Making A Difference Daily

Today’s Passage – Genesis 20 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 13 – 14; Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7

Read the “0107 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this passage: “God Will Provide Himself a Lamb,“ and “The Whole Truth.”

“And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.” (Genesis 20:6)

Abraham told Abimelech king of Gerar that Sarah was his sister which, as we find out, is true but not quite the full truth. Abimelech has no reason not to believe him and as a result takes her for himself. Before he ever does anything with her the Lord appears harshly to him in a dream saying, “thou art but a dead man.” Eventually, they get it figured out and he gives her back to Abraham. Abraham then prays for Abimelech, specifically requesting that the women of Gerar would be able to bare children again because the Lord had closed up their wombs for Sarah’s sake.

There is a lot not right with this story and mainly it’s about how Abraham handled this situation completely wrong. He didn’t trust God. He was willing to watch another man take his wife to save his own life, and this wasn’t the first time he had done this. Another point to see in this is how awesome God is at taking our mess-ups and making them works of art. In the end Abraham was tremendously blessed by Abimelech. It is a great picture of God’s grace. 

However, my thought is not derived from either of these things but rather on King Abimelech and how we can relate with him. Have you ever tried to do something like apply for a job, buy a house, or pursue a certain dream only to be met with blockade after blockade as if the very hand of God was fighting against you? You may be pursuing something good in the integrity of your heart, just like it says about Abimelech taking Sarah. You might not be trying to do anything wrong but you can’t see it from Heaven’s perspective. It felt like God was punishing Abimelech, but rather God protected him by withholding him from sinning against God. The same goes for us, we can’t see what He see’s. He could be protecting us from some unforeseen danger.

Trust God and follow his will.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Today’s Passage – Genesis 17 – 19 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 11 – 12; Proverbs 6; Psalms 26 – 30

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 25

Read the “0106 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from this passage –“Don’t Look Back,” “Abraham Did a Little Walking With God, Too,”and “The Prayer of a Friend”

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Genesis 18:19)

The big story from our passage today involves the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, apparently along with other “cities of the plain” (Genesis 19:28 – 29; Deuteronomy 29:23). Before the Lord destroys those cities, however, He visits with Abraham and lets him know about His plans. In chapter eighteen, He appears in bodily form with two other “men.” Bible students have long debated as to who or what these men were who arrived with the Lord and then leave the Lord alone with Abraham (Genesis 18:22), but it is logical to conclude that they are the same angels who show up, again in bodily form in Sodom in chapter nineteen.

The verse that drew my attention for this post is Genesis 18:17 – 19 where the Lord discusses with the angels his plan to reveal to Abraham ahead of time what he plans to do with Sodom and Gomorrah. He tells the angels that He “knows” Abraham, and then He reveals specifically that He knows what Abraham will do and be, not just who he was previously. God is the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 21:6; 22:13). He knows everything about us past, present, and future. He not only knows our past, He knows our potential. We tend to only see ourselves in our present and past state, but God sees who we can be in the future.

Notice also that God made a covenant (Genesis 15:18; Genesis 17) with Abraham based upon what He knew about him (foreknowledge). The last statement in verse nineteen states: “that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” There is a lot to think about from this verse, but the practical point I am trying to make is this: If God calls you to do something, it is because He knows what you will be as well as what you can do. You only know about what you have already done, but God knows what you can and will do. I made a decision a long time ago that If I was asked to do something that I believed was the will of God – even something seemingly impossible for me – I would step out in faith to do it. Your “I can’t do that” thoughts are based upon what you have already done, not based upon what God knows you can do. More importantly, God knows what He wants to do and can do through you. I am not saying that you can do anything that you want to do, but you can and should do anything that God wants you to do. God said to Abraham and Sarah in this same chapter, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD? (Genesis 18:14a) The answer is no. God can do in and through you whatever He wills. You just need to say yes to His will.

Today’s Passages – Genesis 13 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 9 – 10; Proverbs 5; Psalms 21 – 25)

Read the “0105 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from today’s passage – “Balanced and Biblical Separation;” “Relationships are More Important than Riches;” “Gardens and Green Grass or God’s Will?”

“And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.” (Genesis 14:14)

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

Abraham demonstrated that he was a good friend to a man who in the past was not so friendly to Abraham. Back in Genesis 13:8 – 11 , Abraham’s nephew Lot decided that he no longer wanted to live in the same place that Abraham dwelt in. He said that there just wasn’t enough grazing grass for the both of them and their large herds. He wanted to move away from the man that had taken him in and took care of him after his dad died (See Genesis 11:27 – 28). Abraham was very gracious to Lot and allowed him to make the first choice about where he wanted to be, and Abraham agreed to settle away from whatever area that Lot chose. Lot’s choice was the “well watered” plain of the Jordan Valley.

