointment, even the painfulness of His people open neglect of Him? It certainly appears that Jeremiah is revealing His grief and sorrow over the unfaithfulness of His people. They had forgotten what He had done for them.

For me, this is an important reminder to never forget what God did for me, how He saved me, changed me, and has never given up on me. It seems to me that Believers need to be reminded of what God has done and what He continues to do for His followers. We must not allow Satan to snatch the Word of God from us or the difficulties and circumstances of life cause us to lose our faith. We must not allow the attractiveness of worldly lusts, things, and position take away from the time we spend reading/studying/meditating on God’s Word, our time in prayer, and letting the light of Jesus Christ shine so others can see it. No, we allow the time we spend with the Lord to accomplish its results in us.

I have to ask because I have had to ask myself this question. What would God say about the time – the quality time – you spend with Him? I am not talking about the time you spend to check off a box on your “To Do” list. If the people I love dearly did not communicate with me, I would be devastated! I enjoy watching, being with, talking to my family. I truly miss the fellowship I have had with many I have worked with. That being so, think about a loving Father who sent His son to die on a cross that we might be saved by Him and brought back into His family. We must not accept that salvation and then forget Him. We must walk the narrow way to become like the Lord Jesus. Make time to be with Him daily. Make it be quality time! Oh, what joy I have with my family! Oh, what joy God has when His people come to Him and spend time with Him. He pours out His blessings when we do!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Psalm 34:1-3, I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

Pastor Newton mentioned this psalm in his message on Sunday. I thought I might take a look at it in this page of the blog. Praising the Lord is easy to do when all things are going well in our lives. The notes in the David Jeremiah Study Bible tell us, “When God’s people are afraid, they should worship. When they are filled with panic, its time to praise. When worry overwhelms, the time to worship has arrived”. Ephesians 5:20 reminds us “to give thanks for all things”. David wrote or sang this psalm during a time of adversity.

David had experienced deliverance by the Lord from the Philistines at Gath; he had escaped a dangerous situation there and had been motivated to sing (write) this psalm. David was going to praise the Lord in every situation, good or bad. If the life of David is studied, the Lord’s involvement with David can be seen. No, David was not perfect. However, his life of praise and worship, even when the circumstances were pretty terrible. In every circumstance the hand of God’s mercy and grace can be seen.

The Apostle Paul faced terrible circumstances, writing many of the books of the New Testament from prison. Yet, he believed and asked for prayer that the gospel of Jesus Christ be advanced no matter what he faced.

David gives us another example when he writes, “My soul shall make its boast in the Lord”. David not only worshipped the Lord in difficult times but he did so during all his mighty conquests; he was certainly a warrior. Yet, even with his mighty victories, he remained humble, knowing that victory came because the Lord was with him. Therefore, he boasted in the Lord! In this psalm, David praised God for his escape, wanting “the humble shall hear of it and be glad”. Perhaps “the humble” were those men with him; this time would be a time his men could see the power of the Lord. Perhaps David wanted them to see his example and follow the Lord in the same way he did. He even encourages those following him to join with him in his praise and worship of the Lord.

Luke writes of the early church in the book of Acts. They worshipped the Lord together and even shared their provisions with one another.  Read Acts 2:40-47 to see how the early church grew. Their actions and relationship with one another resulted in the “the Lord adding to the church daily those who were saved”.

I have been privileged to be around some people God used to show me God’s love, forgiveness, grace and the importance of worship. I like to watch people. In the last blog, I asked, “Who are you?” Today, I ask what do other people see in you? In this psalm, David wanted others to join him in their praise and worship. He wanted his example to lead others to have a great relationship with the Lord through their worship, in not only the good times but when the times were difficult. I believe the more we trust in Him, place our faith in Him in all circumstances, the more it might encourage those watching us to do the same thing. But do so by truly knowing the Lord is with you, giving you strength to walk the narrow way each day.

 LEARNING DAILY

Proverbs 19:3, People ruin their own lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord. (New Living translation)

Proverbs 27:19, As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person. (New Living Translation)

I watched the service at NorthRock Church again this week to see the last At the Movies movie. The movie was Ford Versus Ferrari. It centered on the main character -Shelby – no longer being able to drive due to a heart condition; he needed to do something else to fill in his need to be around racing. He eventually was hired by Ford to build a race car to compete with the Ferrari brand. While sitting in his car, after finding out that he could no longer drive he asked himself an important question, who are you?

That is a question that each one of us might need to answer. Pastor Jonathon Moore began his teaching with telling us to answer the question by “reflecting on our life by examining our heart because our heart reflects our life. Ultimately the answer lies not with the outward appearance of who we are or the things we have but the condition of our heart.” He went on to say, “outwardly we might look like we were winning at life” because we have a big house, drive a new luxury car, have prestige, and positions in this or that organization, but the “inside is not at ease”.

So I ask you, “Who are you?” Who are you becoming? The movie was also about winning. Would the Ford Shelbi beat Ferrari in the 24-hour race at Le Mans? Winning. Winning was been so important to me when I coached; it was actually important in almost everything I did. What does winning look like to you? “What does winning look like when it comes to your family, life, your faith?” asked Pastor Moore. It’s a great question isn’t it. Be careful how you answer it because it reflects your heart, wrote the author of Proverbs.

I really enjoy the book Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman because it tells us we have to get out of the stands, no longer watch others live out their faith. We need to be an active participant in our life – especially as followers of Jesus Christ. That means we choose the right reasons and right motives for the things we do to walk the narrow way into eternity with God. 1 Corinthians 9:24 says it this way, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”  As a Christian, we cannot be merely content to merely be in the race or content to watch others run it. No! Christians, every Christian must be diligent in the way they live their lives; their life must be lived for the honor and glory of Christ. No longer be content to just check off a few boxes and say we are good.

