What will it profit a man? ~ Bob Coy

PERSPECTIVE'S POWER

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8:36 (NKJV)

Perspective is a powerful thing. In fact, a person's perspective is practically everything. It will determine how he spends his time, the associations he makes, and the thoughts he dwells on. In short, perspective dictates the way people live their lives. 

Jesus was the Master of providing perspective, which He does by posing this question, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" Translation: Look at your life through an eternal lens, not an earthly lens! 

The truth of the matter is that eventually our life here on earth will come to an end. When it does, all the trinkets and toys-absolutely everything we've accrued and acquired here on earth-will forever fade away. The stuff of this world won't be making it into the next, and those who are consumed and committed to the things of this world are in for a rude awakening. It's like fighting over the deckchair with the best view on the Titanic. It just won't matter in the end. 

Sadly, too many people spend their years living that way because they lack the perspective Jesus presents in this passage. If everyone lived with eternity in mind, if they made decisions and choices based on the infinite existence that is ahead, things would look a lot different. There'd be more grace than greed, more mercy than materialism, more blessing than burden. They'd look more like Jesus. 

The good news is that no matter how long we may have lived for this world, it's not too late to prioritize matters of the soul and begin investing in the Kingdom of God.

Discuss and share something in your life that you pursued with passion and later discovered wasn?t worth as much as you had thought.

How did your perspective change?

Dig into Mark 8:35?37.

Why do you think Jesus shared this with His followers?

What makes this teaching so difficult for us?

In what ways are you trying to gain the world? In what ways do you feel you may be losing your soul?

Decide as a group to pray for your employers.

Ask God to give them an eternal perspective and to use your witness to draw them closer to Christ.

Our actions say a great deal about what we believe ~ Jack Graham

And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, “Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.”

-- Luke 10:35

Our actions say a great deal about what we believe. And Wallace Hamilton, a great preacher from yesteryear, really brought home this truth when he preached about the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.  

He said that we can see three distinct philosophies about life in the actions of the story’s main characters. The first life philosophy is demonstrated by the thieves. Their actions said, “What’s yours is mine and I’ll take it.” Many people live that way, taking from others.

The second philosophy is seen in the actions of the priest and Levite who revealed a selfish philosophy: “What’s mine is mine and I’ll keep it.” These were men blessed by God, but didn’t share anything in return.

And finally, the third philosophy is demonstrated by the Samaritan who stopped to help the man. His actions said, “What is mine is yours and I will give it.” Moved by compassion, he gave of himself—of his time and his finances.

So what do your actions say about your philosophy of life? Are you a taker, a hoarder, or are you sharing your love, compassion, and means with those who need it?

If you love God, roll up your sleeves and help your neighbor in need! Jump in with all that you have.

WHAT DO YOUR ACTIONS SAY ABOUT YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE?

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” ~ David McGee

Matthew 13:9 ”He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” NKJV

Life Lesson: We should do the Bible not just hear the Bible.

Pastor John Chinelly, from Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, gave an awesome and insightful teaching tonight from the parables of Jesus. Thanks Pastor John for sharing with us.
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Jesus would often teach a moral truth by connecting natural things to make incredible spiritual points. Too often; however, the people did not want to hear the Truth He brought.

Jesus was fond of saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Obviously, God gave us ears for listening.

Do we always? If we were honest with ourselves, we would have to say no.

“The teaching was on point today” or “I just wasn’t feelin’ it today”…Things overheard from people leaving countless churches across this land. Why do we come to church? Is it to grade the teacher? Is it to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching? No. We come to church to hear from God.
The Apostle John wrote that the same Holy Spirit that instructs the teacher also instructs the Christian. The Bible tells us that scripture isGod-breathed, and it is a discerner of the heart’s intentions which does not return void (doesn’t fail) (1 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 55:11). So, whose fault is it when we go to church, listen to a teaching from the Bible, and don’t receive? Here’s a hint: It’s not the teacher, it’s not the Bible and it’s not God. That’s right. It’s our own fault. We don’t hear because we don’t like the challenge.
We should never walk away from church (no matter who the teacher is) without realizing a change or recognizing a step we need to take. Make it your personal commitment to find the life-challenge, the life lesson within each teaching and apply it to your life. Share it with a friend or a family member. Ask them to hold you accountable for making that change.

