I Peter 3:16-18
"Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” Aristotle is known for saying, “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” God calls us to be separated, but not to be isolated. He didn’t save us just to give us a home in Heaven. He has a purpose for each and every one of us to fulfill according to His perfect will for our lives. In striving to carry out that purpose and living for Him, we are going to face opposition. The Bible doesn’t tell us that it may happen or that there’s a chance that we’ll have to face difficulties. God’s Word tells us plainly in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” I believe during his ministry the Apostle Paul faced some of the worst persecution ever recorded. He knew what it was like to be persecuted for Christ’s sake. Simon Peter suffered through opposition as well. He brought some of it on himself, but can we not all relate with him? This man went so far as to tell Jesus that he would never be offended of him… and Jesus told him what would really happen. I imagine that hearing a rooster crow was never the same for Peter. I’m sure the devil even used some fellow townspeople to never let him forget what he did. But I also believe that the Lord Jesus forgot all about it. Peter went on to carry the Gospel to so many. What if he would have quit after he denied the Lord? If you have been criticized, persecuted and/or opposed in your service for the Lord, you are not alone. Anyone who has ever tried to do something for Christ and the furtherance of the Gospel faces trouble on a routine basis. Sometimes even from fellow Christians. Even saved people can allow themselves to be used by the devil to discourage someone who is trying to do right and make a difference. Take comfort today in remembering how Christ suffered for us, and that nothing we endure while serving Him is worth quitting over. He pressed on through the pain and agony because He had a purpose to fulfill. He made it possible for us to become His children because He loved us enough to die for us and suffer that punishment. “The just for the unjust.” Press on through the pain, Christian. Continue in your purpose, for great is our reward! Bible Reading: Genesis 41-42 | John 21 | Proverbs 21
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Isaiah 41:8-10
"But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” This is a great passage to refer to when people need encouragement. As children of God, we can claim the promises spoken by God to the children of Israel. We are chosen. We are called. How blessed we are to be chosen and called by Him! But He doesn’t stop there… As His chosen & called servants, He promises us that He will not cast us away. Even when we are fearful, He is with us. When we get dismayed by our circumstances and surroundings, He reminds us that He is still our God. He promises us that He will strengthen us when we get weak in our trials. He promises He will help us through the struggles of life. He promises to uphold us by the right hand of His righteousness! Who is at the right hand of the Father? Jesus Christ… we are upheld by God through Him! Dr. Joe Arthur preached a message years ago from Psalm 16 about the pleasures that we have access to at the Right Hand of the Father because that’s where Jesus is! “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11 Bible Reading: Genesis 39-40 | John 20 | Proverbs 20 Proverbs 12:22
"Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.” Of the seven things that are listed in Proverbs 6 as abominations to the Lord, a lying tongue is the second to make the list. Jesus refers to the devil as the father of lies in John 8:44. So we find that lying is an abomination to the Lord, and associated with the devil himself by none other than our Lord, Jesus Christ. So why do we think it is okay to tell a “little white lie” every now and then? I don't know about you, but I sure do not want to be associated with the devil… and I sure don’t want to cause myself to take part in an abomination to my Lord. Our flesh wants us to think that the little white lie won’t hurt us or anyone else. God’s Word tells us differently. God’s Word tells us the Truth. Thankfully, the Scripture doesn't just stop with telling us that lying lips are an abomination unto Him. It shows us what He delights in instead of what He hates. Delight in the Truth today. Let’s make an effort to only deal truly so that He can be delighted by our conduct and witness for Him. Bible Reading: Genesis 37-38 | John 19 | Proverbs 19 I Timothy 1:14
"And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” Sound familiar? This verse often reminds me of Ephesians 3:20 and God’s all-powerful ability to do much more than we could ever desire. But here we see that power referring to the grace of God through faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. Exceeding: to go beyond, to surpass Abundant: in great quantity, well supplied How would you define grace? Many have referred to it as G.R.A.C.E. - God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. When I went to look up Webster’s definition of grace, I expected something close to unmerited favor; but Webster went even further in explaining what the ultimate purpose of grace is: Grace: unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification There among thousands of definitions in his dictionary sits salvation by grace. Someone had given Noah Webster the Gospel. The grace of God is ultimately displayed by the giving of His only begotten Son so that we could become the sons of God. Exceeding Abundant Grace. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now I’m found, Was blind, but now, I see. T’was Grace that taught, My heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved! How precious did that Grace appear The hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. Tis Grace has brought me safe thus far, And Grace will lead me home! John Newton, 1779 What unmerited favor for such a wretch like me! Bible Reading: Genesis 35-36 | John 18 | Proverbs 18 John 1:12
