The Greatness of Jesus Christ ~ WOW the Bible in 7 minutes a day

Colossians 1:1-23,28-29; 2:6-23; Psalm 137:4-6; Proverbs 26:16

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.

All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.

And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations- "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle," which all concern things which perish with the using-according to the commandments and doctrines of men?

These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Colossians 1:1-23, 28-29; 2:6-23

WORSHIP

How shall we sing the LORD's song
In a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget its skill!
If I do not remember you,
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth-
If I do not exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.

Psalm 137:4-6

WISDOM

The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can answer sensibly.

Proverbs 26:16

To Forgive is Divine… ~ Raul Ries

“…bearing with one another, and forgiving one another…”

Colossians 3:13

Billy Graham said he believes that 75 percent of patients in hospitals would be made whole if they would forgive.

An unforgiving spirit cripples us mentally, emotionally,
spiritually, and physically.

E.L. Hamilton, a brother in Christ, once rebuked a Christian worker for manifesting and unforgiving spirit towards another Christian. After a moments thought, the lady replied, “Well, I guess I will pardon her, as you suggest, but I never want to have anything more to do with her!”  Hamilton said,

“Is that how you want God to treat you? Do you want Him to say that He will forgive you, but that He will never have anything more to do with you? Remember, when Christ forgave you, He cast your sins into the sea of everlasting forgiveness!

Thought for the Day:

 
“If you are suffering from a bad man’s injustice,
Forgive Him lest there be two bad men.”

--Augustine

Help in the Battle ~ Mike MacIntosh

Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, "Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?" And the Lord said, "Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand." So Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory." And Simeon went with him. 

Judges 1:1-3

Have you ever faced a difficult time of transition?

Here in the book of Judges, the children of Israel are in transition. They've relied on the spiritual leadership of Moses and Joshua for all these years and now there's nobody to lead them -- Joshua lived 110 years before he died. (Joshua 24:29)

So the book of Judges is a real eye-opener for us today as we see how to live for God, no matter the circumstances.

In the first three verses, take a look at two interesting things. First, notice that the children of Israel asked the Lord for guidance. Before they made a next move, they had enough spiritual insight to ask the Lord for His next steps.

What a great lesson for us.

For every need that you have, every step that you take, and every question about life, be sure that it has all been bathed in prayer, and seek the Holy Spirit's help in guiding your life's decisions.

Unfortunately, I've seen so many well-intentioned people over the years who start out asking the Lord for His guidance, but who stop when something happens -- a distraction, a difficulty, a frustration, even a blessing. Then they just go through life on their own, making their own decisions without God's counsel, and their lives fall apart.

In fact, this is exactly what happened to the children of Israel later in the book of Judges; they asked, then they stopped and lived their own lives (and they were miserable).

May I encourage you to keep on inquiring of the Lord. Keep on asking Him for direction, wisdom, and counsel.

Second, we see that the people are united. Notice that Judah says to Simeon,

"Come with me to fight against the enemy and I will likewise go with you and do battle with your enemies."

As the Body of Christ, we all need each other. (That's why He's called us a body). We can't rely on our own strength to do battle with the enemy. We need each other. Take some time to read the book of 1 John and underline all of the times that "one another" is mentioned.

God is encouraging us to work together;
that's how He designed us to function.

We need each other. We all have gifts, talents, and abilities from God to work together to achieve what He wants us to do. Let's come alongside one another and help each other in the tasks that He has for us to accomplish.

Have you communicated a vision that captivates others? (98-4) ~ Barry Werner

It is one thing to have vision; it is quite another to communicate that vision to others to enable them to embrace and internalize it.

Read 1 Kings 5:1-18

Hiram was the king of Tyre, a neighboring nation to Israel. When he heard his old friend King David had died, he sent envoys to meet with Solomon, heir to the throne to congratulate him on his new position. Hiram’s plan was to discuss continued peaceful relations between the two nations.

Solomon had more elaborate plans for their relationship.

Solomon wanted to build a magnificent temple to honor God and for that he needed raw materials that were scarce in Israel but plentiful in Tyre. Establishing an expanded partnership in his first communication with Hiram would require Solomon to communicate a vision that captivated Hiram’s interest and motivated him to become involved.

Solomon effectively communicated his vision for the temple to the king of Tyre. Solomon indicated that the building project was

“…for the Name of the Lord my God.”

He gave the project such value that Hiram could not keep from participating. As a result, Hiram complied with his request to provide cedar for this great project.

When leaders are skillful in communicating vision, others are motivated to participate.

Do you have a project you need to get off the ground? Have you determined how to communicate the vision so that it captivates the imagination of those who could make the project a success?



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The Boldness of Grace ~ Bob Hoekstra

 
Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word…and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness…And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4:29, 31, 33)

Those who serve God acceptably must do so by grace. "Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably" (Hebrews 12:28).  Those who serve by grace find that the boldness of grace develops in their lives.