It is important for every Christian to know that God has a purpose for your life. Pastor Moore said, Christians need to know why we are in the race of life because winning requires us to know. As we get out of the stands and into the race God gives clarity to us about His love for us and about the discipline required to read/study/meditate on His word, to being diligent in prayer.

So, who are you? Are you becoming the person God designed you to be?  1 Corinthians 9:25 continues, “And anyone who competes for the prize is temperate, in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”  May I just tell you that all the discipline we do to be who Jesus Christ desires us to be, the diligence of our walk on the narrow way, and all we do to live our life to win that imperishable crown will be worth it when we see our Lord face to face and He welcomes us into His eternal kingdom

 

LEARNING DAILY

Colossians 4:3, “At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison.”

The message this weekend brought to a close the study of Colossians. Dr. Ed Newton made Paul’s writing very clear that Christians are to be diligent, persistent in our prayer, never giving up as “it is the work of all Believers”. The Listener Guide includes the words of Hebrews to encourage us in our prayer life. “Continue steadfastly (4:2a) “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (4;12). I need to spend more time in prayer!

Paul is writing from prison. Go back to the verse above from Colossians. Paul desires a door to be open – not the door to where he was being kept but a door that allows him “to declare the mystery of Christ”. This mystery is “all about Jesus” (Pastor Newton).  Paul is writing to the Believers at Colosse to be strong and diligent in their prayer life; he was also honest in the need for them to pray for him as well. His need was to have more opportunity to share Jesus Christ with as many people as possible. Not only did he seek more opportunity, but he desired to be more clear in the words he spoke. What a great request to ask from those who read this blog - for one who writes it.

For Paul, his life was “all about Jesus”. The points in the Listener Guide were to pray diligently (4:2), live as a missionary (4:5) and to thank those who pray and support you (4:7-18). Pastor stressed that Believers pray always to be used by God and to continue to pray to walk on the narrow way as the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to. The reason being that others are watching us as we do. He said we are not to act foolishly; instead, we are to “walk in wisdom and [walk in a way that makes] the best use of our time” (4:5).  What do “outsiders” (nonbelievers) see when they see or hear you talk? Paul writes that we should be wise in our “walk” or actions toward nonbelievers. Pastor said the walk of the Believer must match what he/she says. What we do and say needs to be consistent as we interact with each other and with nonbelievers as we present the message of Jesus Christ. You know the saying about our lives being the only Bible nonbelievers may ever read!

We must also make “the best use of our time” by making the best of every opportunity we have to share the gospel – by word or our behavior. We must make the best use of our time because the time we have is short. It has been written before, but whether it be due to accident, nature or the trumpet sounding the rapture, each of us can be face to face with the Lord Jesus at any moment! The motivation is to share the gospel with whoever we can to give them the opportunity to accept Him as their Savior and Lord. The words of the Believer are to preserve the words of the message of Jesus Christ. The words we speak should add value to what we say because it reflects the life we live (and vice versa) and should be uplifting to those who hear. What we say and do really does matter!

May I just give a word of encouragement to each of you? Be diligent in your prayer time. When you pray, pray with thanksgiving and allow God to bring “peace, joy, love, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” into your life. The fruit of the Spirit will be seen by all who see you as they help you and guide you as you walk on the narrow way to eternal life with God.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Philippians 4:6, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

I have always enjoyed this verse because I apply it to the times anxiety wants to control my life. But Paul tells us to go to prayer in everything and to do so with thanksgiving. Believers are not to be anxious about anything! That does not mean we have no concern about something or careless about our actions, thoughts and words. It means we are not to be fearful or paranoid about what is happening around us. That is because we are able to go to God at any time with anything; He is the One with all power, all authority, and in control of every situation. I am in awe of knowing I can go to Him at any time and He hears me.

Part of the time with God must be spent in giving thanks to Him for what He has already done for us. It seems right to thank Him for what He is doing or going to do in our life and those we pray for. Perhaps as you take time today or in the days ahead to be with Him, you could tell Him how thankful you are that He chose you to be part of His family.  Thank Him for the many blessings you have because of what He has done for you. Thanking God for what He does every day helps us to turn away from earthly wants and desires and focus on Him and the future with Him; we do so even when the circumstances being faced are difficult.

We give thanks to God for His goodness and His grace! He has given us so much and we must not take Him nor what He has given to us lightly. But beyond the many earthly blessings we must be thankful for the promises of His eternal blessings. Thank Him for eternal life with Him in His kingdom. Take the time to remember what He has done for you and give thanks. Doing so should be a daily part of the time we spend with Him.

Have a wonderful time of thanksgiving as you gather with family in the days ahead. The next page of the blog will be on Monday!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Colossians 3:23-24, And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ.

The message given at church this weekend was from Colossians 3:18-4:1. Paul wrote about the roles of family members walking in their specific roles within the family. Pastor pointed out that the wife, the husband, the children were to live with each other in the way God designed and by doing this, each would be pleasing and honoring God. Paul expanded this to employers and employees treating each other justly and respectfully.

One of the bullet points on the listener guide caught my attention. It was under the point where Pastor was expanding on the role of the supervisor in Colossians 4:1. The bullet point was: “Be the example”. I know that the verses written above are written about the relationship between bondservants and supervisors, but could they not also apply to the relations in the family. Christian conduct needs to be applied to all areas, all relationships in our lives. My point is to make sure people see an example to follow and not just words being spoken.

