That’s one helluva a gift ~ Michael James Stone

--From Michael James Stone

People ask me what I want for Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, or any number of Holidays when they are reminded to think of me.

When they do, if they like me, they want to express that by a gift.

Often I have frustrated those who don’t know me, even family, because when asked what I want, I say….. nothing. I tell them I want nothing. 

The reason is because it is easier to tell them I want nothing than to explain what I really want.

What I really want, they can’t give. 

Gifts often have strings. And the tie that binds in tenderness the giver with the gift and receiver, can work like a noose to hang the giver and receiver alike. Strings like acknowledgement, gratitude, a gift in return, appreciation, all these seem common place on the surface, but they are strings none the less. 

In some cases those strings can trip you up. 

Grace was God’s gift to mankind. 

He could have made several conditions on it and some say “Ya Gotta” to a certain number of precepts to “really really really be saved”. Frankly God knows and God did so the “conditions” he says aren’t really conditional but practical.

After all Jesus said it like this, 

“I am not here to stop you from falling off a cliff, if you really want to,

 Do it.” 

“ I am here to tell you that there is a cliff in front of you

 and I really don’t want to watch you fall over it.” 

God is like that, practical first, loving always. 

He gave the gift of grace for the reason of salvation because you couldn’t save yourself from a wet paper sack if you fell into it with a knife.

I like Truth. People who just come up to me and say, “WHOOPSIE I blew it”, I enjoy. I like that because I can identify with them admitting they blew it.

Why? 

Because I have blown it and still do. In fact, I know that everyone else knows that in some ways we are all screwed up. Screwed up inside and out. And given a chance we will really screw up a good thing big time.

I like people who admit it when they do. 

I feel better, I don’t feel so alone. 

But when they offer excuses, lies, denials, apologies, even “reasons”, I have no interest in them at all. I know sooner or later, with that idea, they will fall again,…… and again, ….and again…., till finally they just say I blew it.

Then I can say, I know, and we get along. 

God already knows me in the future and past. He saw me really blow it day after tomorrow and still decided it was a good thing to give me “salvation” because he knew it was more on His part than mine to “not screw it up”.

That’s what Grace is from God. 

A non-screw up plan for screw ups like you and me. 

It is the process God uses to change us slowly as we screw up less. Screwing up less is called God’s plan of salvation. It’s not your plan or mine. It’s not your ability or mine to do or abuse. In fact, though there are reasons you really don’t want to “screw it up”, it has more to do with pain and suffering consequences on your part, then God’s Will and Plan for you in salvation.

That is One hellluva gift. 

When an angel said I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, It wasn’t about Jesus birth, that was nice, that was cool, it was good thing. What the great tidings were is that “salvation”, the process of God in your Life, would be offered to all mankind by Grace, once Jesus had died for you.

That’s one helluva a gift. 

Jesus died for you. 

After that, I really don’t get excited when people give me gifts. Like John I would rather see, or hear, that a person “walks in truth”.

Truth is, you’re as big a screw up as I am. 

Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, Channukah, Kwanza, today, tomorrow, you were a given a gift.

Are you going to unwrap it? 

Yes, 

You already know how so don’t go there.

Dead to Self and Alive to Christ ~ WOW the Bible in 7 minutes a day

Colossians 3-4; Psalm 138:1-3; Proverbs 26:17
 

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

 

Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.

Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you. Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.

Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it."

This salutation by my own hand-Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.

Colossians 3-4

WORSHIP

I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.

Psalm 138:1-3

WISDOM

He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.

Proverbs 26:17

Pushing On ~ Raul Ries

“If we endure, we shall also reign with Him,
If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”

2 Timothy 2:12

Teddy Roosevelt said, “The person who succeeds is not the one who holds back, fearing failure, nor the one that never fails…but rather the one who moves on in spite of failure. For better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat.”

Don’t give up when you fail.

Keep pressing forward and remain faithful. Is there an area in your life that you are tempted to just give up?

Thought for the Day:

We learn from our failures. As Christians,
We keep pressing toward the goal.

Brokenness leads to Blessing ~ Mike MacIntosh

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

Mark 14:22-24

Years ago, I learned a simple lesson that I pray will help you today. If you want to be blessed, you first need to be broken. Earlier, in Mark chapter 6, Jesus fed the five thousand; He broke the bread and blessed it, and the disciples distributed the food to everyone. This breaking, blessing, and distributing of bread brought life. And now, Jesus is taking the bread and breaking it as a symbol of His imminent death--a symbol that still resonates in our lives to this day when we take communion.