The early church gave testimony to this reality. Soon after Jesus' ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were boldly proclaiming Jesus throughout Jerusalem. This was extremely aggravating to the religious leaders: "being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead" (Acts 4:2).

When they arrested the disciples, Peter boldly preached Jesus before the Jewish authorities.

"This [Jesus] is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved"

(Acts 4:11-12).

This bold application of prophecy and proclamation of the gospel astonished the religious establishment. "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John…they marveled" (Acts 4:13). Yet, in their hardness of heart, they further threatened the disciples.

Being released, they gathered the church to pray for continued boldness.

"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word."

The answer to this prayer was another filling with the Spirit, resulting in further boldness. "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness." This filling of the Holy Spirit brought great measures of God's grace actively working in their lives, sustaining this powerful witness of the risen Christ.

"And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all."

This is the boldness of the new covenant of grace. "Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech" (2 Corinthians 3:12).

This hope is new covenant confidence. It is part of the abundant life that God brings to us by His Spirit of grace: "who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6).

Heavenly Father, I need this same boldness in my life. Too often, I am hesitant and apprehensive concerning my testimony of You and Your truths.

Please fill me afresh with Your Spirit that I might minister in the boldness of Your grace, Amen.

Cover or Content? ~ Bob Coy

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

Isaiah 53:2 (NKJV)

Don't judge a book by its cover. Why?

Because the enduring value of a book isn't determined by its cover but by the quality of its content.

The stories of Shakespeare, Dickens, and Melville live on because of their greatness, not because of their covers. Consequently, wise readers will choose a book based on what they know about the content.
 
The same principle applies when we look at the life of Jesus. He certainly had a cover, an outward appearance. But it wasn't the kind of cover that would have caught anyone's attention. As a matter of fact, Isaiah prophesied that the outward appearance of Christ would contain no beauty that we should desire Him.

(Isaiah 53:2 NKJV)

Think it through. He was born in a barn to underprivileged parents and with no one but lowly shepherds and animals to welcome Him into the world, a beginning as humble as anyone ever had.
 
According to His "cover," Jesus was just a social side note. People like Him didn't accomplish or achieve much. In fact, they were barely a blip on the radar screen of life. But the content of His character influenced the world in a way that defies comparison. To this day, His story is the preeminent factor by which spiritual, cultural, and political lines are drawn. All this came in an ordinary cover that most would have passed over.

This gives us an insight into the Lord's heart: He values the content of our lives, not our appearance or social status.

During this Christmas season with its parties and social occasions, may we robe ourselves in humility and think less about our "covers" and more about what we do for Him.

"For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

(1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV)

Discuss with your group whether you get caught up in social appearances during the holiday season. Have you ever known someone who liked to make a grand entrance?
 
Dig into Luke Chapter 2. What kind of appearance did Jesus make when He came to earth?
 
Decide to make a point of not judging people based on their appearance, especially at holiday parties and family get-togethers this month.

Take the time to talk to people—and listen to them—so you can truly see their heart.

Beliefs Manifested Through Lifestyle ~ Kay Arthur

Do you realize that there is a time coming when there is going to be a fear of God before our eyes? If you believe that today, if you believe that you are accountable to God.

Would it change the direction of your life, would it change the quest of your life, would you stop being selfishly ambitious for yourself and would you seek in a way, to honor God as God? There’s a day coming.

We need to be ready.

When that judgment comes and, “… when men fear and when men tremble and when they crawl …,”as it says in Revelation, chapter 6,“… into the rocks and they cry to the rocks to crush them, to hide them form the wrath of God.”

Do you realize that that time that is coming upon the earth and leads to the culmination of the judgment of all the nations at that time there will not be one single person who is without excuse before God?

Now we’re looking at the book of Romans and we’re in the second chapter and as that second chapter opens up, he turns from this description of a society that is gone mad, a society that is in rebellion to God, a society that has no rights or no wrongs or no standards, a society that is much like most of the world today.

They are saying there are no absolutes.

So he turns from them saying that they are without excuse and they are without excuse because God has put a God conscientiousness within them, because God has testified to His eternity and His attributes in nature so that what was made is clearly seen by us and we understand there’s a God behind it.

Then in chapter 2 he turns either to the Jew or to just in general the hypocrite, the hypocrite that looks at the way the people are living in Romans, chapter 1, in all this licentiousness. And what do I mean by licentiousness? I mean in moral anarchy. In other words, there’s no restraint.

I’ll do what I want to do.
Get out of my way.
Don’t tell me what’s right and don’t tell me what’s wrong.
Go get away from me. I don’t want to hear it.

That kind of an attitude.