Time moves on as it always does, and Lot eventually ends up living near and then inside of the very wicked city of Sodom. When Sodom and four other cities are conquered and taken captive by a confederation of four kings, Lot and his family are taken into captivity with them. Abraham could have forgotten about Lot and left him in the hands of the Canaanites, but Abraham was a good friend to Lot, and came to his rescue. A good friend will help even when the person they are helping has not been very friendly. Abraham will later come to Lot’s rescue again by interceding for him to God (see Genesis 18:23 – 33) when God was about to destroy cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, including all the people living in them. God spares Lot and some of his family by removing them from the city before the destruction came (See Genesis 19).

Uncle Abraham was not a “fair weather friend” to Lot. He made a choice to be a friend to him, and he continued acting as his friend even when his kindness was not being reciprocated. People may not always be friendly, kind, and loving to us; but we can choose to be a friend to them regardless. Christ acted as our friend by dying for us when we were not deserving, and He still is our friend today. Let’s take the spiritual high road in our friendships. Let’s choose to be good to people, to be friendly towards them, even when they are not being very kind to us.

One more thought. While we should always choose to be friendly to all people, we should also be careful who we allow to be good friends to us. If we let the wrong people get close to us and influence us, it could pull us out of the will of God. Remember, “Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab” (2 Samuel 13:3), but Jonadab wasn’t a very good friend. Amnon should have been a little wiser in who he chose for his friend, it would have saved him a lot of heartache, and in the long run it would have saved his life.

Today’s Passage – Genesis 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 7 – 8; Proverbs 4; Psalms 16 – 20)

Read the 0104 Evening and Morning devotion for today by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.” (Genesis 12:11-20)

Good morning. Or is that ‘just a little white lie’? Good morning? Actually, any time you can get up early and join brothers in prayer is a good morning. A few years ago I was given a neat Christmas gift, actually a New Years gift: Dr. Paul Chappell’s Stewarding Life Planner. In the planner, I needed to develop a ‘purpose statement’. I want to share with you the first part of my purpose statement…

The purpose of my life is to glorify God through preaching the gospel (John 15:8), being truthful (Joshua 7:9), and by giving Him praise (Psalm 86:12).

How do you feel about lies? Would you prefer someone to tell you a lie or the truth? I would prefer the truth. Even if it was something about a mistake I made, I would then know that I have something that needs changing: something to repair in my life. Truth is the most solid, stable, unmovable object that you can hold onto. If you could move or change truth, it stops being truth and becomes a lie…

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in TRUTH: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in TRUTH.” (John 4:23-24)

“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6)

Aren’t you glad you have a God who is the Truth, and changes not? And it should be easy for you to be truthful with God when you realize that He already knows what sins you will commit tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, and you don’t. The truth of the matter is that our lies affect those around us. In our text, Abraham told a half truth, which makes it a lie, and he did it to protect his own neck. The result was that the Lord plagued all of Pharaoh’s house with great plagues. In an effort to cover up his sin with Bathsheba, David tried to make it look like her future baby was from her husband, Uriah. When that did not work, David had Uriah killed in battle. David’s lie cost Uriah his life, also the life of the child he had made. Of course Eve believed the greatest lie of all time, and the entire world was plunged into sin. What can we do? Let me give you several key truths and verses to remember. Remember that lies are sin, even the little white lie…

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all LIARS shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

Remember where lies come from…

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

Remember God is Truth, and He does not change, so as Psalm 136 tells us 26 times that His mercy endureth forever…

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

Remember, if you have Jesus, you have the Truth living in you…

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in TRUTH: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in TRUTH.” (John 4:23-24)

God is looking for His people to worship Him in truth. Why not give Him what He wants in 2020.

Peace! (John 14:6)

Today’s Passages – Revelation 11 – 15 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 136 – 140; Proverbs 28)

“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (Revelation 11:3-13)

Good morning. When I read this passage, I started thinking about Ben and Robert: two friends who went home to be with the Lord. I thought about my Uncle Frankie, my brother, my mom and dad. They’re all in Heaven. We are all stamped with an expiration date that only God can change. As I look near the bottom of my computer screen, I see a picture of Melissa. I am comforted in knowing she is with the Lord, though I still miss her. But there is a great deal of comfort to be found in this passage…

Notice that there were two witnesses.

Did you know that when you have Jesus, you are never alone? Jesus is always with you. This is what the Lord told Joshua…

“Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: 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: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 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. 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 whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:1-9)

And according to Hebrews 13:5, God makes the same promise to us: He will never leave us, nor forsake us. So you are never going to be alone.