Before blessing comes brokenness. It was that way in Jesus' life

and it will be that way in your life.

Brokenness hurts. Trials are no fun. But in those broken times, God reveals Himself to you in powerful ways; ways that you wouldn't otherwise see. He wants to teach you things beyond your imagination. He wants to show you how to live and what it means to live by faith. 

Guess what happens when you break in a horse? Yep, you got it. Among many things, that horse becomes your companion, useful for so many things. Now, I'm not saying that you all are horses, but I think you get the picture.

The brokenness of Jesus brought about eternal life! 

Any amount of being broken cannot compare to His awesome sacrifice for our sins. So learn from the trials that come your way. God is doing amazing things in your life. Experience and embrace those broken times and be ready for the blessing to flow.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart--these, 
O God, You will not despise" 

(Psalm 51:17)

"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit" 

(Psalm 34:18)

What generates passion and purpose in your leadership life? (98-5) ~ Barry Werner

What about being a leader makes you get out of bed in the morning? What makes you tick? What generates passion and purpose in your leadership life?

Few leaders can articulate a clear purpose statement that they are passionate about for their life.

It is ironic that some leaders put more time and energy into planning a two-week vacation than thinking about their leadership passion and purpose during this earthly journey.
Read 1 Kings 6:1-8.


Solomon had been king of Israel for four years. David, his father and predecessor, had left the kingdom in good shape and David had insured the transition of power was seamless, launching Solomon’s leadership to a high level of momentum from his first day in office. Solomon was probably now only about 22 years old but had established his leadership, selected his team, negotiated treaties with neighboring nations to insure continued peace for the people and won the hearts of his people.

This point, when momentum had been established and the enterprise could seemingly run on auto pilot, is a danger point for most leaders. Without passion and a purpose that becomes a driving force (that is “bigger” than they are) even leaders whose desire is to serve and honor God can begin to make assumptions about the future and develop work and thought patterns that will ultimately limit their effectiveness as a leader.

Wise leaders understand the power in having a passion and a purpose that is bigger than the moment.

Solomon had a passion to build the temple with such care and excellence that its beauty and perfection would honor God and draw others to worship Him. He spared no expense; everything was done with quality and precision, including those things that would not be visible when the construction was complete. 

Solomon, even as a young man, knew that his passion and purpose as a leader needed to be directed toward God and His kingdom. Wise Christian leaders develop a passion with an eternal perspective that guides them during this temporary earth part of their journey.

What ignites your passion? Do you have a passion and purpose that will honor God when others evaluate your work and see how you have lived and led? Are you seeking to discover God’s deep passion and purpose for your life and participate in it?

“So we make it our goal to please (the Lord), whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”

2 Corinthians 5:9

« Have you communicated a vision that captivates others? (98-4)
Who are you striving to please? (99-1) »

God Is Watching ~ Joyce Meyer

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him.

— 2 Chronicles 16:9

God is watching you, and He sees everything you do. The psalmist said of Him, "You know my down sitting and my uprising; You understand my thought afar off." (Psalm 139:2)

God is eagerly seeking opportunities to reward you for your faith in Him.  

Jesus said,

"Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit." 

(Revelation 22:12) 

That means that people will receive pay for the actions they commit while on this earth. Now, that can be exciting in one way, and frightening in another way.


We need to realize that God is watching us, and that no one is really getting by with anything. God neither sleeps nor slumbers (See Psalm 121:4). He knows everything that goes on behind closed doors. So we need to live as if we really believe that God is watching our every move. When we sit and have a conversation, we need to remember that God is the unseen guest who is listening to everything that we have to say.


Do not become discouraged in doing good, for God sees everything you are doing for others on His behalf. Not one good work that you do with the right motive has gone unnoticed. God sees every person you help, every person you are kind to; He knows every time you show somebody a little bit of mercy, every time you show someone forgiveness, and He will reward you for it.

Prayer for continued boldness ~ Bob Hoekstra

I have written more boldly to you on some points…because of the grace given to me by God…Great is my boldness of speech toward you.

(Romans 15:15 and 2 Corinthians 7:4)

When the grace of God is at work in the lives of His people, spiritual boldness is a common result. This was clearly the testimony of the early church.

"They spoke the word of God with boldness …And great grace was upon them all".

(Acts 4:31, 33)

The Apostle Paul experienced this same boldness, as he ministered by the grace of God. "I have written more boldly to you on some points…because of the grace given to me by God." Paul's letters often displayed the boldness of grace. Romans was no exception.