"But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” By giving us His power to become the sons of God, Jesus Christ gives us the highest right or the greatest privilege we can ever experience in this world. But in order to receive that power, we must receive Him. We must believe on Him and His name as the only means by which we can reach Heaven. “He who is made a child of God enjoys the greatest privilege which the Divine Being can confer on this side eternity. Those who accept Jesus Christ, as he is offered to them in the Gospel, have, through His blood, a right to this sonship; for by that sacrifice this blessing was purchased; and the fullest promises of God confirm it to all who believe.” Adam Clarke We cannot reach Heaven of our own power or ability. Titus 3:5 tells us that “Not by works of righteousness…” Heaven can’t be earned. Heaven can’t be bought by worldly goods. Heaven is free to those who believe on Jesus Christ and His finished work; but Heaven is costly. It cost God the Father His only begotten Son. It cost Jesus Christ His life here on earth. But the privilege of being a child of God is free… to all who receive Him and believe on His name. In verses 10 & 11, we see that though He came, some didn’t know Him. Some, even of His own, knew Him; but didn’t receive Him. Isn’t that much like the world today? Some have never heard the Gospel message; and many, having heard the Gospel, have not received Him and believed on His name. Lots of people know of who Jesus is, but many of them don’t know Him as their personal Saviour. Do you know someone who knows of Jesus, but doesn’t know Him? Pray for them today. Pray that God would work in their heart. Pray that God would give you an opportunity to share the Gospel with them. “The only unsuccessful Gospel witness is the one not given.” Unknown Bible Reading: Genesis 33-34 | John 17 | Proverbs 17 Joshua 1:9
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage: be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whitersoever thou goest.” There’s courage… then there’s an Everyday Courage that only comes from the Lord. How can we obtain this Everyday Courage? Get involved. Esther 4:16 Esther knew the risk she was taking, but she didn’t let that stop her… and neither should we. Has God placed something on your heart that seems impossible? Have courage, and get involved. Don’t conform. Daniel 3:18 The three Hebrew men didn’t conform to the king’s demand, despite Nebuchadnezzar’s threat of the burning fiery furnace. Many so-called Christians today have compromised their convictions, their beliefs, their doctrines, and even their Bible. The modern religion creeping in today is nothing more than a distraction from the Truth. Refuse to compromise despite the flames around you. Have courage, and don’t conform. Do right under pressure. Daniel 6:10 Daniel prayed even when the law was signed forbidding it. He didn’t hide. He boldly continued to do what was right. Have courage, and do right even when you find yourself under pressure. Stand against sin. Matthew 14:3-4 John the Baptist called Herod out for the sin he was committing. Despite what may be legal and politically correct in our world today, we as Christians should not tolerate sin. We should practice being separate and holy. Have courage, and stand against sin. When put together, these four simple things can give us an Everyday Courage to fight against the wiles of the devil. In Ephesians 6:10-18 we are given the descriptions of the armour God has provided us to assist us in the fight. All but one is defensive. We must only go on the offensive attack when armed with Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. It is quick and powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. It can pierce even unto the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit. It gives us discernment of the thoughts and intents of our heart. See Hebrews 4:12. Determine to have Everyday Courage to stand for the Lord in 2016. Bible Reading: Genesis 31-32 | John 16 | Proverbs 16 Ruth 2:16
"And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.” Glean: to gather slowly and laboriously, bit by bit; to learn, discover, or find out Each day we glean from the different things we focus our mind & spirit on whether it is intentional or not. What are you gleaning? Like Ruth, we need to find the right field to glean from…the Word of God. Ruth was new to Bethlehem. She did not know who owned the field, God’s grace had led her there. It's by God's grace that we have our Bible. Boaz gave Ruth his field to glean from...freely. God has given us His Word and He shares It freely with us, just like salvation. We must not only take our fill of gleaning from God’s Harvest, we must share it with others just as Ruth shared with Naomi. What kind of Christians would we be if we didn't share what God has given us with others? What handfuls of purpose are you leaving behind for others to find? The Bible tells us that a man reaps what he sows. Boaz had planted and reaped, and Ruth & Naomi reaped the benefits of what Boaz had sown. Boaz had sown with a purpose. He had sown his field long before Ruth came around, and the Lord allowed Ruth to come just at right time… Harvest time. What a picture of the amazing grace of God! God has you right where you are right now for a reason. The street you live on. The job you have. The church you attend. The children you raise. God has given you the people in your life to be a living testimony around, and to share the Gospel with them. You may be the only Bible they read, the only church they attend. What if you were the only Christian they know? Saturate yourself in God’s Word so that the Scripture seeps out and the people around you notice. Leave behind some handfuls of purpose so that your neighbors, co-workers and children, all notice that there is something different about you. Bible Reading: Genesis 29-30 | John 15 | Proverbs 15 Acts 4:32