These people are more of a respectable people. These people are ones that look at that and they say you know, that is an abomination. It is an abomination to live morally, sexually like is described in Romans, chapter 1. It is terrible that these people are so filled with all this ungodliness and all this unrighteousness and that they are so mean and they are so evil and they are so in rebellion to society and to their parents. They shouldn’t be living that way.

And yet the people that are saying that are judging them and
yet their lives are not perfect either.

So what he does in chapter 2, he begins, this part of the letter by saying,

“Therefore you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”

He says,

“For we know that the judgment of God is according to truth
against those who practice such things.”

Now when he says that remember, there’s a footnote there in the margin of the New Inductive Study Bible that says that this should be according to truth. So now he’s going to start talking about the judgment of God. And we saw already that the judgment of God is according to truth. We saw that the judgment of God is according to deeds. Look at verse 6,

“Who will render to every man according to deeds, to his deeds?”

In other words, look, your lifestyle manifests what you really believe. Your lifestyle manifests, shows, displays what you really believe, I mean, who you’re really focusing on, whether you really respect God.

And fear God and by fearing God, I’m talking about respecting God.
I’m talking about trusting God. I’m talking about believing God, honoring him as God and I’m also at times, because the Bible talks about it, trembling before God, because you know that you weren’t what you ought to have been.

You didn’t do what you ought to have done.

So he goes on to say, “Who will render to every man according to his deeds …,” now look at verse 7, “… To those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life.”

In other words, He’s going to give eternal life to those who are seeking for glory and honor and immortality. Not my glory, not my honor, but that I am seeking to live in a way that honors God, that I’m seeking to live in a way that glorifies God, that gives a true and correct estimate of who God is and that I am seeking as it says in verse 7, “… that I am seeking immortality.”

I’m seeking to live forever.
I am seeking to live forever with God.
That’s my goal. That’s my passion.
Now if that’s your goal and that’s your passion
you’re going to have eternal life.

You say, but wait a minute, I have heard over and over and over again that true Christianity is attained not by good deeds, not by what you seek, but by faith. You’re right. You have heard it and you are dead right. And we saw in Romans, chapter 1 that

“The righteous man shall live by faith, that our salvation
  is from faith to faith.”

In other words it comes out of faith. We believe God and it is lived through faith. And that’s how we live. And that’s how we get eternal life.

But, if I really believe that, then how am I going to live? Well, if I really believe that then it’s going to show because what am I doing? I am seeking glory and I am seeking honor and I am seeking immortality.

In other words, I have a focus. I’m saying, hey, what I believe, I’m living in the light of it. What I believe dictates the way that I’m living. Watch the contrast and it might help you understand it better.

But he goes on to say, “But…,” when you see “but” there, when you’re studying the Bible and “but” is a term of contrast. And what God does is many times He shows us truth by bringing a contrast to us, light and darkness, good and evil, righteousness, unrighteousness. There’s a contrast, so that the lines are drawn very clearly.

And you know what? In our world today, we need the lines drawn; because what we have done is we have tried to smudge the lines, so there is no difference and everything is gray and therefore there is no right, there’s no wrong, there’s no absolute. And that’s what we want to do.

But God wants us to see the contrast.

So what he says in verse 8 is,

“But to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, they will get wrath and indignation.”

Now what do you need to mark? You need to mark “unrighteousness” here and you need to mark “wrath”. Now remember how we marked “righteousness” and you need to put a slash through it. You remember how we marked “wrath”. We took it and we put a fine red point like flames.

All right, when he contrasts these two things, what you’re seeing is you’re getting a better understanding of the first part of it which says that “… if we are seeking …,” if this is our habit of life to seek honor and glory and immortality, we’re going to get eternal life.

Contrast, “… if we are selfishly ambitious ….” In other words, if our focus is on me, my, mine, you know and what we have to understand is life is not about us. It is so much greater.

And the reason, the reason that so many are miserable, and you may be one of them, but the reason that so many are miserable is because they think life is about them. And when they think that life is about them, if life is not everything they want, if life is not as the saying goes, a piece of cake, I mean if it’s not dessert personified, then we’re just miserable. We’re absolutely miserable because it’s not lining up the way that we want it to line up. It’s not making us happy. So he’s saying, “If that you are selfishly ambitious, and you do not obey the truth, but you obey unrighteousness ….” Now see, truth is to be obeyed.

And this is what I want you to see; it is not just something that you put in your little brain. It is not something that you say, oh I know that. No. It’s I know that and consequently I live accordingly.

So if we are not obeying truth, but we are obeying unrighteousness and he’s going to talk about this in Romans, chapter 6. We’re going to see it really clearly then. He says, “… then there’s wrath and then there’s indignation.” He says, “There will be …,” now listen carefully, “… tribulation and distress, tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil.”

Listen to God. This is the Word of God.

