Philippians 2:5-8
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” This mind is none other than the mind of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Paul desired for the Church at Philippi to allow their minds to be like Christ, and so should we. We are to let the mind of Christ be in us. Our mindset should seek to be like His. Our thoughts should strive to be like His. How can we seek to have the mind of Christ? Follow His example. Seek no status… as He made Himself of no reputation. In a world where status appears to be everything, we should seek not status outside of being found in Christ. He was God in the flesh, yet He sat among the sinners. He was royalty, yet He chose to be born in a manger. There is no respecter of persons with God because Jesus was no respecter of persons. He came to die for the whole world. 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” Be a servant… as He took upon Him the form of a Servant. Those who refuse to serve others have little understanding about Jesus Christ and His purpose. His whole reason for coming was to serve and minister to others. He gave us the Ultimate Example of a Servant by giving His life as a ransom for our sin debt. He took our place so that we might go free and choose to serve those around us. Matthew 20:28 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Seek to be humble… as He humbled Himself. Christ did not think less of Himself, for He knew He was the Son of God; but He thought about Himself less than anyone ever has. He is our Supreme Example of Humility. He allowed His enemies to take Him captive, bring Him before Pilate, scourge Him and strip Him of all of His garments, parade Him through the streets on His way to Calvary, nail Him to the Old Rugged Cross, and hang there for hours as the sin of the entire world was placed upon Him. Not sure how to be humble? Look to the Saviour. He never promoted Himself, but pointed people to God the Father. Hebrews 5:5 “So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.” Die daily… as He became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Even Christ had to make Himself willing. “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” We must die to our own will and exchange our will for His. Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We will not obtain the mind of Christ until we receive our glorified bodies, but we can still seek to be like Him each day of our lives until He calls us home. “Let this mind be in you” Bible Reading: Lamentations 4-5 | Ephesians 3 | Psalm 103
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Matthew 19:26
“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” We serve the God Who can do what seems impossible. When all hope seems lost, we can still have victory with God on our side. We serve the God Who can accomplish what we cannot even think of as a solution. Throughout Scripture we see miracle after miracle and wonder after wonder that came to pass by the hand of our God. These miracles were pinned so that we may have faith that the same God Who performed them could do the same for us. A family preserved by an ark. A barren woman conceives. A shift in the wind. A parting of the sea. A giant that is defeated. A peace to the storm. A fire that does not burn. A den of lions that do not bite. A barrel that does not waste. A blind man sees. A lame man walks. A deaf man hears. A dumb man speaks. A dead man lives. A multitude fed. A Saviour who rose again. How much more evidence do we need to believe that God can perform a miracle in our life? We need only believe that anything is possible with Him. Sometimes He chooses to perform the impossible so that we can have the courage to ask and believe again. When God accomplishes the impossible within our lives we must thank Him for what He has done and give Him the honor that He alone deserves. Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” There’s nothing, no nothing, there’s nothing that my God can’t do, miracles and wonders, there’s nothing no nothing, that my God can’t do Dottie Rambo & Jimmie Davis Bible Reading: Lamentations 1-3 | Ephesians 2 | Psalm 102 Psalm 27:1
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” The Lord is my Light and my Salvation. The Lord is the Strength of my life. As we notice these three characteristics of the Lord, we must realize how much we need His light, His Salvation and His Strength in our lives. The first mention of “The Lord is” is found in Genesis 28:16: “And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.” Isn’t that fitting? The first time we find this phrase, it reminds us that He will never leave us nor forsake us regardless if we are aware of His presence or not. The Lord is Righteous. Exodus 9:27 & Psalm 145:17 The Lord is my Strength and Song. Exodus 15:2 & Psalm 118:14 The Lord is Greater than all gods. Exodus 18:11 The Lord is with us: fear them not. Numbers 14:9 The Lord is Longsuffering. Numbers 14:18 & 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is God. Joshua 22:34 The Lord is a God of Knowledge. 1 Samuel 2:3 The Lord is my Rock, and my Fortress, and my Deliverer. 2 Samuel 22:2 The Lord is Able to give thee much more than this. 2 Chronicles 25:9 The Lord is King for ever and ever. Psalm 10:16 The Lord is my Shepherd. Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my Strength and my Shield. Psalm 28:7 The Lord is Good. Psalm 34:8, Psalm 135:5 & Nahum 1:7 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. Psalm 34:18 The Lord is our Defence. Psalm 89:18 & Psalm 94:22 The Lord is a Great God. Psalm 95:3 The Lord is Merciful and Gracious. Psalm 103:8 The Lord is slow to anger. Psalm 103:8 & Nahum 1:3 The Lord is plenteous in mercy. Psalm 103:8 The Lord is Gracious and full of Compassion. Psalm 111:4 & Psalm 145:8 The Lord is High Above all nations. Psalm 113:4 The Lord is on my side. Psalm 118:6 The Lord is thy Keeper. Psalm 121:5 The Lord is thy Shade. Psalm 121:5 The Lord is Good to all. Psalm 145:9 The Lord is far from the wicked. Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is the Maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2 The Lord is a God of Judgment. Isaiah 30:18 The Lord is Exalted. Isaiah 33:5 The Lord is our Judge. Isaiah 33:22 The Lord is our Lawgiver. Isaiah 33:22 The Lord is our King. Isaiah 33:22 The Lord is the True God. Jeremiah 10:10 The Lord is my Portion. Lamentations 3:24 The Lord is Great in Power. Nahum 1:3 The Lord is Risen. Luke 24:34 The Lord is at Hand. Philippians 4:5 The Lord is Faithful. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 The Lord is my Helper. Hebrews 13:6 Whatever your situation is today, the Lord is exactly what you need. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 51-52 | Ephesians 1 | Psalm 101 John 12:3
“Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” Several times throughout the Scripture we find people at the feet of Jesus Christ. Some in desperation, some in reverence, and some in worship, but each knew their need of Him. We can learn from each reference of these that bowed at His feet. Whether your need is to be healed, provided for, or just for fellowship with Him, there is a place for you at the feet of Jesus! A Place of Healing – The Multitudes Matthew 15:30 “And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:” What healing have we or others missed out on because we neglected to sit at His feet? A Place of Honoring & Seeking – Jarius Luke 8:41 “And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:” What opportunities to honor and seek Jesus have we missed because we neglected to sit at His feet? A Place of Hearing – Mary & Martha Luke 10:38-39 “Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.” What have we not heard from His Word because we neglected to sit at His feet? A Place of Holding & Worship – Mary Magdalene & Mary Matthew 28:9 “And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.” What worship have we missed out on because we neglected to sit at His feet? We miss out on many things when we neglect to take the time to sit at the feet of Jesus and spend time in His presence. Spend some time at His feet today. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 49-50 | Galatians 6 | Psalm 100 Luke 10:38-42
“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Jesus Christ sure loved these two sisters and their brother Lazarus. He had a special relationship with them. Both women give us a different picture of a type of relationship we can have with Jesus. These sisters were very different, but they had one thing in common, they both loved Jesus and wanted to serve Him. Martha was a busy woman, “cumbered about much serving”. She asked Jesus questions demanding answers, and even gave orders to her Friend – “bid her therefore that she help me”. Mary was quiet and patient. Many times in Scripture we find her sitting at Jesus’ feet. She anointed His feet with ointment and wiped them with her hair. Every time she sat near Him she listened to hear His Word instead of boldly questioning Him. Both of the sisters came to Him, but with different attitudes and demeanors. Notice Jesus’ response to each of them: Martha – “Martha, Martha, thou are careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful…” Mary – “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” One thing was needful for both of the sisters and for us today. Only one of them chose the needful thing, sitting at Jesus’ feet and hearing His Word. We can only hear Jesus speak when we sit at His feet. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 47-48 | Galatians 5 | Psalm 99 Acts 6:8
“And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.” Don’t keep your faith to yourself. We must take our faith among the people and allow God to do the work in their hearts. Read through Acts 6 & 7 with this thought in mind – Stephen was a man full of faith. We need more people that are full of faith and not afraid to stand up for what they believe in – The Name of Jesus! Acts 6:9-10 “Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.” Even when people dispute us as we try to serve, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. The people disputed, stirred, and accused Stephen as they brought him before the council, but he remained silent. It was only when the high priest asked, “Are these things so?” that he began to speak. In comparing Acts 7 with the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, we see the order of Stephen’s message to the people matches what is pinned in Scripture. Stephen followed the example of faith left by those before him, and now we have Stephen also as an example for us to follow. The Lord Jesus stood at the throne because of Stephen was full of faith. Do we have enough faith that Jesus would feel the need to stand at His throne? What a humbling thought. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 45-46 | Galatians 4 | Psalm 98 2 Samuel 24:14