We have all heard that what we do, what other people see in us, may be the only Bible people read. That is being an example. People watch when you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ. They want to see if you are going “to walk the talk” when things get difficult. There are times that is a difficult load to carry because the burden is heavy. If our faith is right, we know that Jesus said to let Him carry our burdens. Our responsibility is to serve others by living our lives and doing all we do for the Lord’s glory, for His honor. In all we do our conduct is to be centered in Christ; the term “whatever” includes any and all conduct; we do it “heartily”. This term implies we do something with enthusiasm and with a great passion. That includes how spouses treat each other, parents treat and relate to their children (and grandchildren), and how employees and employers relate to each other and the work they do.

People are watching! Let them see the light of Jesus in us as we walk the narrow way. Demonstrating Christ’s love in our relationships and in the work place makes a tremendous difference in one’s personal life and influences others. Paul’s words remind us that regardless of our position in life, He is the One who will ultimately judge us. All we do, all our service must be done to please and honor Him. We do not live our lives for the honor of others or for earthly goals but for Him. The rewards we live for – our heavenly inheritance and eternity with Him – are those given by our heavenly Father.

Be encouraged to be an example of Jesus Christ each day. Believers do not need to be recognized for their faithfulness. God ‘s acknowledgment of this is enough. But let our faithfulness be seen by others so they want to know what is different about your life. That opens up the opportunity to tell them the difference Jesus Christ has made in how you live your life. People of the world are looking for something, someone to give them hope. Be that person by letting the light of Jesus Christ shine brightly through you. Be an example.

 LEARNING DAILY

James 4:13-14, Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

I will discuss the weekend’s message in the next page of the blog. Let me tell you that there was some sadness in our family over the weekend. Our daughter’s family needed to put down their part Lab, part Great Dane, 100+ pound dog. He was gentle and the peacemaker around the house. Anyone who has had a pet for very long understands just how attached we become to them. Then the time comes when a very difficult decision needs to be made.

That same day, my wife and I attended a Seniors Luncheon at church. It was our first and might be my last! The “program” consisted of listening to seven or eight people tell us about programs to help us grow older in an easier way. Of course, the last one to speak represented a funeral home. That seemed fitting after listening to those who would provide home care assistance, financial instruction, legal help so everyone would get what we wanted them to have, and help for us or family members when dementia set in. When they were done, I leaned over to the guy sitting beside me at the table and mentioned it was interesting to realize how fast the years had passed. He either did not hear me or did not know how to reply.

The luncheon plus the dog being put down made me stop and reflect a little. James writes that not one of us knows what tomorrow will bring. Yes, we plan for tomorrow but do not so in an attitude of self-reliance. I believe he suggests we plan with humility and without an attitude of self-confidence. James has been writing previously about following the thought process in the world rather than planning according to the wisdom of God. He writes about a person who is making plans and then vowing about keeping them, doing so with his own power and ability. That is not what God desires in those who follow Him! Following the ways of the world too often involves an attitude of success at any cost and selfish ambition.

James writes that those who believe this way are arrogant in believing we are the masters of our own destiny. We want to think that we can do whatever we want if we put our minds to it. The problem with this thinking is that none of us can predict what the future holds. There are many who are telling us “this or that” is going to happen so we better do this in order to be successful. But our lives are fragile, “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away”; here for a moment and then gone. James is not being pessimistic or wanting to discourage us; he is writing about planning without God’s influence. His point is to be aware that every moment of our lives is dependent on God’s will, His mercy and grace.

Take the time to embrace your spouse, son, daughter, grandchildren and friends. Hug them and tell them you love them because no one knows when God will call them home. Consider the really important things in life and do not let a moment go by where you don’t make your love known.  Time passes too quickly.

For a dog named Riddick, he will be missed but will live in our memories!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Psalm 86:5, For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

 Every Believer has so much to be thankful for, every reason to praise and worship God. It is only because of His mercy—sending His Son to take upon Himself the punishment for the sins we have committed, commit, and will commit – that allows us to be able to walk a narrow way to eternal life with Him in His kingdom. Do not ever take that with a complacent attitude. Not one Believer deserved this or earned it or was good enough on their own for this to happen. Not one Believer needed to clean themselves of their sin (because they could not) before giving their lives to Jesus Christ to save and change. Jesus Christ gave His life for all who would believe and come to Him just as they were.

This verse is a part of David’s prayer for mercy which began with David recognizing that he was “poor and needy”; David needed God to hear his prayer and knew that God was compassionate and loving. David did not fear humbling himself before God, believing that God would hear Him because of it. David told God that he trusted Him and that he (David) was holy. He was holy in the sense that he “faithfully followed God’s laws; not in the sense that he was perfect” (David Jeremiah Study Bible).

David based his prayer on God being “good and ready to forgive”. It might be difficult to “understand” what God is doing in our life or the life of others. There are times we go through the wilderness like Israel did when they left Egypt or find ourselves in the valley of despair because of difficult times. Those are the difficult times of walking the narrow way. Do we doubt God’s goodness during those times or trust Him to see us through them? Are there times you doubt God’s goodness and His desire to give His children good things? Believers want to understand but understanding is not always part of the walk with the Lord. Our walk with Him is always centered in faith!

God is always ready to forgive sin in our lives. He is never surprised by what we do, say, or think. We don’t have to say any special words to be forgiven. We are not required to do anything to encourage Him to forgive. We don’t have to observe any special religious ceremonies to be forgiven. And, we don’t have to make promises that we probably won’t keep to get Him to forgive us. God is always ready to forgive – we just need to believe He does so! But Jesus told those He forgave to sin no more. We walk the narrow way as best we can, living in accordance with His Word. We do not try to take advantage of His forgiveness by doing whatever we want. He still demands we live in obedience to His Word.