James 1:25 “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. NKJV

Dear Father,
Thank You for loving me. I know I am incapable of paying the debt of my sins. Thank You for providing Your Son, Jesus, to forgive the debt of all my sins. I am grateful that You delight in having a relationship with me. Lord, help me to apply Your Word in my daily life and live out a life of peace and faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,

Obeying God’s Will ~ Raul Ries

“Blessed are those who keep His Testimonies, who seek
Him with the whole heart!”
Psalm 119:2

As believers, the most important thing we must do is obey God’s will. There is nothing in our life that requires our attention more than fulfilling our purpose to obey God’s will for our life.

St. Anselm said, “If you should find yourselves in the sight of God and one said to you: ‘Look thither’ and God on the other hand, should say ‘It is not My will that you should look;’ ask your own heart what there is in all existing things which would make it right for you to give that look contrary to the will of God? I must confess that I ought not to oppose the will of God even to preserve the whole creation.”

Thought for the Day:

To experience the glory of God’s will for us means absolute trust. It means the will to do His will and it means joy.

“Through love serve one another” ~ Chuck Swindohll

Act Medium
by Charles R. Swindoll 

Matthew 20

The children worked long and hard on their little cardboard shack. It was to be a special spot—a clubhouse, where they could meet together, play, and have fun. Since a clubhouse has to have rules, they came up with three:

1. Nobody act big.
   
   
   
2. Nobody act small.
   
   
   
3. Everybody act medium.
   
   
   

Not bad theology! In different words, God says the very same thing: “Let each of you regard one another as more important than himself” (Phil. 2:3). “Through love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13).

Just “act medium.” Believable. Honest, human, thoughtful, and down to earth. Regardless of your elevated position or high pile of honors or row of degrees or endless list of achievements, just stay real.

What is it Solomon said?

“Let another praise you . . . a stranger, and not your own lips" (Prov. 27:2).

Meaning what?

Meaning no self-reference to some enviable accomplishment. Meaning refusal to scratch a back when yours itches. Meaning no desire to manipulate and manufacture praise. Meaning authentic surprise when applauded.

Like the inimitable Principal Cairns, headmaster of an English school, who was walking onto the platform along with other dignitaries. As he stepped up, a burst of spontaneous applause arose from the audience. In characteristic modesty, Cairns stepped back to let the man behind pass by . . . as he began to applaud his colleague. He genuinely assumed the applause was for another.

But one final warning: Don’t try to fake it. False humility stinks worse than raw conceit.

The answer is not in trying to appear worthless or “wormy.” The answer lies in consistently taking notice of others’ achievements, recognizing others’ skills and contributions . . . and saying so. That’s called serving others in love. And that’s what Christ did.

“Nobody act big. Nobody act small. Everybody act medium.”

Such good advice from a clubhouse full of kids who, by the way, are pretty good at practicing what they preach.

Make yourself a little plaque with this rule on it
and put it in a place where you will see it every day.

Are you applying your leadership skills at home? (95-3) ~ Barry Werner

Are you applying your leadership skills at home? (95-3)

Every human being has leadership responsibility. Sometimes the sphere of influence is as small as our personal life or our family but the same principles apply for successful leadership at every level. 

Read 2 Samuel 16:1-18; 18.

It is hard to find a more tragic case study in the Bible of leadership-gone-bad than the story of David’s son Absalom. For all of David’s strengths as a leader, he failed as a leader in his own home. We see no indication from what is written in the Bible, that as a father, David helped Absalom acquire a heart for God.