"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things in common.” One heart. One soul. All things in common. If only our Biblical churches would get to this point. Even in the realm of Independent, Fundamental, Baptist churches today we find confusion and strife. Which is unbiblical. “For God is not the author of confusion.” I Corinthians 14:33 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory…” Philippians 2:3 For us to have all things in common, we must neglect any agendas or selfish desires about what should or shouldn’t happen in our churches. We must submit ourselves to God and His plan for our lives and our churches. We must seek a revival. Revival refers to a spiritual awakening from a state of dormancy or stagnation. Everyone has felt dormant or stagnate at some point. Often times what begins as a stress reliever becomes a distraction, then a diversion and eventually we are nowhere near where we used to be in our walk with the Lord. None of us are immune to the wiles of the devil. Finding our way back to walking with the Lord, we ask for God to move among us. We pray for revival often not realizing its requirements. Or if we realize them, we aren’t willing to do what is necessary in order to see it. A familiar verse in 2 Chronicles 7:14 offers us the Biblical equation for revival. Be Humble + Pray + Seek + Turn = Hearing From Heaven + Forgiveness + Healing We must first see an individual revival in our own hearts before it will ever appear in our churches. Until we get on our knees privately, humbling ourselves, praying, seeking His face, and turning from our wicked ways, we will never see a public revival. And only then will we experience His forgiveness and healing of our land. The great evangelist, D.L. Moody said that, “Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.” What if you were that kneeling figure that spawned the spark needed for true revival? Bible Reading: Genesis 27-28 | John 14 | Proverbs 14 John 2:7
"Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them to the brim." Three days after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in Jordan, Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding. We all know the familiar event quite well. So well in fact, that we may skip over the details when reading through the passage. Don’t skip or run through the Bible. When we skip, we miss things that we could have seen if we would simply walk through His Word. When you grab a glass out of a kitchen cabinet, and pour your favorite drink into it (mine would be Coca-Cola, battery acid cleaning powers and all), how far do you fill it? The level probably depends on how thirsty you are at time, or maybe on how much is left in the container. But let's assume you have plenty to spare, how far from the top do you fill it? Probably not to the brim. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, had told the servants at the feast, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." She had told them to obey Him. So, when Jesus spoke the words in our text, they knew what they were supposed to do. "Fill the waterpots with water." They didn't fill them like we probably would have; they filled them to the brim. I believe they filled them as much as they possibly could. That the water was completely level with the top of the waterpots, and that maybe some even spilt over because they had filled them so much out of obedience. Can't you see the water running down the side, eventually reaching the floor? Once they were filled, Jesus commanded them to "Draw out now." Can’t you imagine the servants’ faces when they drew out a colored liquid after knowingly filing them with clear water? As a colored liquid spilled down the side now, I'm sure they looked around at each other wondering if the other servants saw what they were seeing! Ever wonder why they filled the waterpots as much as they could? They obeyed, but I believe it's more than that. Not only did they do what they were told, but also they wanted to do everything in their power because they must have known He was different. Mary said to do whatever He told them. They wanted to serve Him with all the resources they had. They could have filled them half full, or 3/4... But “they filled them to the brim.” How often in our service to the Lord do we give Him half or 3/4 of what we could? We obey, but we don't go the extra mile. We don't fill our vessel to the brim. We want to do just enough to get by or maybe even what is expected of us. Attend Sunday Morning Service, but stay home or run errands during the Evening Service. And attending a mid-week service is just completely too much to ask from us sometimes. Or we'll attend all the weekly services, but the other five days of the week we are empty of service. That's not how these servants were. They filled their vessels to the brim. Christian, fill your life to the brim today. Go the extra mile for the Saviour Who went the extra mile for you. Bible Reading: Genesis 25-26 | John 13 | Proverbs 13 Hebrews 13:5
"I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Joshua 1:5-6a “…as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage…” I once heard Pastor Tommy Steele describe the promise in Hebrews 13:5 as the backward and forward promise of God. Forward: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Backward: “thee forsake nor thee leave, never will I” After Moses had died, Joshua had some big shoes to fill after he was given the responsibility of leading the children of Israel once they reached Jordan. The Lord commanded him to “Be strong and of a good courage” several times. I can’t help but think that Joshua must have thought, “That sounds good, but how am I supposed to do that?” Can you relate with Joshua? The direction that the Lord gave Joshua in order to “be strong and of a good courage” is the same direction that He wants us to use in our everyday lives. Look at verse 8…“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Just like Joshua, God has given us the Resource to be prosperous and have true success in our lives. We must meditate and observe to do what is found within the pages of God’s Word. We need to abide ourselves in the Truth of the Scripture, and we cannot do that unless we are daily partaking from the Bread of His table. Ronald Reagan had it right: “The enduring value presented in these pages have a great meaning for each of us, and for our nation. The Bible can touch our hearts, order our minds, and refresh our souls…Within the covers of that single Book are all the answers to all the problems that face us today, if we’d only read and believe.” Bible Reading: Genesis 23-24 | John 12 | Proverbs 12 |
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