Posts Tagged ‘obedience.’

Scripture reading for December 1st: 1st John 2:1-17

Are you truly saved?  How does a person know that they have passed from death to life?  Is salvation as simple as just saying a prayer and putting your trust in Jesus Christ?  Does God require us to change our way of living?   These questions were on the mind of John as he wrote to the churches receiving his ministry letter.  John wanted them to understand that salvation was receiving the life of Jesus and living as He lived!

Thank God for the grace of God coming through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ!  “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anyone does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1st John 2:1-2) Jesus paid the price to free us from our sins and their power.  We should seek to live free from sin and not sin willfully or knowingly.

“We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands.  The man who says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in him.  This is how we know we are in Him:  Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” (1st John 2:3-6)  John plainly states what James stated, “In the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17)  When we truly know Jesus and love Him, we will listen to His word and obey.  We do not obey to obtain salvation, but because we have been transformed already by repentance and faith in Christ!  This change brings a new way to live and walk.  If we don’t have a changed walk, we really haven’t known Jesus!

When we love God, the love of the world must be put to death.  We cannot continue to live as we did when controlled by our flesh.  “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1st John 2:17) Why not  take time to examine your walk with Jesus in light of these scriptures?

Scripture reading for March 3rd: Joshua 1-5

God used an unusual mark for His people.  All males were to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant that they had made with God.  Moses, himself, had neglected to circumcise his son and God had tried to kill him for this oversight.   ( Exodus 4:24-26)  This happened after God had appeared to Moses and commissioned him to lead His people out of Egypt.  The leader must be obedient to set a proper example. God takes relationships and covenant very seriously!

The Israelites had wandered for forty years in the dessert and had neglected to place this important covenant mark on those who had been born in the desert.  As Joshua led them into the promised land, their first stop was at Gibeath Haaraloth.  There the Lord spoke to Joshua about circumcision. (Joshua 5:2-4)  He was to make flint knives and circumcise all the males who had not been marked in the desert.  They were to stay there until they healed.  Joshua obeyed and did this rather painful marking process.  They were ready to come into their inheritance, but this painful process must come first.

“Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.” (Joshua 5:9)  God viewed this action as an act of separation from the corruption of Egypt.  His people were set apart from the most powerful worldly nation by a mark that made them different and promoted cleanliness and safe sexual relations.  This mark reminded them of the covenant they had with their God to be faithful to Him.

In the New Covenant that we have in Christ, circumcision is now of our hearts.  The true life giving organ is not sexual, but the seat of control in our inner man.  It is with our hearts that we believe and have faith.  When we are born again, God gives us a new “circumcised” heart.  The apostle Paul had a battle with the Jews who were promoting circumcision and the Law.  He let them know that, “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.” (Galatians 6:15)

We have the world’s reproach rolled away from our hearts in Christ alone.  We are set apart in the New Creation as belonging to God.  We are marked by the precious Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13-14)  Thank the Lord!

Dear Friends,

Greetings and blessings in the Name of Jesus Christ!  He is our peace and the One who brings us blessings!  He bore the curse of the broken law of God on our behalf and we now are in a place to receive blessing.

As Moses repeated the history of the last 40 years, he continually brought to their memory the need for these younger survivors to carefully listen to and obey God.  Moses defines this obedience as loving God.  (Deuteronomy 11:22)  Love always brings blessing!  When you love someone, you desire their best and do what you can to see that they have the best.  God initiated this love relationship because He alone is love.

Moses set up the case for obedience and loving God as a choice between something good and something evil.  To obey was the choice for blessing and to disobey was a choice for a curse. (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)  If they chose to disobey, that would mean that they followed other gods and were unloving and unfaithful.

Man has an impossible task in perfect obedience in himself because of the sin nature.  (Galatians 3:10-11)  We are prone to disobey and go our own way.  We end up following other gods and under the curse.  The curse is God’s decreed reaping for disobedience.  When we know His law, we are responsible to keep it.  We fail in our own strength because of sin and rebellion.  Who will deliver us from this terrible curse?

Thanks be to God, He has Himself!  Jesus Christ was made a curse for us.  All the curses written against us were nailed to His cross and taken out of the way!  (Galatians 3:13-14)  He redeemed us so that the blessings of Abraham might come on us!  Instead of obedience to the law, we inherit the promise of the Holy Spirit received by faith!  The Holy Spirit is our down-payment of the blessings to come!  (Ephesians 1:13-14)  Blessings that are beyond what eye can see and ear can hear are awaiting those who love God and know Him through Jesus Christ!  What a day of rest we can enjoy today and in eternity!  In His Love, Pastor John

Scripture reading for December 2nd: Philippians 1-4

I can wake up on the wrong side of the bed!  Sometimes my attitude stinks!  I am occasionally withdrawn, grumpy, and irritable.  I can be centered on myself and what I want that day.  I am in need of an “attitude adjustment”!  The Word of God provides that for us.  As we take it into our minds and hearts, it can do surgery on us.  (Hebrews 4:12)  It is Spirit and life to us from the heart of God.  (John 6:63)  Jesus Christ, Himself, modeled for us the kind of attitude that would please God.  We read about it today in Paul’s letter to the Philippians!

Paul prayed a lot for those in Philippi.  There was a church there with saints, overseers, and deacons that he had helped to set in place.  He was confident that God would complete the work He had begun in each of them that had believed.  He prayed that the love of these believers would abound more and more.  (Philippians 1:6-11)  He wanted them to be filled with the fruits of righteousness so that the Lord would receive glory!