As he applied the radical truths of the gospel of grace (given in the earlier chapters of Romans), he spoke with characteristic boldness. His exhortation to lay our lives on God's altar is a prime example.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

(Romans 12:1,2)

His call to be clothed in Christ, leaving no room for fleshly tendencies, is another notable instance of boldness. 


"Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in licentiousness and lewdness, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" 

(Romans 13:13-14). 

His pronouncement concerning the Lord's ownership of our lives is one more illustration of the boldness of grace. 


"For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's" 

(Romans 14:8).

"Great is my boldness of speech toward you" wrote Paul to the saints at Corinth. Just prior to this confession of boldness, he had given a radical request to be separate from the defilements of the world.


"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God" 

(2 Corinthians 6:14-16)

Yes, God's grace works boldness into our lives.

Dear Father, I praise You for the radical nature of You and Your truth. I thank You for the boldness that Your grace can bring into lives. By Your grace at work in me, cause me to think, pray, speak, and act in godly boldness. For Your glory, grant me, I pray, a boldness that is confident, but not arrogant; daring, but not reckless; uncompromising, but not harsh; unrelenting, but not insensitive; fearless, but not unloving.

Almost Christians? ~ Greg Laurie

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian."

— Acts 26:28

Almost is an interesting word, one that we sometimes use when we are delaying something, when we are not quite ready to commit.

Maybe you've been in a restaurant where the menu is the size of a small phone book. When the server arrived at your table and asked if you were ready to order, you said, "Well, almost." We will use this word when are not sure about something.

We also use "almost" when we're procrastinating. For example, if a husband and wife are going out to dinner and he asks her if she is ready to go, she will say, "Well, almost."

While we like to use "almost" for a number of situations, there are certain words that don't work with almost, as in "almost pregnant." A woman is either pregnant or she is not. Another word that doesn't work with almost is "won." You either won or you didn't. The winner is the winner, so you can't almost win.

Another word that doesn't fit with the word almost is "Christian." Either you are a Christian or you are not. You may be well on your way to becoming a Christian. You may be looking into the claims of Christ and investigating them.

But you cannot be an almost Christian.

When the apostle Paul presented the gospel to Herod Agrippa, he said,

"You almost persuade me to become a Christian"

(Acts 26:28). 

Almost. He was close, but not close enough. Apparently Herod Agrippa was moved by Paul's powerful and persuasive presentation of the gospel, but then he turned and walked away from it.

He was the almost Christian.

I think there are a lot of people like Herod Agrippa in our world today: almost Christians who think they are Christians when they really are not.

The Light You Have Will Make You Accountable to God ~ Kay Arthur

Have you ever been so done in, and so in your frustration, in you anger you turn and you say, God that is unfair? You are unfair, God. Can you be sure without a shadow of a doubt that God will never be unfair, that He will be absolutely fair right to the minutous detail? You can be sure my friend. And we’re going to see that as we look at God’s Word.

We’re looking at God. Is He fair? Is God fair? Well, it’s a good question to ask because you know what? You’re going to stand before Him. I’m going to stand before Him. Whether you believe in Jesus Christ or you don’t believe in Jesus Christ you’re going to stand before Him.

Later on in Romans, chapter 14 it says that,
 

“Christians are going to stand at the judgment seat of Christ to give an answer for the deeds done in our body.”

But it also says that in the book of Revelation that,  

“The lost people are going to stand before God and they’re going to give an answer also for their deeds.”  

They’re going to be judged according to their deeds and they’re going to be cast into the lake of fire, “… where the worm dies not and the fire is not quenched.” But the degree of that punishment will be determined by their deeds.

It will be determined by the light that they had, 

the light that they refused to believe.

Now in Romans, chapter 2, and I want to read verse 12 to you but I want to read verse 11 first. But when we get to verse 12 we’re going to pick up some words that haven’t been used in Romans up to this point. And we’re going to mark those. So I’m going to go a little slow so that you and I get it.

It says in verse 11,  “For there is no partiality with God …,” Is God fair? Yes, He’s fair. How fair is He? How just is He? Well, he goes on to say, for all. There is no partiality with God and he’s going to show you how fair He is.  

“For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law. And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.”

Now do you realize what two new words we’ve heard today that we need to mark, because remember we want to mark, we want to color-code key words. So what we’ve done is I’ve marked the word sinned and you want to mark the word “sin” and the reason you want to mark “sin” is because it is very key to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s very key to this book. So he’s talked about what sin looks like. He’s talked about how sin behaves. He’s talked about sins disbelief or unbelief, but he hasn’t’ mentioned the word yet. But now he does.