Absalom grew up as a child of privilege in the palace. He was charismatic, attractive, and had great natural leadership gifts. Because David did not use his leadership gifts with his family the same way he did for the nation, Absalom’s inner circle of friends became his advisors and influenced his treachery by giving him bad counsel. When godly leaders do not use their influence to shape the thinking of those closest to them, it should not surprise them when people with different values shape their thinking.

Absalom’s abuse of positional power, won through great natural talent, inflicted a lot of pain on many Israelites. His lack of respect for authority, combined with a lack of respect for God, led to chaos in the kingdom. We can only wonder what might have happened had David applied his leadership skills in his own family and shed his tears before God seeking His help to shape Absalom’s values as a boy while under his roof rather than shedding those tears at his funeral (2 Samuel 18:33).

Are you applying your positive leadership influence in your family, with your friends, in your church or just at your workplace? 

Wise godly leaders use their influence in every area of their life not just their work life.

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« Is your effectiveness as a leader growing? (95-2)

Have you paid the price to develop healthy allies? (95-4) »

A God-fashioned Life ~ Rick Warren

"Take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you (Ephesians 4:22-24 MSG)."

Many religions and New Age philosophies promote the old lie that we are divine or can become gods. Let me be absolutely clear: you will never become God, or even a god.

That prideful lie is Satan’s oldest temptation. Satan promised Adam and Eve that if they followed his advice, “you shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5 KJV).

This desire to be a god shows up every time we try to control our circumstances, our future, and people around us. But as creatures, we will never be the Creator. God doesn’t want you to become a god; he wants you to become godly, taking on his values, attitudes, and character. We are meant to “take on ... a God-fashioned life” (Ephesians 4:22-24 MSG).

God’s ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ. Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a mindless clone.

God created your uniqueness, so he certainly doesn’t want to destroy it. Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your personality.

God wants you to develop the kind of character described in the Beatitudes of Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit, Paul’s great chapter on love, and Peter’s list of the characteristics of an effective and productive life (Matthew 5:1-12, Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 13, 2 Peter 1:5-8).

Every time you forget that character is one of God’s purposes for your life, you will become frustrated by your circumstances. You’ll wonder, “Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time?” One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult! It’s what enables us to grow. Remember, earth is not heaven!

Many Christians misinterpret Jesus’ promise of the “abundant life” (John 10:10) to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle, constant happiness, full realization of your dreams, and instant relief from problems through faith and prayer.

In a word, they expect the Christian life to be easy. They expect heaven on earth.

This self-absorbed perspective treats God as a genie who simply exists to serve you in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment. But God is not your servant, and if you fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy, either you will become severely disillusioned or you will live in denial of reality.

Never forget that life is not about you! You exist for God’s purposes, not vice versa. Why would God provide heaven on earth when he’s planned the real thing for you in eternity? God gives us our time on earth to build and strengthen our character for heaven.

Where are You, God? ~ Jon Courson

… Through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
	1 Peter 1:5
A young man who was being hazed by a college fraternity was taken to a secluded spot where he was told to hold on to a knot at the end of a greased rope as his fraternity brothers lowered him into a dark well. Thinking they would pull him up after a few minutes, he was terrified to see them tie their end of the rope to the bar across the top of the well, leaving him suspended in mid-air.  ‘This can’t be!’ he thought as he called for help. But none came.  As he approached the 15-minute mark, his arms aching unbelievably and his shoulders feeling as though they were on fire, he started to cry.  Finally, after about 25 tortuous minutes, able to hang on no longer, he let go — and fell 2 inches — just as his fraternity brothers had calculated.  Isn’t that just like us? ‘Where are You, God? I don’t know if I’m going to make it, we cry. We fret and blubber and scream until finally we let go. And guess what we find? We discover that our Solid Rock, Jesus Christ, was there all along.  A bunch of us have burning shoulders and aching arms for absolutely no reason. We’re trying to hang on through our own efforts, by our own spirituality. We get disgusted with ourselves and worried we’re not going to make it. But if we would just let go of the rope and rest in what Jesus did on the Cross of Calvary, we would realize it’s not our puny efforts which will see us through, but the power of God. This is what Peter is telling the believers who no doubt were wondering whether, when the temperature rose and persecution came down, they would be able to hang in there.  ‘I want you to know something,’ Peter said. ‘You have an inheritance waiting for you which can’t be taken from you. You are kept by the power of God who is committed to see you through. And all that remains for you to do is believe.’