That is what the cross is about! Forgiveness is God’s nature. Verse 15 of this Psalm tells us, “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” It is because of this that we give Him our praise, our thanksgiving, and all of our worship!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 4:1, Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Jesus said that walking the narrow way into His kingdom for eternity would be difficult; difficult because temptations to do what we did before He saved us would constantly be brought before us by the devil, old friends, things we see and so on. When Believers experience something really good, prayer is answered, or some other “mountaintop” experience, know that temptation is going to come in a strong way. Matthew, Mark, and Luke write about Jesus being led away by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by Satan. This follows one of those “mountaintop” experiences. He has been baptized in the Jordan River and had been honored by a voice from heaven saying how pleased God the Father was with His Son. What an opportunity that would have been for Jesus to flaunt His deity in some way. Here was His chance to be the leader everyone was expecting, who would lead the people against the evil Romans and set the people free.

Instead, the Holy Spirit led Him to a place where He fasted for forty days and nights. It was at a time when Jesus was weak – He was God but also human – that the devil showed up and tempted to change rocks into bread.  The devil tempted Him to throw Himself off the highest point of the temple if He was indeed the Son of God. And he tempted Him to become the leader of the world in exchange for His worship. Pretty tempting when one is hungry, when people are wanting you to become their leader, or when you just want others to see how important you are. But the Lord Jesus Christ had fasted and prayed, knowing the importance of doing so in order to not bow to temptation. He also showed the value of using God’s Word to bring forth truth when confronted with the lies of the devil.

Jesus was not tested because the Holy Spirit had left him, as seen by the dove descending upon Him at His baptism. The Father had every intention that His Son would endure this time of testing. Each Believer must remember that God never tempts His followers with sin. He may allow Believers times of temptation in order to strengthen their faith; He never wants them to be involved with sin. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted and He was – by the devil. Take a moment to reread that last sentence. Did you get it? The devil does the tempting. There will be those reading this that will remember what we used to laugh at: “The devil made me do it!” After being saved for a long time, I don’t find it cute nor a laughing matter.

Jesus was tempted. He strengthened Himself with fasting and praying. If He did that, don’t you think it is wise to fast and pray to strengthen your walk with Jesus? I am not suggesting you fast for forty days and nights, but taking time to deny yourself while praying would only make you stronger when facing temptation. If you take this time, don’t forget to take your sword with you. The Word of God was used by Jesus in combating the temptations. Know God’s Word and use it when tempted to do something you know is sinful. When tempted by Satan’s lies, when tempted with the need to fulfill your fleshly appetites, or the urge to indulge what pleases your eyes, or when the desire to give an opening to pride, defend yourself with the truth of God’s Word. The walk on the narrow way is not an easy way. It is the way of cleaning and becoming more like our Savior and our Lord. The trials and temptation we face and defeat through the Truth, the Life, and the Way will bring us closer to becoming the person of God He wants us to be!

 

LEARNING DAILY

1 Kings 8:46-50a, “When they sin against You, (for there is no one who does not sin), and you become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near; yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness’; and when they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul …. Then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and supplication, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You …..”

These verses were part of an email I receive once in a while; the article was written by Joel Rosenberg. It is a prayer spoken by King Solomon while dedicating the temple he had built for the Lord in Jerusalem. Rosenberg stated Solomon prayed for any Israeli who might be captured and taken back to the enemy’s land both in his day and days in the future – even today. Rosenberg continues to talk about Solomon asking God to not only hear the prayers of his people but to forgive them and rescue them from their situation. The people needed to ask in humility, repent, and ask Him for full forgiveness.

Believers today might want to examine this prayer in light of our own lives. We need to be diligent about our walk on the narrow way. We must be alert to the dangers and pitfalls that cause deception and misunderstanding that causes us to get off track or be misled. In earlier verses of this prayer, Solomon reminded the people that obedience or wholehearted devotion to God is required to receive the blessings of God. Obedience is key to hearing and receiving from God in our lives today! When God’s people are not obedient, not diligent and not alert (complacent instead), God may allow the enemy to shake them up.

Rosenberg’s article gives some examples of what might cause God to allow the enemy to attack us. When we have sinned or disobeyed Him. When we fail to take time for His Word or neglect time in prayer. When we choose not to believe or follow His Word. When we are not walking the narrow way according to His desires or not walking closely with Him. There are certainly other reasons causing Believers to not walk with God as He desires. To get us to wake up in these times, God allows us to be shaken or even “be taken captive” until the time we humbly confess what we have or have not done, thanking Him for His grace and forgiveness. It is important to know and understand that God allows us to be shaken or sifted because He loves us.

He loves His people enough to discipline them through being shaken. Great parents discipline their children when they do wrong. They do so because of their love for them. It is not the parents’ fault; it’s the child’s fault because they have done wrong. It is not God who is wrong for having to use discipline, it's our fault for the sin we have committed or for not being obedient. The way back to walking with Him on the narrow way is to return to Him “with all our heart and soul”, seeking Him to rescue us. Believe me, He desires this type of prayer and does rescue us because He does love us. Do not hesitate or put off what you need to do!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Philippians 2:1-4, Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? Then make me happy by agreeing with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. (New Living Translation)

It was a great Sunday! We went to two different churches – to our Church, Community Bible Church, and to one of our daughter and son-in-law’s church, NorthRock Church. We especially enjoy going to NorthRock in November because they have what is called At the Movies. They show clips from a particular movie and have biblical teaching between the clips. It is always very well done, and I learn much from every teaching. Sunday was no different. I am amazed how God orchestrates the teaching with what has been written in the blog; of course, Sunday was no different.

The blog is written to encourage Believers to walk the very best they can as they walk the narrow way. Pastor Jonathon Moore stated, “For change to take place, one must want change to take place.” The verses from Philippians ask the question about our hearts being tender and sympathetic. That desire to change comes from being encouraged by Jesus Christ. There is an implication of relief experienced by the forgiveness of sins when He saves us that helps us be happy for others when they experience Christ’s forgiveness.

