Monday, 1/18/16 Ps 89:1b, With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. Homework: in the next three days, remark to 3 people about God’s faithfulness. One person in the generation older than you; one in the younger generation, and 1 your same age (3 generations). Pro 13:6 Righteousness (actions) keepeth him that is upright (position) in the way: but wickedness (actions) overthroweth the sinner (position). A Christian can’t settle for the status quo. Stopping only guarantees failure. ILL: a bicycle. I can’t be good if I don’t do good.
Monday, 1/11/16 Acts
17:21, For all the Athenians and
strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to
tell, or to hear some new thing. We have too many Athenians in our churches
today: people who want to hear truth, but definitely do not want to enact the
truth or change their behavior. Are you guilty? (I am...) 1To bake a cake, change a
tire, install a ceiling fan there must certain ingredients or parts, and they
must be used/put together in a certain order and at the appropriate time. (A 2nd
coat a paint can’t be applied immediately after the first coat; bread dough must
be allowed to rise before baking.) Pro 20:5, Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. 2Leaders,
by nature of their position and talents, or age/longevity/experience generally
are observant thinkers and problem solvers.
3Parents, coaches,
preachers, Bible teachers: you may have all of the right answers that someone
needs, but if they aren’t willing to listen, you must be quiet and wait. Love
them as they are so that the door remains open, but say nothing. 4Or,
they may be willing to listen, but not be ready today to handle the truth you
know. (Ex: sex education for a 5th grader...not wise.) 5Even
if the adult is your own child or former student, we older ones must realize
and keep in the front of our minds that they are far more of a peer than a
subordinate, so greater tact and diplomacy, and yes, self-control is needed.
Sunday, 1/3/16 Job 4:8, Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. Eliphaz points out a universal truth, but his fault is in assessing the nature of what is reaped. “Bad” things seems to happen to God’s children which are really good.
Sunday, 12/27/15 Ps 95:7b-8a, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation... It seems that hardening is a possible (or probable) daily occurrence, so softening must also be done daily (at least.) Prepare your mind and heart before coming to your Bible or prayer time. Ps 95:2, Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. An idea for you musical people: set more Scripture to music and share it. An idea for all of us: set more Scripture to music for you and God to enjoy. YES: Y-O-U come up with some tunes. How? Memorize a verse; review it frequently, ask God to help with a tune, go out walking and reciting, refine it, and hopefully, share it, but at least use it for you. Quit making excuses and let God use you to obey this verse and be a blessing to others.
My Bible thoughts:
Sunday, 12/20/15 John
4:6, ...Jesus therefore, being wearied
with his journey, sat thus on the well... Basic doctrine: Jesus, on earth,
was 100% human. Though He was still God, He did not live and act and exist as
God but like you and I do. He endured all of the characteristics of a human
body just like we would. Matt
8:2, And, behold, there came a leper, and
worshipped him, saying... Yes, the leper was about to ask Jesus to heal
him, but in worshipping first, he acknowledged that He was God, and submitted
to His will vs. his own desires. Are you willing to do that in your problem?
My Bible thoughts:
Monday, 12/14/15 Fear is
a prompter and motivator of action. Luke 22:2, And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for
they feared the people. Here it prompted evil, criminal behavior. The fear
of God prompts righteous acts. Luke
21:16b-18 ...and some of you shall they
cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
But there shall not an hair of your head perish. You may be hated; you may
be killed, but God says you won’t perish. To understand His word and His
promises, we must understand His definitions and values and perspective.
Monday, 12/7/15 Pro 3:11,
My son, despise not the chastening of the
Lord; neither be weary of his correction. God MAY actually be picking on
you!! “Weary” implies that the
correction goes on for an extended period. What are we to do? DEAL WITH IT!!
Change!! And revel in the security that this brings.
Monday, 11/30/15 Ps 58:1,
Do you indeed speak righteousness, O
congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Yea, in heart, ye work wickedness... Maybe you’re not as good as
you like to think you are...maybe you need to look deeper. Are you “through and
through” holy? honest? forgiving? Notice
God’s instructions concerning confession. Lev 26:40-41, If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their
fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also
they have walked contrary to me; and that I also have walked contrary to
them...if then their...hearts be humbled, and they then accept the punishment
of their iniquity: then will I remember my covenant... Maybe if we’d “do it
right” and make confession a bigger, “more painful” deal, we’d sin less. ‘Just
a thought...
My Bible thoughts:
Sunday, 11/22/15 Ps 3:2, Many there be which say of my soul, There is
no help for him in God. Do your peers judge you “unworthy” of God’s
blessings? You are, but He’ll give them anyway. V3, But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of
mine head. We
live under modern civil government. So why did God leave Jewish civil laws in
our Bibles for us in the 21st century? To learn principles from that
could govern our individual daily lives today. Last week, I gave you “homework”
from Exo 22. Today, come up with a synopsis/paraphrase from Leviticus 6:1-5.
Try it!!
My Bible thoughts:
Sunday, 11/15/15 Mark
4:3, Hearken, Behold, there went out a
sower to sow... Being willing to grow isn’t enough; being in the hand of
the Sower isn’t enough; being placed on good dirt isn’t enough. The seed must
be submerged, hidden, unseen, forgotten...destroyed. That’s enough. Rom 3:1a, 2,
What advantage then hath the Jew? Much
every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
To the degree that you access, use, and emphasize the Bible in your life, you
have an advantage over others in that area.