If you are doing evil, you may think that you have escaped, that you have gone unnoticed, that you have got away with it. You may have cheated people. You may have been selfishly ambitious and just heaped up riches to yourself and in the process stripped others of their life savings or you may have made yourself rich and made your family miserable. I don’t know what you’ve done to do evil. You may have molested someone. You may have defamed someone. You may have crushed someone. You may have murdered someone.

But I want you to know this: there is a God in heaven and you better fear and you better tremble and you better come and throw yourself on His mercy. He can save you. He can save you. But He will save you His way or you won’t be saved.

And this is what he’s saying. “There will be distress. There will be tribulation for every soul of man who does evil.” And then he wants to make sure that they don’t miss it. “For the Jew first, for the Jew first and also for the Greek or the Gentile,” the non-Jews. Now why does he say for the Jew first?

Well, he said that the gospel is to be delivered to the Jew first and then to the Gentile and so now he’s saying judgment is for the Jew first and then for the Gentile. Why? We’ll talk about it when I come back after this break.

The question that I left you with is why is tribulation and distress to the Jew first and then to the Greek or then to any other human being that’s outside of the Jewish race? It’s because God deals impartially and it’s because God knows that they have had more light than any Gentile. God chose the nation of Israel. He chose the nation of Israel… You say, well what right did He have to do that?

Listen, He’s God. He can do anything He wants to do. If you get that through your head, it’s really going to help you a lot because then you quit sitting as a judge on God, and you submit to Him and life gets a whole lot easier. But they have had so much light and the more light that a person gets the greater the judgment.

And so the Jews have had light ever since Abraham. They’ve had the promises of God as we’re going to see and I won’t go into it right now. But that’s why the judgment, the tribulation and distress is going to be to the Jew first. Look at what he says again, because he follows and he says, “… the Jew first …” again and then he says in verse 10, “But glory and honor and peace to every man, every man who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.” So what God is saying is, okay, the gospel comes to the Jew first. Why?

Because they’re the ones that God brought the gospel through. The gospel was written in the Old Testament. And we saw that and we saw that the prophesies that were in the Old Testament about Messiah, all pointed to the good news of salvation through faith.

It’s always been salvation through faith.

So then judgment is going to come to them first. If they ignore this and they walk in their selfish ambition, but also if they seek good and honor and glory, then to the Jew first, they will get the glory and the honor and the peace that people are looking for.

Is that what you’re looking for? Are you looking for glory? Are you looking to be everything that you ought to be? Are you looking for honor? Are you looking to live in an honorable way, in a way that you’re not ashamed, a way that leaves you guiltless? Are you looking to live in a way that brings that deep abiding peace? Then what do you do? You seek good. You say, but I’ve tried to be good and I can’t.

Well, that’s because you haven’t found the answer or the source of that goodness, which is really faith in Jesus Christ.

And that’s what Paul is going to get to in the book of Romans. And we’re coming up to that spot in Romans and it’s wonderful. But first he wants to make sure that you are thoroughly convicted of the fact that you’re a sinner, that you were born in sin, that you have sinned and that you have dishonored God.

But if your heart is to be what God wants you to be, if you come to God and you receive salvation by faith, then Precious One, then you’ve got your eyes set on eternity. You’re seeking immortality. You’re seeking eternal life and that’s what you’re going to get.

You know, it’s very interesting, because God tells men, do not be deceived. I want to take you to 1 Corinthians, chapter 6 and I think it’ll fit in so well with what we’ve read in Romans, chapter 1. Now I hope you can remember Romans, chapter 1.

There is no more important book in the whole Bible than the book of Romans in the New Testament. And I will tell you why, because it is the constitution of our faith. It lays down the gospel from A to Z. It is an incredible treaty on the gospel. And so you need to know what it has to say.

Now listen to 1 Corinthians, chapter 6 so that you can understand what he’s saying. You’re either righteous or your unrighteous. Your righteousness shows in what you’re seeking. Your unrighteousness shows in your selfish ambition. All right, and you’re going to reap the harvest. There’s going to be a judgment.

So in 1 Corinthians, chapter 6, he’s talking to the church at Corinth. Now there are people in that church at Corinth that have a religion but not a relationship. And he wants to make it very clear what real Christianity is about.

What is it really like when you and I truly believe God?

All right, so in 1 Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 9 he says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?”

Now this is what he’s saying in Romans, chapter 2. Oh man, you’re without excuse, because what you’re doing is you’re saying what they’re doing in Romans 1 is wrong, but he says, you really are doing the same thing. You’re not doing it as blatantly. You’re not doing it as obviously and it may not be as external as it is internal, but when you judge something and then you do it yourself then you’re guilty and you’re without excuse.

And so he’s saying that God is going to judge you according to truth and He’s going to judge you according to deeds. So he’s going to look at truth and He’s going to see how you measure up to the Word of God. He’s going to look at your deeds. Why?