Time for Success ~ Charles Stanley

Ephesians 5:15-17
 

Every night before falling asleep, I write down my goals for the following day. Upon waking, I read through the list in order to focus my energy on what is most important. If this were not part of my routine, the limited hours available would not be utilized effectively. 

The Bible clearly teaches us to use our days wisely. Time is a gift. Almighty God has given each person a span of days to live on earth. But our life is fleeting and uncertain—James compares it to a vapor that “appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Time is also irrevocable—we cannot hit “rewind” and undo anything.

Considering this, it is foolish to waste such a precious resource. But so often, we do. Be alert to avoid these hindrances to living each moment fully and purposefully:

• Misplaced priorities result in wasted opportunities. Our values will determine the emphasis we place on each activity and the amount of time we allot to it.

• Procrastination and perfectionism soak up valuable time that could have been used to benefit the kingdom.

• Lack of concentration drains time of its potential. For example, we have to train ourselves to focus on reading God’s Word and not to get sidetracked.

What values drive the way you utilize your time? Is there something that keeps you from living each moment in a way that pleases the Lord? You will never have a chance to live today again.

Therefore, ask God for guidance and direction so that you can live each day with intention.

The Burning Word Within! ~ Kay Arthur

Jeremiah, Part 1 (Return To Me)

The Burning Word Within!


Are you hurting, Beloved? Are you worn out? Are you just aching because you are so tired and weary from standing for the Lord, from speaking truth? From having people laugh at you? Jest about you? Get quiet when you walk in a room, walk away and avoid you? Do you have people say, “Can‟t you talk about anything else, but Jesus?” O Beloved, Jeremiah understands, and I do too.

Oh Beloved, the closer that you and I come to the last of the last days, and I believe they are right around the corner, but the closer that you and I come the harder it‟s going to get to stand for the Lord. People are not going to want to hear what you have to say. They are not going to want to hear that there is a day of judgment coming. They are not going to believe that God is righteous, and in His righteousness He has to judge sin. He is a just God. He is a righteous God. He is a holy God. And if you will repent, if you will turn to Him, His arms are open wide.

But there is a day coming when His wrath will be poured out on this earth. It‟s called the seven bowls of wrath. It is called the day of the Lord. It is mentioned throughout the Old Testament in the prophets. It is mentioned in Thessalonians. It is mentioned in the book of Revelation. It is coming. It is mentioned in the gospels. It is a day of wrath that is coming.
Why? Because as our theme for this week is justice and righteousness that‟s why it‟s going to happen.

Now in the midst of all this, Jeremiah has gone to the potter‟s house. He‟s gotten the pot. He‟s gone to the potsherd gate in the valley of Ben-hinnom. And he has taken that pot, and he has smashed that pot into smithereens in such a way that the fragments are such as the pot can never be mended again. And people don‟t like it. Pashhur the priest takes Jeremiah, beats Jeremiah and puts him in stocks, both the feet and the hands in stocks. And then releases him. And Jeremiah turns, and he tells Pashhur what is going to happen to him and his friends. How he is going to be renamed as terror on every side. How he is going to be taken into Babylon as a captive, and how he and his friends are going to die there.