These saints and leaders were encouraged by Paul to be united in love and purpose.  (Philippians 2:2-3)  Unity comes from fellowship with the Holy Spirit and a humble spirit towards God and each other.  We must learn to bear with one another and try and look out for others rather than focusing on ourselves.  The best example of this is Jesus Christ.

Jesus had a perfect attitude.  He was God and owner and ruler of the universe, but He humbled Himself and took on human likeness through the incarnation.  He willingly laid down all the power and privilege of royalty to be obedient to the Father.  He even obeyed the Father by laying down His life on the cross, enduring the death of the lowest criminal.  Because of His obedience, God exalted Him to the highest place of all after the resurrection.  His Name, Jesus Christ, is the highest name in the universe!  Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord!  Those who bow their knees now and confess now will enjoy eternity with Him!

We are working out our salvation while God is at work in us.  We humbly obey Him and do all we do without grumbling or complaining.  We know that God has given us the task of sharing the Word of life in Christ.  Our reward is sure!  We rejoice always!  (Philippians 4:4)   We pray about everything and enjoy the peace of Christ!  (Philippians 4:6-7)  We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us!  (Philippians 4:13)  We know that our God will supply all of our needs according to His riches in Glory in Christ Jesus!  (Philippians 4:19)  What an attitude of victory and joy when we imitate Christ!

Scripture reading for September 1st:  Daniel 1-3

Have you ever moved into a strange neighborhood and different culture where you didn’t even speak the language of the people around you?  Have you gone on a mission trip and lived for a short time out of your comfortable culture?  These kinds of experiences would help us to understand what Daniel and his three young friends experienced in their 800 mile trip across deserts from Jerusalem to Babylon for a relocation and re-education.  They were probably teenagers and were the best and brightest of the Jewish people of God.  They were taken into the culture to be re-programed to think “Babylonian” by being placed in the prestigious “University of Babylon” and given a rich diet from the king of Babylon’s personal chef. (Daniel 1:1-6)

These young men had had good training in their home and church community.  As young men, they would have memorized the Pentateuch (Books of Moses) by the time they were thirteen.  They would have read the prophets and would have begun an apprenticeship for a trade at that time.  Their character was shaped by the Law of God in the ten commandments and through Moses’ writings.  They also had dietary laws that were given to keep them healthy and set them apart from the nations so that they might be a testimony to the nations.  As they were taken into captivity and placed in a foreign culture, this godly character helped them to walk with integrity and reap God’s blessing and favor.

We see Daniel resolving not to defile himself with the food that was not allowed by God’s law.  He appealed to the one in authority over him to have a different diet.  Notice that he didn’t demand his rights!  (Daniel 1:6-14)  Daniel listened and was understanding and agreeable and respectful to the one in authority.  These wise ways came from godly character through the Word of God.  The result was God’s blessing and favor. (Psalm 5:11-12)  They looked better with the diet of vegetables  and water than the rest who had the rich food and wine! (Daniel 1:15-16)

Honoring God brought these men lots of additional blessings.  God gave them wisdom and understanding in all kinds of literature and learning in this wicked university.  They excelled above all others and no equals were found!  They were “10 times better” than all the others in the kingdom.  (Daniel 1:18-20)

It pays to live a godly life and to purpose to honor God and not defile yourself with things God forbids!  Godly character brings wisdom to live wisely in a wicked culture.  It gives us guidance so we might enjoy God’s favor and blessing.  We see that those who enjoyed the temporary pleasures of the rich food and wine did not profit as did the obedient Jews who ate according to God’s instructions by faith in His Word.  Take time today and allow God to show you how to live separated lives in this culture.  What things should you purpose not to defile yourselves with?  What should you be “eating”?  Remember the blessings of godly character and living by faith!

Greetings!  Another week is over and a day of rest and reflection is upon us!  Hopefully, you are spending part of this day with God’s family in a place of worship!  God redeemed us from slavery to sin to lead a life of worship!  We are to worship personally and corporately.  We come together to encourage each other and to meet with the family of God and prepare for a week of ministry and witness. We come together to hear the Word of God preached and taught by those with gifts for the body.  The gifts in the body help us to become equipped to do the work God has for each member of the family.  (Ephesians 4:11-16)

This week has been an interesting look at Moses as an elder and prophet sharing his heart at the very end of his ministry and time here on earth.  He is strong and vigorous at 120 years of age.  Evidently that manna and water diet kept him very well!  He was greatly concerned for the younger kids of the next generation.  He wanted them to be blessed and prosper and get all that the Lord had promised of their inheritance.  He clearly understood how their sinful human nature was a danger to them.  He shared that nature and because of his own anger and dishonoring of God would not be able to go into the promised land.  Deuteronomy is the record of his last messages preached to this next generation before he died.

It is also interesting that God chose the preaching of His Word to be the vehicle of teaching and inspiring this next generation. (1st Corinthians 1:21)  Faith comes by hearing God’s Word!  (Romans 10:17)  Faith also works by love and God calls them to love Him and love each other! (Galatians 5:6) This love is not a feeling, but a commitment to act for the highest good of another.  God’s promises show His love and our faith and obedience show our love in return!  God’s love hasn’t changed today!  He is still using preaching to reach people and inspire faith in them. (Romans 10:14-15)  He still desires faith and obedience as a show of our love for Him.   (1st John 5:2-4)  When we walk in faith and obedience and love, His face shines on us! (Number 6:22-27)  May God bless you with faith and love for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!  Have a great day of rest and reflection!