Secondly, notice that God had a job for them to do. He has a job for us to do also. And these two witnesses went forward with their work in the power of God. Nothing could stop them until there work was completed. What stops you? Jesus told us that without Him we could do nothing. These men went forward in the power of the Lord and we should also…

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

When their testimony for the Lord was completed, God had another job for them to do: to die. Their work on earth was not over yet. The beast overcame them and killed them, but their lives were in the hands of the One who gave them life.

Are you sitting on the shelf, self-imprisoned? Are the devils celebrating the fact that you are no longer a threat? Do you long to get back into the Lord’s work? Have you been dead too long? It’s time to resurrect…

“And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.” (Revelation 11:7-11)

And we know that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7) and wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Then look at what happened…

“And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (Revelation 11:12-13)

Because of Jesus, we are never alone.

Because of Jesus, we have a testimony.

Because of Jesus, we have the power to share that testimony.

Because of Jesus, we can witness in death as well as life.

Got Jesus?

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1John 5:12)

Peace.

Today’s Passage – Hebrews 12 – James 1; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 101 – 105; Proverbs 21)

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:13-17)

Good morning. My wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and I did not know. Don’t laugh: do you know what you want for Christmas? There was a time when I could answer that question. Something would catch my eye, either on TV or in a catalog, and I thought I really wanted whatever it was. Now that I’m old, I guess I’m not impressed by the things of this world. There was a time when I was amazed at new technology. I saw a commercial the other day for a new wristwatch. One that could do just about everything a smart phone could. Amazing how far LSI (Large Scale Integration) has come: cramming all that stuff into a wristwatch. Okay, maybe I am a little impressed; do I want one? Na, I’d probably have the screen shattered within the first month. What do you want for Christmas?

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” (Genesis 3:6)

And you know what happened after that. That ‘gift’ Adam received from Eve caused the downfall of all mankind. But James 1:17 tells us…

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)

Let me give you three characteristics of the Perfect Gift…

1) It costs the giver, not the receiver.

“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.” (John 3:16)

2) It is perfect: exactly what you needed.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

3) It is made to be shared so others will benefit from the gift also.

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1Peter 4:10)

This Christmas, let’s try to stay focused on God’s Perfect Gift…

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face;

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

Merry Christmas! (Luke 2:13-14)

Today’s Passage – 1 Thessalonians 1 – 5; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read –Psalms 66 – 70; Proverbs 14)

“Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.” (1Thessalonians 3:1-4)

Good morning. If you look at the cover of my Bible, you will find my name and a verse inscribed: John 16:33…

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John16:33)

Jesus said that. Habakkuk said he would still rejoice in the Lord…

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

Job told his ‘friends’ that he would trust in the LORD though He slay me…

“Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay. Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will. Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand? Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.” (Job 13:12-16)

Tribulation is going to happen in our lives, yet we can be of good cheer, rejoice, and trust in the LORD. Let’s take a look at the life of Paul…

“Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands. It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2Corinthians 11:23-12:10)

Are you feeling strong today? Are you rejoicing in the troubled that are coming your way? Are you upset because you could not get close parking when you went to the mall? My feet feel for you. Be thankful that you didn’t go through what Paul went through.

Peace.

Today’s Passages – 2 Corinthians 11 – 13; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read –Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7)

“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. Greet one another with an holy kiss. All the saints salute you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.” (2Corinthians 13:11-14)

Good morning. Paul is concluding his letter to the Corinthians. Under the dictation of the Holy Spirit, he writes us a To-Do list…

Be perfect (complete).

Be of good comfort.

Be of one mind.

Live in peace.

Matthew Henry gives a good explanation of these in his commentary…

“(1.) To be perfect, or to be knit together in love, which would tend greatly to their advantage as a church, or Christian society. (2.) To be of good comfort under all the sufferings and persecutions they might endure for the cause of Christ or any calamities and disappointments they might meet with in the world. (3.) To be of one mind, which would greatly tend to their comfort; for the more easy we are with our brethren the more ease we shall have in our own souls. The apostle would have them, as far as was possible, to be of the same opinion and judgment; however, if this could not be attained, yet, (4.) He exhorts them to live in peace, that difference in opinion should not cause an alienation of affections – that they should be at peace among themselves. He would have all the schisms that were among them healed, that there should be no more contention and wrath found among them, to prevent which they should avoid debates, envyings, backbitings, whisperings, and such like enemies to peace.”