Let me pick up in these last verses in Jeremiah chapter 20, in verse 5. He says, “„“I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce…all its costly things; even all the treasures of the king of Judah I will give [them] over to the hands of their enemies, and they will plunder them, [and] take them away and bring them to Babylon. And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and…,”‟” he says, “„“…[And] you will enter Babylon, and there you will die….”‟” I put a black tombstone over “die.” And he says, “„“…And there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you…,”‟” now listen. Catch this, “„“…have falsely prophesied.”‟” (Jeremiah 20:5-6)

Do you realize that there are many, many false prophets in the United States of America today and around the world? Do you know that there are certain Christian channels that have gotten into countries and people wish they had never come because there is a plethora of false prophets. There is a plethora of people who prophesy their dreams, prophesy their imaginations, and do not teach the Word of God. And the people in that country become confused. The church becomes divided, and they wish that they had never shown up.

And yet, do you know that there are not a lot people that really want a true prophet? They really don‟t want to know if judgment is coming. They want to hear about peace. They want good news. When President Obama took office, and we have all of this about the stimulus package and a budget that is just loaded with earmarks, and is just humungous, and is going to some people believe, literally ruin the United States of America.

Listen, if you stood to talk against this, they didn‟t want to hear it. They did not want to sit down at the negotiating table and take time and figure it all out. Well, same thing in the days of Jeremiah. They do not want to hear. They only want peace, peace. What does this do to Jeremiah? I mean, you talk about a shattered pot. Listen, to Jeremiah at this time because I think that you may relate to him.

Now I want you to know that when we give truth we‟re to give it in kindness. We‟re to give it with gracious speech. We are to not gloat over what‟s going to happen. We‟re not to stand up there and be rude and crude to those who disagree with us. We are to respect the office of the president of the United States of America. Let me just show you a verse in Titus that I think is so important for us to know because when I look at the way that they talked about President Bush when he went out of office and that, it just grieved my heart.

In Titus chapter 3 it says, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one...,” (Titus 3:1-2) doesn‟t mean you can‟t tell the truth, doesn‟t mean you can‟t say that they are wrong, but it means that you cannot malign them. You cannot degrade them. He says, “…To be peaceable, gentle, [ah] showing every consideration [to] all men.” (Titus 3:2) He says, “For we also once were foolish ourselves, [we were] disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spendin our life in malice and envy…[and] hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us….” (Titus 3:3-5) And He saved us so that we can walk and behave in the proper way.

But that does not mean that we are not going to bring a hard and difficult message. It does not mean that everybody is going to love us. Listen to what Jeremiah says in Jeremiah chapter 20, in verse 7, after he says this to Pashhur, “O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day….” (Jeremiah 20:7)

Now just imagine him in the stocks at the gate of Benjamin near the house of the Lord. Imagine him in that kind of a position of a twisted seat with his feet in stocks, and his head and hands in stocks, and people walking by him and mocking him. He says, “…I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks [at] me. For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I proclaim violence and destruction….” (Jeremiah 20:7-8) He says I have to tell the truth. And I have to tell them, “Hey listen, it‟s not going to be „Oh Happy Day.‟ It‟s not going to be “everything continues as it was.” It is not going to be easy; it is going to be difficult because God is a righteous God, and He is going to judge the world in righteousness and in truth.” And we make this proclamation, “…the word of the LORD has resulted in reproach and derision all day long.” (Jeremiah 20:8)

People just don‟t want to hear it. They didn‟t want to hear it in Jeremiah‟s day. And that‟s one of the key words “you did not listen.” He says, “But if I say, „I [am] not [ going to] remember Him… [anymore, I am not going to speak] anymore in His name,‟ then in my heart…becomes like a burning fire….” And I can‟t hold it in. He says, “…[It is] shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in…I cannot endure it.” (Jeremiah 20:9) I have to speak.