Change can be very difficult for some. The challenges and difficulties Jesus said would be a part of walking the narrow way can come because the old self does not want to give you up. Therefore, who we were before Jesus saved us fights against us putting on the new self; think back to the last page of the blog about Colossians 3:12-15.  “The Lord might put us in a place where we find ourselves uncomfortable in order for us to understand the need for change” (Pastor Moore). That uncomfortable place, more often than not, brings us face to face with the need to change whatever needs to be changed so we can better reflect Jesus Christ in our lives. That is a constant part of the sanctification process as we walk the narrow way into heaven. It is part of the process of becoming the person God demands we become. Yes, it might even hurt a little!

Do you want to be the person Paul wrote about above? Pastor Moore said, “If you want something different, do something different.” Paul was very clear that Believers avoid being greedy and dishonest in their dealing with others. Believers are to stop being selfish, removing the focus from themselves to thinking about the needs of others. To do that we must remove wrong motives of ambition and greed. When these thoughts are the driving force of our lives, love and unity are not our goals. Placing the needs of others is not difficult when the love of Christ reigns supreme in our lives.

Walking in this way with God is His desire and must be our goal as we walk the narrow way. Pastor Moore said, “The kingdom of God is a way of life!”  May the desire to walk as He desires be our goal each day as we look in the mirror and remind ourselves who God says you are!

What a great Sunday!

 LEARNING DAILY

“Look in the mirror and call yourself up to who Christ called you to be!” (Community Bible Church Listener Guide)

This page of the blog was begun with a statement instead of a verse or two of Scripture; it is the first time since the blog was first written. It will not take long to understand why. Dr. Ed Newton has been going through the book of Colossians, teaching verse by verse. Colossians 3:12-17 are about much of what has been written in this blog. The words from Colossians and pastor Newton’s message were about walking with God the way He demands – by becoming like Him and no longer doing the things the world tempts us to do. That means Believers stop making provisions for the flesh and walk in the power of obedience and being led by the Holy Spirit.

To do that we do what Colossians 3:12-13 tells us to do. “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, forgiving one another, if one has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” The message centered on being able to look at yourself each day and reminding yourself who God says you are and “living peacefully in a world that is full of chaos and adversity” (Pastor Newton). He also stated, “believers are to take their Eyes off what the world is saying about them and turn to what God says about them.” We started wring about who God says a Believer is several weeks ago. Read through the following words from Scripture that tell you who God says you are.

You are a child of God. John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, He gave the right to become         the children of God, to those who believe in His name.”

You are a friend of Jesus. John 15:15, “No longer do I call you a servant, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father, I have made known to you.” See also Galatians 4:7.

You are justified and redeemed. Romans 3:24, “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”.

You are no longer a slave to sin. Romans 6:6. “ knowing this, that the old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin,” See also Galatians 4:7.

You are no longer condemned. Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

You are a fellow heir with Christ. Romans 8:17, “and If children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if we indeed suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

You are a saint and faithful. Ephesians 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints at Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus”. See also Philippians 1:1 and Colossians 1:2.

You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

You are a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore anyone who is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

You are the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

You are chosen, holy and blameless. Ephesians 1:4, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.”

You are righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:24, “and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

You are a citizen of heaven. Philippians 3:20, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus Christ,” See also Ephesians 2:6.

The peace of God guards your heart and mind. Philippians 4:7, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

This is only a partial list of who God says you are in Him. What if you did look at yourself in the mirror each morning when you get up and remind yourself who God says you are before you begin your day. Put on what Paul wrote in Colossian 3:12-13 and begin to look at yourself as God sees you!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 5:4-16, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set upon a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and hide it under a basket, but on a lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Jesus Christ

Spiritual darkness is growing across this country. The warning is to not ignore it. The encouragement is that Believers need not fear it nor be overcome by it. Fear is overcome by the presence of God in our lives. Because God’s righteousness is with us, we are able to stand strong against every force that comes against us. The more the ungodliness around us increases, the more the darkness covers the land, the more the faithful followers must turn their attention to the One who has promised to always be with us.

Jesus said that His followers “are the light of the world”. Proverbs 4:18-19 says this about the light. “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto a perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.” Those who walk in the light (of Jesus) walk in goodness and in truth. In a spiritual sense when Jesus lives with His followers His light shines through them because they are His.  The light of Jesus within us is meant to be seen. Jesus adds that it is to be like a city built on a hill. The light from that city can be seen from great distances even in the “darkness of night”. The light of Jesus is meant to been seen even when the darkness of evil is all around us. It is not meant to be covered up or hidden; the light is meant draw others to it as an encouragement or as a witness to the light.

I have been where the darkness of night was so thick it was difficult to even see my hand. I must admit it was pretty scary. But when the fire was lit the fear went away because it was much safer and easier to see where I was and where I was going. Going into a dark house at night is much easier when the light(s) are flicked on because I see where the snares and tripping hazards are and I can avoid them. I don’t understand why anyone would not turn on the lights when they are available to them to light the way for them. In the same way, Jesus provides the way, in us, to light the way for others in the darkness creeping(??) into our land. As light in a dark house is meant to be used to see, the light of Jesus Christ is meant to be seen, “not placed under a basket”.

That light is seen whenever a “good deed”, “an encouraging word” is given, and just doing the works of God are done. No large production needs to be done! I am so proud of my family members who are involved in their church by volunteering and who give encouraging words to others. I even like it when I get an encouraging word from them. When we fail to do good works, we are placing a basket over the light of Jesus Christ in us.

Light is meant to be seen and is of little or no value when covered up. Good works done for the glory of God should not be covered up; they are meant to be seen and meant to glorify God. The key is to glorify God and not bring credit, glory, honor to yourself! If that is your concern the work should be done in secret.