Because your deeds show what you believe.

So watch what he says. He says,

“Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit
the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.”

Now the hypocrites, Jews or Gentiles, in Romans, chapter 2 are deceived. They think that they’re all right because they’re not living that licentious lifestyle of Romans 1. So he says, “Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate …,” Effeminate would be male prostitutes or it would be cross-dressers, all right. “… Nor homosexuals …,” which would encompass lesbianism also, “… nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers.”

Remember when all that was going on with the Enron scandal and then other businesses were being found out and people were really, they were just swindlers. And people that got swindled wanted to see them get it. I want to tell you something, there is a just God and every sin will be brought before His eyes but the unbelievers will be judged.

They will get tribulation. They will get distress. They will get wrath. They will get eternal destruction. There is a God whether you know it or not, there is a God. And you would do well to tremble if you’re living in any of these conditions.

But listen, there’s good news. I’m not finished, okay. He says, “… nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

He says, don’t be deceived.

All these people that I just listed that are living this way, this is their habit of life, it’s not a singular occasion. It is their habit of life then they’re not going to inherit the kingdom of God. But this is the good news. He’s writing to this church at Corinth and he’s saying and such were some of you. You know, some of you were male prostitutes. Some of you were cross-dressers. Some of you were homosexuals. Some of you were fornicators. Some of you were idolaters. Some of you were swindlers. You were revilers. You were drunkards. You were like this.

He says but, there’s that contrast again. I love it. But you were washed. You were sanctified. You were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God.You say, what does that mean?

What is that all about that I could be washed, that I could be sanctified, that I could be justified in the name of God and in the Spirit of God?

That’s what Romans is all about

Heaven, the Real Thing ~ Greg Laurie

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

— 1 Corinthians 13:12

We tend to think of life on earth as the real thing and heaven as the surreal thing. But it is actually the opposite.

Heaven is the real thing.

That is why C. S. Lewis referred to our time on earth as "the shadowlands."


Heaven is the ultimate future and hope for the Christian. All that precedes it—our life on earth—is but a glimpse of things to come. Earth is a pale version of heaven, not the other way around.

Whatever great joys or things we have on earth, as wonderful as they are, will be better in heaven. Maybe you will have all of the things you hoped for and more. Then again, maybe there will be things that will surpass your wildest dreams that will be even better.


Heaven is the real thing, while earth is effectively the copy, the temporary dwelling place. The problem is that we start with earth and reason up to heaven, when we ought to start with heaven and reason down toward earth. C. S. Lewis said,

"The hills and valleys of Heaven will be to those you now experience not as a copy is to an original, . . . but as the flower to the root, or the diamond to the coal."

I am not suggesting that life is miserable and is merely something to endure before we finally get to heaven. Life can be wonderful. God has all the power you ever will need to face whatever you will face. Something difficult you are going through today could be turned into a good thing tomorrow. There will be many wonderful, joyful moments ahead for us on earth.

But the ultimate joy will come when we finally see Jesus in heaven.

And we must not lose sight of that.

There's Life in the Word ~ Joyce Meyer

And He said to them,


Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

— Mark 4:24

This is like the principle of sowing and reaping.

The more we sow, the more we will reap at harvest time. The Lord is saying in Mark 4:24 that the greater the amount of time you and I personally put into thinking about and studying the Word we hear, the more we will get out of it.

[Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known.

(Mark 4:22)

This verse and the one above are surely telling us that the Word has hidden in it tremendous treasures, powerful life-giving secrets that God wants to reveal to us. They are manifested to those who meditate on, ponder, study, think about, practice mentally, and mutter the Word of God.

I know personally, as a teacher of God's Word, the truth of this principle. It seems there is no end to what God can show me out of one verse of Scripture. 


I will study it one time and get one thing, and another time see something new that I did not even notice before.The Lord keeps revealing His secrets to those who are diligent about the Word.

Don't be the kind of person who always wants to live off of someone else's revelation.

Study the Word yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to bless your life with truth.

Jesus Encouraged People ~ Rick Warren

“We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak in order to build them up in the faith”

(Romans 15:1).

Jesus encouraged people, and he told those who are strong in faith to make a point of encouraging others in their faith 

(Romans 15:1).

We all need confidence.

When you know that someone believes in you, it brings out your best. Jesus did this with the Apostle Peter. “Petros,” Peter's name, meant pebble. But Jesus said,

"Pebble, you're going to be a rock. I'm giving you a new name."

When Jesus said that to Peter, the apostle was anything but a rock. He was Mr. Impulsive, Mr. Foot-in-Mouth. But Jesus didn't tell him what he was—he told him what he could be. He gave Peter confidence to live up to his potential.