And see, you and I should so know the Word of God, the Word of God should dwell in us so richly that whenever we meet anyone we are able to give them a reason for the hope of the Word of God which is in us. (See 1 Peter 3:15)

And listen, even though it‟s hard, even though it‟s difficult, it always ends in hope if you listen to God, if you bow the knee, if you submit to God, if you turn from your wicked ways, if you return to the fountain of living waters, if you relent and repent. He says, “…I have heard the whispering of many, „Terror on every side! Denounce him; yes, let‟s denounce him!‟ All my trusted friends, [are] watching for my fall….” I mean, that is lonely when your trusted friends are standing there waiting for your fall. And saying, “…„Perhaps [he‟ll] be deceived, [or persuaded] so that we may prevail against…and take our revenge on him.‟” (Jeremiah 20:10) Perhaps we‟ll get him. Perhaps we‟ll catch him. Perhaps we‟ll ensnare him and he will be persuaded, and we can get even with him.

Boy, that‟s rough to live in that kind of environment isn‟t it? You long for justice. You long for righteousness. And we‟re going to see that in just a minute.

Welcome back, Beloved. In this culture and in this time, and you‟re going to see it more and more and more, Christians are going to be despised. Christians are going to be disdained. Christians are going to be rejected. Christians are going to be mocked. And eventually they‟re going to be persecuted. There is persecution now. I mean, we are verbally abused. We are verbally accused of all sorts of things. And all sorts of attitudes which we know in our heart are not right. We know what the Word of God says. We know what God call righteous and what God call unrighteousness. What God calls wickedness; what God calls sin. We know that sin cannot go unpunished. We know that God wrote it in numbers, “„…Be [ye] sure your sin will find you out.‟” (Numbers 32:23)

We know that, and yet you know what? They do not want to hear it. And as we saw, they are going to come against us. They are going to wait for our fall. So there we sit all alone in absolute total despair, beaten down. Oh, no! Listen to what Jeremiah says, “But the LORD is with me like a dread champion; therefore my persecutors will stumble and [they will] not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, with an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.” (Jeremiah 20:11)

Did you see that? Everlasting is everlasting. And their fall, their stumbling, that everlasting disgrace will never be forgotten. And I will tell you why, because each one of us is going to live forever. We‟re either going to live forever in the presence of God, or we‟re going to live forever in the lake of fire where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched. (See Isaiah 66:24)

Jesus talked about that lake of fire more than He talked about heaven. Why? Because He did not want people to perish, because He wanted people to listen to Him, because He wanted them to believe. Now Jesus left, and when Jesus left to go back to heaven to prepare a place for us, He commissioned us to go into all the world. He commissioned us to preach the gospel to all creatures. He commissioned us to make disciples, followers of all men. (See Matthew 28:19-20)

And that‟s what you do when you preach the gospel. He commissioned us to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He commissioned us to teach ‟em to observe all things. Whatsoever He commanded us. And then at the end after the commission what does he say? He says, “„…and, lo, I am with you always, even [unto] the [very] end of the age….‟” (Matthew 28:20)

Even until God pours out His wrath on all the inhabitants of the earth, He is with us. As He was with Jeremiah as a dread champion, Jesus promises His disciples and His followers that He will be with them.

It all reminds me of what happens to Paul in his final epistle in 2 Timothy chapter 4. He is writing to his son in the Lord. And he is telling his son in the Lord to endure suffering with him as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. He tells Timothy in verse 7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith….” (2 timothy 4:7) And he says, and “in the future there is…[a] crown of righteousness, [laid up for me]…and not [for me only], but…[for] all those who…love His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8) And then he talks about how all have forsaken him. And only Luke is with him.

And he‟s saying to Timothy come and bring the cloak and bring the parchment. And then he talks about Alexander the coppersmith who did him much harm. And he warns him to be on his guard against him. (See 2 Timothy 4:10-15) And then he says in verse 16, “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion‟s mouth. [And] the Lord will rescue me from every…deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever….” (2 Timothy 4:16-18)

As Jeremiah said, “He was with me like a dread champion.” And he could make it. Now listen to what he says. Go back to Jeremiah chapter 20, and it says, “…The LORD [was] with me like a dread champion; therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, with an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten. Yet, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, who see the mind and the heart; let me see Your vengeance on them; for to You I have set forth my cause.” (Jeremiah 20:11-12) What is he asking for? Is he being mean? Is he being vindictive? No. He‟s asking God to be just. He‟s asking God to be righteous. And for men to get away with injustice, for men to get away with unrighteous, for it never to be punished, Precious One, is to go against the character of God.