I want to tell you the importance of letting your light shine before men. I heard David Wilkerson and Carter Conlin both speak at a conference several years ago. They both mentioned the time was coming when people were going to be drawn to people whose life shown bright with the light of Christ. They would be attracted and want to know what made that person different. What an opportunity to share Jesus Christ and the change He has made in your life. Darkness is growing! There are many who are walking in darkness that do not know it. We must allow the light of Jesus to shine bright in this dark world in order to share the gospel whenever we can. That is a choice each of us has to make! Choose wisely!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 5:10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”  Jesus Christ

Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Jesus Christ

As Believers in the One True God and as we walk with Jesus Christ on His narrow way into His kingdom and as we are led by the Holy Spirit, we are going to have to stand for His truth. Failing to do so allows darkness to grow and that which is false to grow in our land. Deception is widespread, undermining Christian teaching and its way of life. As Believers, we have become too complacent to the false teachers that have risen up to teach their destructive teaching; it is all around us. Christian based instruction used to be taught in the public school – I know that has been a long time ago. Now that public school education teaches a godless curriculum that a child can determine if they are male, female, a dog or a cat, or whatever the current thought of the day is. As a Believer we must be diligent and fully engaged regarding these false teachers and their wrong teaching and practices. A careful study of God’s judgment on the people of ancient Israel reminds us that sin does not go unpunished! God brought judgment upon His people and He will certainly do it again.

Today, God’s people must stand on His Word; it is being distorted, misrepresented, and slandered.  We must be able to defend God’s Word, doing so to the best of our knowledge. To do that we must be reading/studying/meditating on it in order to be confident in what it says. To do so is going to bring ridicule, condemnation and even persecution for those who do. Luke records Jesus saying, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.”  Calling ourselves a Christian means we are a disciple of Christ. We are not greater than Him; we need to be like Him. Jesus stood for what was right in His Father’s eyes. He came to fulfill the Law, not to destroy it (Matthew 5:17). He did not come in the flesh to seek and gain the approval of men. He came to show the Father to those on earth. Is that not the purpose and the responsibility we have as His followers?

But this comes with a warning. Jesus was persecuted and hung on a cross because the religious leaders were more concerned with their position and power than promoting the coming of the kingdom of God. There will be a cost for being a true disciple and follower of God. The prophets and the apostles had to face the majority just like Believers today will most certainly have to face the majority who have shown their support of abortion, the ungodly belief that God did not create male and female, and all the evil teaching that goes with this evil.

Take courage and know that when this majority comes against those who stand on the righteousness of God are blessed for their stand and their reward is in heaven. Those who stand in His righteousness stand in His acceptance, His approval, and in His love! Standing with God removes all anxiety and fear of persecution and what others in the majority say because the power of God is greater than anything that can be said or done against us. Those who oppose biblical teaching have joined with evil to oppose good; they cannot stand against the power of God. Be bold in opposing that which is evil. Our eternity is in heaven and because of that the blessings of God are upon us.

One additional comment on Tuesday’s elections. The way people voted appears to be on their perspective toward abortion. Elections were won by those favoring abortion. It shows that laws do not change attitudes. One’s attitude is changed when their heart is changed. I do not have to wonder what God thinks about this issue. His response has been seen when judgment came on Israel for what they did with babies. I only wonder when judgment will fall on this nation!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Joel 2:12-13, “Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend the heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.

There needs to be some follow up on the last page of the blog. I wanted you to consider if you thought people would humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways, and seek God. This morning I just briefly listened to the news, wanting to hear how elections turned out. Many elections were to give indications about the 2024 elections. What I was really interested in hearing concerned the issue of abortion. I was terribly disappointed to see how many elections were centered on this issue and the result was people favored to keep aborting babies.

The prophet Joel spoke to Israel to return to the Lord, to “rend the heart, and not your garments”.  His message was to change their heart by turning to Him, following His commandments; their tearing of their outer garments was just for appearances and their heart did not change. Israel had become a nation following other gods. Part of that following included bringing their children to a sacrificial altar to be sacrificed to the foreign gods. The falling away of Israel from God also included unrestrained sexual desire and activity to the goddess Ashtoreth; there was no moral restraint.

Believers today must do the same thing! America is in a freefall in our worship and in our following God’s Word. Is the great desire to abort babies any different from ancient Israel taking their children to be sacrificed on an altar or from throwing them into a fire? Over the years, the desire to strike down the Ten Commandments, remove statues that represent the founding Fathers (and their faith), and the attempt to destroy the foundations of this nation can easily be seen. There is certainly a strong desire to remove all aspects of Christianity from the land. The calling of good evil and evil good is a nation who has turned away from God to serve other gods. We are doing the same thing as ancient Israel.

Jonathon Cahn has written in his latest book The Josiah Manifesto, “A CIVILIZATION that departs from God will, in the end, give itself to other gods and idols to fill the void of His absence. It will serve and worship them, even without calling them by name, even while denying their existence. And so American civilization has become permeated with gods and idols. As in the ancient case, it has become increasingly carnal and base. In place of God’s worship, it venerates profit, money, and increase. In place of the Gospel of salvation, it preaches the gospel of materialism and success. The civilization that had once been known as a beacon of Christian values has now become the world’s central conduit for the promulgation of a brazenly anti-Christian morality and gospels.”

Do we need to turn to God? Do we need to hear and follow the command that Joel spoke, “turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” Absolutely! Will the people of America humble themselves, turn from their sins and follow the Lord? Yes, we desperately need a revival! “Without a revival America will be lost; without repentance, there will be no revival” (Cahn).  Have we gotten past the point of the American people turning their hearts back to God, trusting Him and believing He will heal our land? What do you think? I think a revival is greatly needed!