We all need encouragement. Over the years, I’ve kept an Encouragement File. Every time anybody writes me a note, a card, or a letter, I file it. Even if it's mildly encouraging, like "Better luck next time," or "You tried on that sermon—good try," it still gets filed.

Then on days when I'm discouraged, down, and tired, I get out the Encouragement File and read through all the letters and cards that I've collected.

When you give encouragement, 
it needs to be genuine.

So, give from the heart and with sincerity.

Encouragement also needs to be regular—don’t be stingy with your encouragement. And encouragement needs to be specific.

Instead of saying, "I enjoyed the meal,” say, "I can tell you put a lot of effort into this meal and the seasoning you chose was perfect.”

Instead of saying, "You did a good job,” say, "I noticed you handled that angry member with tact and you maintained your cool under pressure.”

Worship and Praise with a Thankful Heart ~ Bob Caldwell

God's Commanded Blessing

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Psalm 133:1

Tragically, it seems that few of God's people are aware of the value of our unity in the eyes of God. Wherever God sees sincere unity among us we are assured of two amazing blessings from Him. First, we are promised the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit that will bring unique blessings normally reserved for only the high priest. Secondly, God promises to "command" blessing upon our lives.

Who or what can hinder what God commands? No one and nothing!

Let us seek unity much more than blessing, and we will be assured of both. Nothing in Heaven or on Earth can hinder what God has promised and what He will command.

In Worship, Let God Be Central

"Behold, bless the LORD, All you servants of the LORD, Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!"

Psalm 134:1

Worship is often misunderstood; it often becomes much more about us than about sincere and passionate expressions of our love and awe for God. The pleasure we derive from stirring music and the emotional bond we experience with fellow worshipers often becomes our unspoken purpose in worship.

God Himself can easily become a secondary focal point.

God created music to gladden our souls, and we should accept it as a good thing. That God created us to find pleasure in sharing meaningful experiences with one another is also a good thing. Music and fellowship with one another is one of the greatest resources available to make our life rich and meaningful. It is something in which all people, rich or poor, can share.

But to let the good replace the best robs us of the one thing that makes the "good" truly good. Let the best be satisfied by worshiping God.

When God is the center purpose for which all that is good is used, including music and fellowship, everything else we do is so much richer.

What Stimulates Praise?

 "Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!"

Psalm 135:1

"Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations."

Psalm 135:13

To refer to the name of God is to direct us to the glory of who God is and the things He alone does to perfection.

It is through this process of discovering and enjoying God that we find worship and praise of Him to be a wellspring of joy.

This principle is often overlooked when church leaders and worship leaders are seeking to motivate the church to become more "worshipful." We often turn to music style, song-leading cheerleaders, or guilt to stir people when what is really needed is the knowledge of God.

If we but see His glory, our worship of Him would be unstoppable.

This is exactly what the psalmist does here. He points us to simply see God. God is good, he declares, one who richly treasures us (v. 3, 4). Nothing hinders God from doing whatever His own pure and great being chooses to do (v. 8-12). And, even though His greatness is as far above us as the heavens, He comes to us with great compassion and empathy (v. 14).

To see God is to automatically adore Him.

Those who see Him need no cheerleader to get them to praise Him. For such people, praise is waiting to be poured out when given an opportunity.

The Joy of a Thankful Heart

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

Psalm 136:1

Thanksgiving lifted up to God is one of the greatest virtues we can develop. Those who live with thankfulness are generally easy to point out among a group of people. Thankful people tend to be some of the happiest people on earth. Conversely, the unthankful seem to draw dark clouds over their souls.

This is why we are commanded to give thanks to God in all things.

Thankfulness requires that whether in good or bad situations we seek a place where God's glory can shine. Obviously it is much easier to say thank you when all is good in our lives. Yet in doing so we anchor ourselves in God lest we soon turn the good into idols that rob us of Him.

To be able to find a place of thankfulness in the inevitable bad that befalls all who walk through a cursed world will be a great saving grace as well.  It is in the bad times that we find God as an ever-present strength. It is there we discover a love from God that is unshakable.

In the discovery of God's love, absolutely nothing can separate us from the grip of His love. It is in suffering that we find God is able to turn all things together for good.

(Rom. 8:28).

Psalms 133  
~ A Song of Ascent. Of David.

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!

2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.

3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.

Psalm 134 
~ A Song of Ascents
.

1 Behold, bless the LORD,
All you servants of the LORD,
Who by night stand in the house of the LORD!

2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,
And bless the LORD.

3 The LORD who made heaven and earth
Bless you from Zion!

Psalm 135 
~ Praise to God in Creation and Redemption

1 Praise the LORD!
Praise the name of the LORD;
Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!

2 You who stand in the house of the LORD,
In the courts of the house of our God,

3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.

4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.