And so he says, “Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD! For He has delivered the soul of the needy one from the hand of evildoers. Cursed be the day when I was born; Let [not that] day…be blessed when my mother bore me! Cursed [is] the man who brought the news to my father, saying, „A baby boy has been born to you!‟ And [he] made him [my father] very happy. But let that man [that brought that news] be like the cities which the LORD overthrew without relenting…let him hear an outcry in the morning and a shout of alarm at noon; because he did not kill me before [my] birth, so that my mother would have been my grave and her womb ever pregnant.” (Jeremiah 20:13-17)

Unfortunately today a lot of children‟s graves are their mother‟s wombs because of abortion. He says, “Why did I ever come forth from the womb to look on trouble and sorrow, so that my days have been spent in shame?” (Jeremiah 20:17-18) He‟s up, now he‟s down. Why? It‟s because of the justice of God. It is because a holy God is going to take Israel like a pot and shatter them in a million little pieces that cannot be repaired. It‟s because a righteous God has to deal with sin and Jeremiah has been chosen by God when he was a youth to bring this message. Jeremiah was told, [Don‟t be dismayed by their faces] (PARAPHRASE, Jeremiah 1:17) And all Jeremiah is saying, „Oh, I wish I‟d never been born. I wish I‟d never had to see this day.”

And, Precious One, if that‟s where you‟re at it‟s understood. But you don‟t quit. You don‟t give up, the Lord is with you like a dread champion. He is strengthening you. You are to run. You will prevail because justice and righteousness will be had on this earth. So yes, sometime you think, and I know! I‟ve been there and you just wish that you hadn‟t been born. But you were born because God has a mission for you. Don‟t forget that.!

Still More Consequences of Accessing Grace through Faith ~ Bob Hoekstra

Who through faith…escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle. (Hebrews 11:34)

We have seen that by trusting in the Lord, His people "subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire" (Hebrews 11:33-34a). Other testimonies indicate that there are still more consequences of accessing grace through faith.

By faith, some of God's servants "escaped the edge of the sword." The prophet Elisha experienced this. The king of Syria sent his army to encompass the city. "There was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, 'Alas, my master! What shall we do?'" (2 Kings 6:15). Elisha saw the true situation by the eye of faith, so he prayed. " 'LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.' Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (2 Kings 6:17). Then, the Lord struck the enemy forces with blindness and delivered His people.

Others of God's people "out of weakness were made strong." King Jehoshaphat showed what this meant. "The people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others…came to battle against Jehoshaphat" (2 Chronicles 20:1). In weakness, the king cried out to the Lord. "We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us…but our eyes are upon You" (2 Chronicles 20:12). The Lord assured them of His victory. "The battle is not yours, but God's…You will not need to fight in this battle…stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you" (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17). Strengthened by faith and filled with expectation, they marched out to watch the enemy armies destroy one another.

Others "became valiant in battle." Samson exemplified this. "The Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him…and his bonds broke loose from his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey…and killed a thousand men with it" (Judges 15:14-15).

We may face many imminent threats, but we can trust the Lord to provide His escape. "The Lord will deliver me from every evil work" (2 Timothy 4:18). The Lord provides His strength, even when we are weak. "For My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Our God can also make us valiant in battle. "Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day" (Ephesians 6:13).

O Lord, You are my deliverer, my strength, and my source of courage. Teach me to look to You when I am in danger, when I am weak, and when the battles rage. I long to walk by faith in the blessed consequences of Your abounding grace, Amen.

The Centrality of the Resurrection ~ WoW 7 Minute Bible

The Centrality of the Resurrection 

1Corinthians 15:12-28,35-58; 16:1-4,13-14; Psalm 119:156,159-160; Proverbs 22:14

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 

Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up-if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 

And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 

But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For "He has put all things under His feet." But when He says "all things are put under Him," it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. 