 

LEARNING DAILY

2 Chronicles 7:13-14, When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

How many times have you heard or read that if we humble ourselves, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from our wicked ways, God will hear and forgive and heal? There have been those times of national crisis, such as September 11, when people sought God, filled church services; it just did not last. After a short time, those people who filled the churches returned to their old habits and their old way of life. For people to seek churches for comfort, a great shaking had to occur. Go back and read verse 13 above. God gave some examples of events that would happen for people to seek Him. Does any event mentioned jump out at you? The word pestilence leaps off the page at me; pestilence is defined as a fatal epidemic disease. Consider that Jesus said a sign of the end times was pestilence. You cannot argue with me that we are experiencing an increase in epidemics now – led by Covid-19.

My question is not about God’s ability to hear His people pray and seek Him and turn from their wicked ways. My question is more concerned with how many need to do this and how many would do this. The key word in verse 14 is the little word “if”. The other question I have is about the darkness, the evil that has grown over this land. Has this nation gotten so far away from God that it has become a nation under judgment and heading for a great fall? Have the sins of this nation become so serious that judgment has to fall?

Consider the nation of Israel who turned away from God to follow the ways of the pagan nations – killing their babies on the foreign god’s altars, the immoral sexual practices to increase the fertility of the ground and trying to worship these foreign gods while trying to outwardly do what God required. As Israel turned away from following God and His ways, the nation only became worse until God brought judgment upon them.

America needs to wake up before their sinfulness and evil decisions cause the nation to descend into a place where God brings His judgment upon this land. His people, His faithful followers are to follow Him without reservation. Our hearts have got to be given totally to Him. Our hearts need to change to reflect His life, His love, His light. It is not just a matter of changing laws or outward structures, or outward appearances. If only the outward appearance of things change, no real change will occur. God’s people need to stand up and be the light and salt we are called to be as followers of Jesus Christ. God’s people need to place a priority on spending time with Him, praying and seeking His desire on how we can walk with him in an effective way. We must turn from our wicked ways – whatever that might be in your life. I believe that because the way of life America is taking (and much of the rest of the world), it is imperative that men and women of God take their stand in and on Biblical principles and live the life that pleases God!

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

Colossians 3:5-11, Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these things: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

This weekend’s message is one all Believers need to hear. Dr. Ed Newton reminded us that as Christians, as followers of Jesus Christ, there are worldly and sinful things in our life that we need to stop doing. Go back and look at the list of sexual sins and the list of social sins that Paul lists as practices that need to stop! You might see one or two things from your “old self’ that you are hanging on to.

 Paul writes we are to “put those things to death”; or we are to stop allowing our body to do whatever it wants to do. As Believers, we are to follow a narrow way, a way that walks like Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let Him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Walking the narrow way is a matter of not only giving up one’s own agenda but dying to it. Stop and consider your many attempts to do that, to stop being “angry” or “having unclean thoughts” or “the filthy language out of your mouth”.  How many times did you say, even promise, that you would not do that again – only to fail. I have found what Dr. Newton said to be true. “It is not a matter of trying harder; it is a matter of allowing Jesus to do the cleansing for you.” He said, “Whatever you keep going back to or what you used to do we have to stop!” My good brother, Don, used to remind me that there are things we just need to say “NO” to. There are other things that only God can remove, and He does it His way. Can I tell you from experience that God’s way can be painful, but it sure does work! The list above refers to evil thoughts, actions, inappropriate cravings, evil desires and idolatry. Paul refers to covetousness and jealousy as idolatry.

There are two thoughts to take away from this. The “wrath of God” is coming to those who are involved with these sins, the ungodly, to those who have not been saved by Jesus Christ. Judgment is coming!

Believers, those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ will escape this judgment. Our sins were forgiven when we were saved. However, we are to no longer live the way we used to before our salvation happened. Salvation is not a license to live the way we want to because we are forgiven. We must live differently. If you are not doing so, stop what you are doing that reflects your “old self” and live the way Jesus desires you to live. He has accepted you, redeemed you, and is changing you into His image. Our goal is to become like Him and that must include no longer going back to doing those things we did before Jesus Christ saved us.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 16:1-3, Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that he would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them. “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the times.

We listen every day to see what the weather will be like – hot or hotter, rain (unlikely), a cold front (usually spoken of when the temperatures dips into the 70s). Even when the forecast for rain is possible it either dissipates before it gets here or goes around where we live. But the forecast for hot is usually adequate for where we live. It is pretty easy at times to look at the sky and say bad weather is coming our way. You get the picture right!?

A group of Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and wanted Him to give them a sign from heaven to prove He was who He said He was. I wonder what sign would be proof for them. They had already chosen not to believe what they had witnessed. The deaf were able to hear. The blind were able to see. Demons were cast out, the lame walked, and the dead had come back to life. There does not seem to be any lack of evidence for who Jesus was! The religious leaders were insincere with their request and Jesus refused to give a performance; they would not believe it anyway.

What was significant about a sign from heaven? Jesus was the sign from heaven the Jewish people were looking for, the Messiah. He called the religious leaders hypocrites for being able to discern the weather and said they were representative of a “wicked and adulterous generation” who had a spirit of disbelief that He was the Messiah.

Today, early warning devices have been set up to give warning of dangerous weather and to help save lives. The Bible gives us an early detection system that warns us of the man-made dangers all around us. We live in days that are “like the days of Noah”. The days we live in are wicked and evil, full of disbelief, and people find it easier to predict the weather than know the signs of the times we live. People are certainly “scoffers, walking according to their own lusts and mocking the return of Jesus” (2 Peter 3:3-4). Deception and false teaching are all around us, captivating people’s thoughts and causing many to follow what is right in their own eyes. Paul’s warning to the people of Thessalonica is reminding us that the “day of the Lord” will come suddenly, as a thief in the night; know that when world leaders cry out “Peace and safety” that sudden destruction is coming. Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24), warns us that wars and rumors of wars, ethnic and territorial conflicts (?) and famines, epidemics, and earthquakes are all signs of what is to come. If you have not read Matthew 24 and 25 in a while, please take time to do so.