5 For I know that the LORD is great,
And our Lord is above all gods.

6 Whatever the LORD pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.

7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

8 He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.

10 He defeated many nations
And slew mighty kings—

11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan—

12 And gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.

13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
Your fame, O LORD, throughout all generations.

14 For the LORD will judge His people,
And He will have compassion on His servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men's hands.

16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;

17 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.

18 Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.

19 Bless the LORD, O house of Israel!
Bless the LORD, O house of Aaron!

20 Bless the LORD, O house of Levi!
You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!

21 Blessed be the LORD out of Zion,
Who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the LORD!

Psalm 136 
~ Thanksgiving to God for His Enduring Mercy

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.

3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:

4 To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;

5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;

6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;

7 To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever—

8 The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
 
9 The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.

10 To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
For His mercy endures forever;

11 And brought out Israel from among them,
For His mercy endures forever;

12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever;

13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;

14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;

15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever;

16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His mercy endures forever;

17 To Him who struck down great kings,
For His mercy endures forever;

18 And slew famous kings,
For His mercy endures forever—

19 Sihon king of the Amorites,
For His mercy endures forever;
 
20 And Og king of Bashan,
For His mercy endures forever—

21 And gave their land as a heritage,
For His mercy endures forever;

22 A heritage to Israel His servant,
For His mercy endures forever.

23 Who remembered us in our lowly state,
For His mercy endures forever;

24 And rescued us from our enemies,
For His mercy endures forever;

25 Who gives food to all flesh,
For His mercy endures forever.

26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.

Psalms 133


This song, with its emphasis upon unity and harmony among brothers (and sisters) in the faith was a potent reminder to the travelers on their way to Jerusalem that the stresses of the journey should not make them disunited and divided among themselves. In a broader sense, it is a call to the entire People of God to be diligent to "preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Eph. 4:3) upon our journey to the Heavenly City! It emphasizes this through two similes that highlight the "overflow" (literally: "coming down") of blessing coming from this concord.

v. 1 Behold – This psalm begins with a strong accent in Hebrew: "Look! How-good + how-pleasant!" (The actual words are the text of a well-known worship song: Hinneh ma-tov.)

pleasant – delightful and agreeable (also used of harmonious music)

v. 2 precious oil upon the head – "Anointing" with oil was a sign that the person was set apart for God; in the case of Aaron, for the high priesthood, the most important spiritual responsibility in the nation. The oil flows ("comes down") in fullness from his head to his full beard (emphasized by the immediate repetition of the word "beard"; in Hebrew the second use follows the first immediately: "upon the beard – beard of Aaron"). It drips down ("comes down") on to his formal robes. The flood of this costly oil is a simile for the abundance of blessing that comes when God's people live in true unity.

v. 3 like the dew of Hermon – The poet introduces a second image: when believers live together in community and harmony, the blessing that follows is ordered by God and eternal. It is like the cool, moist breezes blowing from the snows on Mt. Hermon (north of Galilee) that "come down" on to the hot plains of Galilee and hills of northern Judah during the heat of summer.

Psalm 134

This is last of the "Songs of Ascents" that were most likely sung during pilgrimage up to Jerusalem for the three major festivals at which each Jewish male living in the promised land was required to come to the Temple.

At the conclusion of their pilgrimage, the travelers stand in "the house of the Lord", the Temple. They call out, perhaps to the officiating priests: "Bless (i.e. praise) the Lord."

v. 1 who by night stand in the house of the LORD – The sacrifices took place in the Temple during the daylight hours but the priests stayed through the night to care for and guard its precincts, tend the 7-armed lamp (Menorah) in the Holy Place and other fires and prepare for the rituals of the coming day.

v. 2 Lift up your hands – This is perhaps the echoing call of the priests presiding over the ceremonies: the newly arrived worshippers are to "Lift your hands" and praise Him.

the sanctuary – literally, "toward the Holy Place"

v. 3 who made heaven and earth – The translators of the NKJV (and most other English translations) reversed the word order of this verse. It reads, in Hebrew: "Bless-you the LORD – from Zion; (He that) made heaven and earth." There is a deep reason for the word order in Hebrew, though. The psalm focuses on the Temple (the "house of the LORD" in v. 1; the "sanctuary" of v. 2). The poet sees the Lord's blessing coming out of Zion, where He has localized Himself in space and time (compare Ps. 135:21)! This much is true of every so-called "god" in the history of the human race; they each have their shrine or place. BUT the poet then reminds us: HE Who is giving this blessing and whose Name is above all names is not confined to Zion, even though He has chosen to put His Name there. On the contrary, He is the one who has made everything. He is the ONE, truly transcendent "Almighty" God!