But someone will say, "How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?" Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain-perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. 

All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. 

There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." 

The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 

However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.


Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." 

"O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?"


The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.


Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.


Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.


Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.
1 Corinthians 15:12-28, 35-58; 16:1-4, 13-14

WORSHIP

Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD;

Revive me according to Your judgments.

Consider how I love Your precepts;

Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.

The entirety of Your word is truth,

And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

Psalm 119:156, 159-160

WISDOM

The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit;

He who is abhorred by the LORD will fall there.

Proverbs 22:14

Keeps them from making a decision to follow Jesus ~ Mike MacIntosh

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring. And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise. So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife." Jesus answered and said to them,  "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? Mark 12:18-24 There are two things we all better take to heart before we leave this earth. Number one, we need to know the Scriptures, and number two, we need to know the power of God. The Sadducees were a religious group of people who were very wealthy and highly influential in the political scene. They didn't believe in differentiating between good and evil because they said it was a personal choice for everyone to make--everything was relative to them.  They didn't believe that God could do miracles, the resurrection being one of them. So they were an organized bunch of politicians who came across as being religious in order to gain influence among the people. Does that sound familiar? How many times do you see politicians attending multiple church services from varied religious groups. We can't help but think that their attendance is more politically-motivated than genuine. So here are these Sadducees trying to ask Jesus a really outrageous question. Look at Jesus' first words to them: "You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God."  The word for mistaken in the King James Version is a bit more accurate when it reads, "Do you not therefore err…" The Sadducees weren't just inadvertently making a mistake; they were willfully choosing to be in error. They denied that Jesus was who He said He was and they denied God's power. And this is where we can also make errors in life: by not being a person of the Word of God and not believing in and living by its power. We can get so sidetracked by questions and topics that have no real spiritual value.  We come into contact with people every week that want to find a chink in our armor; some weird tangential question that keeps them from making a decision to follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Don't allow their Sadduccaical questions to stray you from the focus of their need for a Savior in their lives. We get the awesome privilege to live out God's Word to a dying world. Don't forget its power in your life. Yes, God and His Word have the power to change lives--and to change your life! Do you believe it? Are you a living example of it? Don't be deceived by the so-called religious people or the politicians who deny the power of God. The Scriptures say that Jesus is coming back and that those who have lived by faith will be raised together with Him. Trust in His Word and trust in His power to save. Complete trust in God makes for great worship. Believing and living out God's Word makes for happy homes and families. Being a person of the Word makes for ethical and moral decision-making at work. Trusting in God's power makes for a person who is baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, able to accomplish the incredible. Make a choice this day to be a living light of His awesome power. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The Question of Liberty ~ Greg Laurie

Today's Read the Word: 2 Kings 4

The Question of Liberty

 

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

— 1 Corinthians 6:12

Sometimes I am asked what I think about Christians drinking alcohol. Do I think that is a good idea? I think it is a dangerous thing for a Christian to drink, because the thing with drinking is that if you drink, there is a possibility you can get drunk. But if you don't drink, you never will get drunk.

I was raised in an alcoholic home where I witnessed the devastation that drinking can bring. And over the years of being a pastor, I have seen the destructive nature of alcohol in people's lives. I cannot think of a single good thing about it, but I certainly can think of a lot of bad things.

The Bible warns us many times of what alcohol can do in our lives. Proverbs 23 says of it, "At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things" (verses 32–33). That is an accurate assessment.

Here is something else to consider. If you are drinking because you supposedly have the liberty as a Christian, what if it causes someone else to stumble spiritually? Romans 14:15 says, "Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died."

It comes down to this: none of us live or die to ourselves. What we do and what we are have a direct effect on others, not only for our lives now, but for time and eternity. We need to be conscious of God's presence, and we need to live our lives with the consideration of others.