Do you see and discern the signs of the times we live in? Is your discernment challenging you to walk closely with the Lord on the narrow way? The words of Jesus found in Luke 21:36 are very important for every Believer today. “Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” As Believers and faithful followers of Jesus Christ we must be on watch against sin and every form of deception. We must walk close to the Lord Jesus and pray that our love and faith in Him will not diminish, in order for us to be strong and be able to persevere in Him when terrible things come our way. We must stay strong in God’s Word and be committed to walking the narrow way with Him. Are you willing to take the time and commitment necessary?

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth.” Jesus

John 17:17 is part of a prayer by the Lord Jesus Christ; here He was praying for His disciples. He is praying for them and for all who would follow them to be sanctified by the truth of God’s Word. To be sanctified is to be set apart for the work of Christ. In many of Paul’s writings, he writes that the followers of Jesus Christ are “saints”, as they are set apart, made holy by the atoning work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. Believers are “saints”, “sanctified” to testify about what Jesus has done for them and to bring glory to His name.

1 Peter 2:9-10 gives more information, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” Peter is addressing the people of Israel as a chosen nation -- that still applies to today! It also applies to every Believer.  Believers today are more of a spiritual nation or family with God as our Father; Believers are a specific group, called and set apart from all other people.

As “His own special people”, we belong to God. The response should be for each of us to respond in praise and worship of Him. Yes, we sing songs to do this. However, Romans 12:1 tells us we are “to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service”. In other words, all we do, and say should be God-honoring; it is a spiritual form of worship! Because we are “sanctified”, called to be holy, our lives should be reflecting that. Every believer must understand that when you are saved, you are spiritually washed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. That means when the Father sees you, He sees Jesus in you. It is important to remember this because we still sin, people sin against us, and we suffer. But because of the gospel God calls us “saints”; He calls us sons and daughter, part of His family. If we can grasp that, it changes how we relate to Him and to each other. We begin to respond to each other as He wants us to, as he would respond. Think for a moment about how that would change the way we talk, the way we respond to others in our conversations. What Jesus Christ has done for us when He saved us and as He changes us begins to change who we are and how we live. Can I tell you this is more than just being polite to others. We are living in a way that tells all who see us that God has done a new work in us – we are chosen and set apart to declare His praises.

No one becomes “sanctified” by their own desire or work. It only comes with accepting what Jesus did on the cross. As we walk a narrow way with Him, we must be spending time in His Word. We read/study and meditate on it because it explains to us how to walk with Him as he desires. We spend time finding out who He is and what He wants us to do. It guides us through difficult times helping us to know He is with us when we might wonder where He is. It encourages us to be strong in Him when we feel weak. It lifts us up with encouragement when we look at all the evil things happening around us. It helps us to be alert and discern the times we live in. So, “Saints” praise and worship, the King of kings and Lord of lords for saving, changing you and bringing you into His family. None of us walk alone on this narrow way into eternity in the kingdom of God! We have a lot to praise and worship Him for!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Luke 11:46, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.”

When I read this the other day from the Chronological Bible I am reading for my devotions, my thoughts went immediately to what is being taught in the public schools and the institutions of “higher learning”. The New International Version of the Bible uses the term “teachers of the law” for lawyers. I suppose the word teacher triggered my thoughts. A lawyer or teacher of the law would be an expert in the law of Moses; one of these experts made the comment that the words of Jesus was bringing “reproach” to them. In other words, Jesus’ criticism of them was hurting their feelings. Those teaching and following the Oral traditions (the Pharisees) placed their life style on how they acted in public, seeking the praise of men. Sounds like the weekend’s message on legalism, doesn’t it! The pharisees would then twist the traditions that came from the Oral Law to fit their own needs and greed. God never sanctioned the Oral Law. It was written down by scribes or “teachers of the law regulations” to become rules which would keep the people in line.

Here is where my thoughts turned to what is happening today. Those who were intent on following man-made rules that focused on not making God angry instead of following Him in faith and obedience is not Biblical. The same thing goes for today! I cannot help but think of leaders in the world today. I cannot help but think of educators in our classrooms of higher education. These leaders are doing the same thing that the “teachers of the law” were doing. However, the scenario has changed a little. The thought of gaining salvation through works has gone to “doing what is right in your own ideas” to defining good as evil and evil as good”. For example, have you read or heard that there is a bill in the California legislature to take children away from parents who object to sexual transition of their children. At school board meeting, parents who have spoken out against teaching in public schools have been labeled as domestic terrorists.  At the national level, our leaders have spoken that parents cannot know what is best for their children and must defer to the teachers in the educational system to speak into their children what is best for them (my wording, my understanding). This is not biblical! This is happening while those teachers of places of higher learning teach ungodliness and extreme liberalism in their classrooms. It is no wonder this philosophy has become so prevalent at the elementary and secondary levels of our public schools!

There is much reporting on who supports Israel and who is supporting Hamas and the Palestinians in the war we see. Is it any surprise that so many from the places of higher learning are in support of Hamas, saying the people of Israel have no right to defend themselves? Government groups such as “the Squad” have denounced those who support Israel and are doing what they can to disrupt United States support for Israel.

Judgment is coming for those who are teaching evil, ungodliness, rebellion from God. I believe Jesus’ exclamation against those doing this would be greater than, “Woe to you also, Teachers of the Law”!

We are living in “perilous times”, times that we could hear the trumpet sound calling His True Church to Him at any moment! I repeat the statement of Dr. Ed Newton, “Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready”!