Psalm 135

This praise psalm continues the theme of worship in the Temple that permeates the 15 pilgrim "Songs of Ascent" that precede it. It reviews God's power as creator, His choice of Israel as His special treasure and His actions on her behalf, with a concluding comment on the futility idol-worship.

v. 1-2 Praise the name of the LORD – This verse and verse two sets this psalm firmly in the Temple and identifies it as a praise/thanksgiving song from the first word on.

v. 3 pleasant – literally, beautiful, harmonious (when applied to music)

v. 4 His special treasure – valued property (Ex. 19:5, Deut. 14:2)

v. 6 heaven…earth…the seas…all deep places – This listing is meant to include everything in existence.

v. 7 vapors – clouds

His treasuries – storerooms

v. 8 He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt – Beginning in this verse through verse 12, the psalmist summarizes God's works on behalf of Israel.

v. 11 Sihon king of the Amorites – recalls Israel's victories over the Canaanite kings recorded in Numbers 21

v. 13 A heritage to Israel – Although the acts of God on behalf of Israel are history, His name and "fame" for these works of saving grace and judgment will never be forgotten.

v. 14 'For the LORD' – This is a direct quote of Deuteronomy 32:36. It is entirely fitting that the psalmist would quote from Moses' song to Israel, particularly because it also emphasizes the futility of idolatry. Moses' words go on to say: "when He [the LORD] sees that their power is gone, and there is no one remaining, bond or free. He will say: 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge?" With v. 14, the poem transitions to a closer focus on the current state of the nation. The battle with idolatry and false gods lasted for centuries and it is no surprise that the psalmist draws attention to the futility of worshipping anything or anyone but the true God.

v. 15 idols of the nations – compare with Ps. 115:4-8, a very similar criticism of idol worship

work – creation. It is ironic that men would worship as creator or savior what their own hands have made.

v. 16 have mouths, but they do not speak – commonly spoken by the prophets of the LORD against idolatry (compare Is. 42:17-18, 44:9-20)

v. 18 Those who make them are like them – The idea expressed here is: "Idols are 'zeros'; so will be those who worship them." It is a deep principle of human nature: we become like what we exalt.

v. 19 O house of Israel…Aaron…Levi! – i.e. the congregation of the faithful, the officiating priests and the Levites who serve in the Temple

v. 21 Blessed be the LORD – see Ps. 134:3 study note

Psalm 136


This thanksgiving psalm, like the ones preceding it, is firmly rooted in the worship services in the Temple. It emphasizes God's creation of the universe and his acts on behalf of Israel during the Exodus and conquering of the Promised Land. The Exodus and conquest of Canaan was, for Israel, the central instance of God's work on behalf of His chosen people, celebrated supremely in Passover.

v. 1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! –This is the defining message of faith in the face of Satan's attacks on God's character: "God is good!"

For His mercy endures forever! – This phrase was the response line chanted or shouted by the congregation as the worship leaders recited the acts of God in creation and for His people.

Mercy – abiding and steadfast grace

v. 5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens – Prov. 8:22-31

v. 6 laid out – spread out or hammered out the earth below the "expanse of the sky" and above the waters "beneath" (Gen. 1:6-8)

v. 7 Him who made great lights – These next verses refer to the creation account in Genesis 1. The nations worshipped the moon and stars; the faith of Israel removed them from the realm of "gods" and viewed them simply as "markers" for day and night and the seasons (Gen. 1:14-18).

v. 10 who struck Egypt – Verses 10-15 review the Exodus from Egypt.

v. 12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm – Ex. 6:6, 13:9

v. 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea – See Ex. 14:27; the verb in Hebrew (na'ar) means "to shake." Thus, "He shook off Pharaoh and his army" as one shakes off dust or brushes an insect from one's hand.

v. 16 who led His people through the wilderness – This verse begins a review of God's leading of Israel through the wilderness and the conquering of the Promised Land.

v. 20 Og king of Bashan – Og is described as a huge man, a descendent of the Rephaim, who were legendary for their height and size (Deut. 3:11).

v. 21 a heritage – i.e. a homestead or estate; an inheritance (also in the following verse)

v. 23 Who remembered us – This verse gives a fleeting look at a low point in Israel's history when she was at the mercy of her enemies.

in our lowly state – one could paraphrase: "when we were down for the count"

v. 25 food – lechem (Heb.) literally, bread. At the end of his song of praise, the psalmist celebrates God's mercy in providing for all of His creatures.

Prayer Focus

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever."

Psalm 136:1

We give You thanks today, God, for You are good and merciful and full of grace.

Women's Bible Studies 
 
It shows me God truly loves us by sending someone to teach us and give us the Word of God. It helps to keep my faith. It reminds me that I am not alone. That God has forgiven me and that I need to forgive myself. And to trust in God that God works miracles and He won't let me down and that God's love is very unselfish.

Prayer Points

• for the Lord to continue to bless these Bible studies as the women grow closer to each other and to the Lord