Paul wrote in 2Corinthians 13:10…

“Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.” (2Corinthians 13:10)

If the Apostle Paul came to your church, would he have to use sharpness to get you to do what was right? Or, could he be uplifting , building you up: edifying you. In 1Corinthians 14:12…

“Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” (1Corinthians 14:12)

And in verse 26, “…Let all things be done unto edifying.”

When you edify someone, you build them up in the Lord: train them as a child in the way they should go, and they will help someone else; and so on.

Today the teens are going to the Youth Congress out in New Egypt, NJ. They will be receiving a Christian Life Journal. I would ask them to add one more question to the daily page if it is not already there: “What did I do to edify someone today?”

If we answer that question on a daily basis, we will be focused on what Jesus was focused on: others. If we get our eyes off ourselves, and look to the needs of others, edifying them, God’s work will get done.

Let me leave you with an example that my wife and I are very thankful for. Two actually: one from God, and one from someone unknown…

On December 6, 2013, was my daughter’s 38th (44th yesterday) birthday. Camille and I celebrated by going over to the grave, adding new flowers, and a few other Christmas items. It had been raining and drizzling all day. When we got to the cemetery, God held back the rain. We were edified: God reinforced the fact to us that He is in control. He cares for us in the little things, as well as the big. Just think about it: the Creator, who spoke everything we have into existence cared enough about us to hold back the rain while we went to the grave. Just a note: as we drove away, the rain came down in buckets! God is good!

Part two of this is also a part of what inspired this blog today. Somebody had come and visited Melissa’s grave earlier, and left a message written in the ground behind the gravestone. Maybe the message was from God too. I know we received much joy from reading it, and knowing that someone else cared. The message simply said, “I LOVE YOU.”

Peace! (JOY: Jesus, Others, You)

Today’s Passages – 1 Corinthians 1 – 5; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 146 – 150; Proverbs 30)

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Corinthians 1:10)

Can you imagine what our churches would be like if we were “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment”? Can you imagine all the souls getting saved and baptized each week because they want what we have? Can you imagine the impact we would have on our communities, on our states, on our country? Can you imagine? Even the liberals may get converted!

It came to Paul’s attention that there were contentions among the members of the church at Corinth. It had gotten to the point where Paul had to plead with the church to be of one mind. Paul wrote in Philippians chapter 2…

“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.” (Philippians 2:5-8)

Jesus, who is God the Son, was in the form of God, and thought it not robbery to be equal with God. If He were not God, He would have been steeling glory and worship from God. That would be sin, and that would make His sacrifice worthless, and He would have never risen from the grave. But He is God, and being God, He is perfect, and He rose from the grave, and all the glory and honor and worship goes to God.

Can you imagine if we were all of that same mind? Jesus, as God, humbled Himself putting on flesh and became a man, and was obedient even unto death on the cross. All that because He loved us. Can you imagine if we had the same love for each other? But of course we would have to be of the same mind and under control of the God the Holy Spirit to even come close.

With the Holy Spirit in control, the life of the Christian, and the life of the church, would be showing the fruit of the Spirit…

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:22-26)

Can you imagine if we had the same mind? How about the same judgment? God’s mind and His judgment are available to us from the same place: the Holy Bible: the Word of God. God’s Word has everything we need to have His mind and judgment. How can we make it our own?

1) PRAY…

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)

2) READ…

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” (Psalm 119:9)

3) LEARN…

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11)

Can you imagine?

Peace.

Today’s Passages – Acts 23 – 25; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)

“And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” (Acts 24:24-25)

And wouldn’t you tremble too? Good morning. Felix listened while Paul tried to reason with him. And Felix trembled. And why not? Paul was giving Felix the Word of God. The Holy Spirit was at work on Felix’s heart. It was if the Lord Himself were speaking to Felix. And Felix trembled. Paul reasoned…

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)

1) Paul reasoned of righteousness. Your righteousness must be greater than the righteousness of the Pharisees…

“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

And you know what God says about our righteousness…

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

And…

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…” (Romans 3:10)

Only the Lord can make you righteous…

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2Corinthians 5:21)

He is our righteousness…

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

And Felix trembled as…

2) Paul reasoned of temperance. Felix, you need some self control. I’m trying to tell you about the Lord, and all you can think about is money…

“He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.” (Acts 24:26)

Temperance is also from the Lord. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit…

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:22-26)

And Felix trembled.

3) Paul reasoned of the judgment to come.

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:7-15)

And Felix trembled. Are you trembling? Jesus is coming back soon. Are you ready? You can be. If you have never called on the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your heart and save you, then you need to do it before it’s too late. Don’t tremble like Felix. Start rejoicing because the trumpet is about to sound!

Peace.