- Tuesday, 8/18/20 Psalm 73:1, Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. The sentence structure equates Israel with having a clean heart. Why is this significant? Because
it puts the whole group in there: if you’re saved, you’re one of His people and He looks at you as CLEAN! Amen? Amos 1:13, Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. The sin here that so upset the Lord was valuing financial gain above people. Are people just rungs in your ladder to climb on? You hate it when you are used that way. Do you neglect your family to pull some overtime? Does your Sunday School class suffer because you “have” to work (air quotes)?
- Wednesday, 8/19/20 Psalm 35:3, Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. Notice the first 5 words: it means to remove the spear from the body. If you’ve already been wounded, God can fix it; don’t give up on Him. Psalm 78:22-23, Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven... The key to trusting God in the future is to review what He has done in the past. Notice how often He reviews His actions in the Bible: how oft do we read references to the Red Sea and coming out of Egypt? Far too often, we accept His blessings or interventions or answers to prayer with a (at the time) sincere “thank You,” but we don’t dwell for an extended period on His graciousness. Because He did, He can. He’s as involved today as He was yesterday: keep praying and believing and obeying.
- Thursday, 8/20/20 Psalm 78:38, But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. What a gracious God we GET to serve and speak of and worship. Read the verse again and go love on Him. Proverbs 18:8, The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Of course, we’ve all been hurt by words, but notice: the verse DOESN’T say, “their words are as KNIVES...causing a deep wound.” Maybe it means that the one who gossips is so hurting down deep, that they do what they do. Maybe they say what they say like blood coming out of a wound that another gave them. Maybe their mean words are simply a window to their abused soul. Maybe they so hate themselves or another that they just spew out gossip. Maybe they are so insecure, or feel themselves so unworthy that they just bleed everywhere. They need our compassion, love, and prayers, not our revenge and retaliation. Go heal yourself, but also try to heal them.
- Friday, 8/21/20 Psalm 78:70, He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds. God doesn’t need a strong one; He wants a yielded one, an obedient one, a humble one, a holy one, and a willing one. Oh, may I be that for His. Choose me Lord!! Paul, of course, was the primary Christian of his day. He had done things for Christ that no one else had done. Acts 21:4, And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem. This was the first of at least 4 warnings from God for him not to go to Jerusalem. Now, he was “a top dog”...could it be that, in his mind, he was too big, too knowledgeable, too experienced, too seasoned to take advice from “lesser ones”? If you’re a leader, yes, your position has given you some insights and wisdom that others may not have, but are you “advisable”? Able to be admonished and corrected? Are you willing to listen to and consider advice from your kids? Your subordinates? Those with less experience? Think about it...
- Saturday, 8/22/20 Acts 22:18, And saw [Christ] saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. Paul wanted to please God and thought his way was best, but God knew better. Because of his hard head, for most of the rest of his life he was in prison. You and I are never stubborn and willful in the face of God, are we? Genesis 15:1, After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Since God is no respecter of persons, you and I get this same assurance: He’s a big shield, and a big reward. Go live like a champion today!
- Sunday, 8/23/20 Acts 26:6, And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers. Paul got in trouble for trumpeting the exact thing his people needed, wanted, and were looking for. We also will be persecuted for doing the same thing. Still: they need it. Will you say it? Acts 26:27-28, King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. It’s not enough to believe the Bible or to believe in God. Agrippa was just 1 step short of spending eternity in Heaven. He wouldn’t be persuaded to rely on Christ and Christ alone to atone for his sins. Are you relying AT ALL, TO ANY DEGREE on good works or church membership or morality to “help” get you to Heaven? You’re one step short and will join Agrippa in Hell. Message me: I will show you what the Bible (not my church) says about Heaven, Hell, and how YOU are the one who determines your destination.
- Monday, 8/24/20 Romans 1:9, For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers. I have found that if I associate certain things with certain people, that I am reminded to pray for them. Try it. Matthew 22:7, But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Several truths in one verse: 1The God of love has another side: an angry, wrathful side. 2His offer of mercy is not forever; He has a point of no return. 3He is coming, and He is ticked off. 4Those who are not His children by faith in His Son’s sacrifice are not “fairly good,” or “not that bad”: they are reprehensible murderers deserving of the death penalty. Are you born again? “Well that YOUR interpretation.” No, it’s Bible doctrine. You were born into an earthly family and had certain rights and privileges. If you want the rights of privileges of God’s family, you must be born into it. Are you? Your church, your sincerity, your thoughts matter ZILCH. He says how it is to be done. Message me if you’re interested.
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