So this is the way I mark sin. I simply color-code it brown. And then he mentions law for the first time. All right now, the law shows us the righteousness of God. And so what I do is I color law yellow but I draw a diagram around law like the two tablets from the Ten Commandments, because when we think of the law we think of the Ten Commandments.

I know people want to get rid of them in some countries and they don’t want to hear them and they don’t want them in courtrooms and they don’t want them in schools, but I want to tell you something. Give up. You cannot get rid of the law. The law is here to stay. Now there’s a way to live with that law and we’re going to see that later.

So you want to mark this, “For all who have sinned …,” color it brown, “… without the law or apart from the law shall also perish without the law.” Now what is he saying?

He’s saying I’m fair. I’m fair. And He says, I want you to know that if you didn’t know the law, if you did not know the commandment, the commandment that “thou shall not steal” or “thou shall not have idols” or that “thou shall not commit adultery” or “thou shall not covet your neighbors wife or house” or that, if you didn’t know that law I want you to know that I won’t judge you by that because you didn’t know it. But you will still perish. Now when you perish and perish means the ultimate judgment, the lake of fire.

So he says, “When you perish because you didn’t know the law then your punishment will not be as great as somebody’s punishment who knew the law.” So watch. He says, “And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.”

So I always tell people when you listen when I’m teaching and I’m opening the Word of God, and I never teach without opening the Word of God. So if you ever come to any place where I’m doing a conference or if you ever come to any national convention that we would do at Precept Ministries, bring your Bible.

But I warn them, you have just heard truth. Not that I am loaded with truth but the Bible is loaded with truth. This is the good book we’ve curled up with. All right and it is pure truth. And so when the Bible is explained, you become accountable to it. So really, you want to be very careful what you hear because everything that you hear, you’re going to answer to God for.

But if you’re hearing the Bible whether you believe it or not, you really ought to listen because you really need to be saved, because you’re going to perish anyway. If you don’t hear it, if you do hear it, you’re going to perish if you don’t bow the knee to Jesus Christ.

So he goes on to say, “For not the hearers of the law, not the hearers of the law are just before God …,” They’re not made right before God just because they hear the law. Now he’s in all probability talking to Jews, but he’s also talking to anybody that has been exposed to the Ten Commandments. He’s talking about anybody that has heard the law of God even sitting in church. He’s either talking to Jews, flat out directly to Jews or to hypocrites who profess one thing and live a different way.

So he says,

“For not the hearers of the law are just before God but the doers of the law will be justified.”

Now we meet this word just and justified here. And we’re going to see it and develop it when we get to chapter 3 in depth. But just or justified means that you are right before God. It means that you have been declared right in God’s eyes. And you know really my friend, that’s all that matters.

So he says, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God but the doers of the law.” In other words, just knowing the Ten Commandments and knowing what the law says isn’t going to get it, Jew or Gentile. It is not going to get it. You have to do the law. Now the Jews are going to come back and say, “Whew! I’m safe, I’m safe, I do the law.”

But wait. Let’s keep reading. He says,

“For when the Gentiles who do not have the law do instinctively the things of the law, these not having the law are a law to themselves.”

Now you’re going to mark law three times in that verse, but you’re not going to mark a law to themselves. Okay? Because it’s talking about a law, a principle to themselves. Otherwise, he’s talking about the law of God. So what is he saying?

He’s saying if you have never heard the law of God and yet you know in your heart instinctively that it is wrong to steal, that it is wrong to take another mans wife, that it is wrong to not honor your parents and you just know that instinctively, the minute that you know that, then my friend, the minute that you know that then you become accountable to God for that instinct within, for that conscience within.

So he goes on to say, “In that they are a law to themselves …,” verse 15, “… in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.”

In other words he’s saying this, that when the work of the law is written in your heart, when you automatically just know that its right, that its right or that it’s wrong then you become a law to yourself and you will be judged by that law. You will be judged by your conscience.

Now he has an interesting thing here. And remember that he talks about men knowing within that there is a God. And when you know that there’s a God, you know that there has to be a right and a wrong. You have that witness within yourself. And what he’s showing is, listen these laws that God wrote down are not really that strange, just as a human being we ought to understand what God says about the law.

So then he goes on to say this. Now remember, is God fair? Is God just? Can He be trusted? It says,

“Their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately, accusing or else defending them on the day, on the day when according to my gospel God will judge the secrets of men through Jesus Christ.”

The judgment of God is going to be according to truth. The judgment of God is going to be according to deeds. The judgment of God is going to be according to the gospel, according to what you did with Jesus Christ.