“And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.” David had acknowledged his sin, and God allowed David to choose his punishment. He gave him three choices. 2 Samuel 24:12-13 “Go and say unto David, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. Although he could have chosen whichever punishment he felt was the easiest for him, David, a man after God’s own heart, chose to let God choose. Do we submit ourselves to the Lord in such a way? David allowed even the punishment he knew he deserved to be chosen by God. 7 years. 3 months. 3 days. God chose the shortest amount of time showing His great mercy upon David. His mercy endureth forever! Just as God bestowed His great mercy upon David, that same mercy is given to us today. Through His great mercy we have also been given the choice to choose the punishment for our sin. We can pay the penalty ourselves in the lake of fire, or choose Jesus and His payment for our sins upon the Cross of Calvary. The choice is ours: Heaven or Hell, life or death. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. If we choose Him and His will, we will receive eternal life in Heaven with Him. But if we reject Him and His will, we choose Hell as our eternal home. Great is His mercy! Bible Reading: Jeremiah 43-44 | Galatians 3 | Psalm 97 Lamentations 3:22-23
“It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” What a comfort it is to know that God is Faithful! We need not be consumed by the circumstances that surround us because of the Lord’s mercies toward us. His goodness, His love, His compassion – they are brand new every morning! May we remember when we open our eyes to each new day that God is Faithful! 1 Corinthians 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24 “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” We, like Jeremiah, can say to the Lord “great is thy faithfulness”, but can the Lord say that of us? Does the Lord consider us faithful? May we strive to be faithful to God because He is Faithful! Bible Reading: Jeremiah 41-42 | Galatians 2 | Psalm 96 Matthew 14:28-29
“And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” It takes faith to go to the other side. He sent them away, seemingly alone. God will sometimes set us apart to allow us to learn to depend on Him. Matthew 14:22 “And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.” Sometimes God sends us a storm in order for us to step out in faith. He never sends us into the storm alone. He is always there with us in the middle of the storm, even when we do not see Him. Matthew 14:24-26 “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.” In the middle of our storm, God will speak to us if only we will listen. When we follow the Lord’s command to step out of our comfort zone, He will allow us to walk on water. Only when we get our eyes off of Him will we begin to sink, but He is always there waiting for us to call on Him for help. Matthew 14:28-30 “And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” We can learn from Peter’s courage to step out in faith. He was the only one that had the faith to even ask to step out of the boat. Who would have thought of such a thing? Only a courageous disciple who trusted that the Master knew what was best for him would ask such a question. It took a lot of faith to even ask for permission. We all know what would have happened if Peter had not asked, and just took it upon himself to jump out of the boat. Jesus could have said no to Peter’s request, but He had a lesson both for him and us today to learn. Miracles can happen if we have the courage to step out in faith. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 39-40 | Galatians 1 | Psalm 95 Acts 7:41
“And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.” They Made. They Offered. They Rejoiced. While doing so they had turned their backs on the God of Heaven that had brought them out of bondage, across the Red Sea on dry land, and provided for them in the wilderness. They deceived Aaron and demanded that he make them gods to go before them while Moses was upon Mount Sinai communing with the Lord. Isaiah 2:8 “Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:” How often do we rejoice in the works of our own hands? This can be described in one word…Pride. While the preacher is getting his message from God what idol are we worshipping? Our career, our children, our ambition, our character, our ministry, our wisdom. We make idols out of the very things that we want to take credit for, but in reality it was the Lord Who gave them to us in the first place. What would we have if He had not given it? Nothing. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” He gave us everything, including His Son. The works of our hands are merely blessings from Him. Yet we rejoice and worship the things that we believe we have created or built ourselves. We steal His glory in worshipping ourselves and our pride. Without Him, we are nothing. John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” We glory in ourselves while neglecting to praise Him for His goodness and His blessings in our lives. Shame on us. What do we have to look forward to when we allow ourselves to glory in the work of our hands? Exodus 32:7 “have corrupted themselves” Exodus 32:8 “They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them” Exodus 32:9 “a stiffnecked people” Any work of our hands is because He allowed it, and gave us the ability to accomplish it. The work of our hands is not ours. Bible Reading: Jeremiah 37-38 | Colossians 4 | Psalm 94 |
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