The judgment of God will be fair because it’s according to truth, because it’s according to deeds, and because it is according to the gospel. He’s going to judge the secrets of your heart. And you know, that makes Him fair. That makes Him totally fair.

Because that means that you can’t play the hypocrite. That means you can’t put on a mask and say, oh, I didn’t mean to do that to that person. Oh, I’m sorry, they just took me the wrong way.

Oh no my friend, God is a just God. God is a fair God. He judges righteously. Remember that. Sometimes we sit in judgment of God and we say you know, that’s not right. That is not fair. And one of the things that you and I need to understand is that God judges us by His standards, not by ours. And His standards are always right.

Now what’s happening next in Romans, chapter 2? Well watch what he’s going to do. This time we know for sure that He is going to zero in on His chosen people. He’s going to zero in on the Jew.

Now when I use the term Jew, I want you to know, I am not using it in a derogatory way at all, because if you know anything about the Bible you have to know and understand that God’s people, the Jewish people, are His covenant people. And He will never forsake them. He will never let them go. What He has promised them will surely come to pass.

Let’s see what he says to the Jew. And if you’re Jewish and you’re listening, this is very, very important because so many times what happens is we think that because I am what I am that I’ve got it made with God.

The Muslims that have been acting as terrorists, the Muslims that have been blowing themselves up in terrorist’s attacks think that they are right with God. And they’re not right with God. They don’t even understand who God is.

The Jews, who are keeping the law, think that they are all right with God and they think that they’re all right with God because they’ve kept the law, because they’re a Jew, because they’ve been circumcised.

And so it’s at this point that God turns through the apostle Paul to address the Jews that are at the church at Rome. All right? Now, this is what he says. “But if you bear the name Jew …,” so what to do you want to do? You want to mark the word Jew again. You want to put a Star of David there, a blue star. Now let’s go to verse 17. “But if you bear the name Jew and you rely upon the law …,” now the law are the commandments of God. It’s the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. If you’re relying on the Torah, Gentiles call it the Pentateuch, for the first five books of the Bible.

But he says; “… if you rely on the law …,” so mark that like we’ve marked law, “…and you boast in God and you know His will and you approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the law …,” In other words, you say I’m a Jew, I’m keeping the law, I’m boasting in the things that are essential, I know the will of God because I know the Word of God. He says, “… and you’re confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind …,” You look at others and because you are a Jew and you have the Word of God and it belongs to you and you are God’s chosen people, then you are a guide to the blind. He says,”… a light to those that are in darkness …,” And you look at the Goym, you look at the Gentiles and you just say, they’re just living in such darkness. He says, “… a corrector of the foolish …,” You look at those people and you say, what fools they are, “… a teacher of the immature.”

In other words, you’re so mature and you’ve grown so much and you know so much and you keep the law, to the tiniest little jot and tittle. You live by the Talmud in addition to the Torah, in addition to the Tanak, in addition to the first five books of the Bible and in addition to what the Gentiles would call the Old Testament. And you have the Mishnah and you have Talmud and you study it day and night and you seek to live by it. He says, so that you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and of truth.

He says, you therefore, now note how he’s described them. And you know this would be good to take a fine pen and mark a one and a two and a three and a four and you would see everything that he says about them.

They bear the name Jew. They rely on the law. 

They boast in God. They know the will of God.

They approve the things that are essential because they’ve been instructed out of the law.

They’re confident that they are a guide to the blind that they are a light to those that are in darkness, that they are a corrector of those that are foolish, that they are a teacher of those that are immature.

They have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and of truth.

He says, “You therefore, who teach one another …,” you’re sitting there, you’re the teacher and you’re teaching one another. You’re the rabbi and you’re teaching the students in your synagogue, he says, “… and you teach another. Do you teach yourself?”

You know this is a good word for any teacher.

It’s a good word for me because I know, I’ve studied the Bible and I know a lot of the Bible, but if I’m teaching others am I teaching myself?

If others are coming under conviction by the Word of God as I teach it, am I coming under conviction by the Word of God if I’m not living accordingly?

So he says, “You …,” he says, “… who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one should not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?”

You know when I read that, I cannot help but think that when I was in Steinmaskies in Jerusalem, there are a lot of Steinmaskies, but I was right down on Jaffa Road, right down where they’ve had a lot of terrorist activity, and this was some time ago. But I was in Steinmaskies and I was buying something. I was schlepping my little cart. I had been to the store and I was schlepping my cart and as a matter of fact I left my cart and they were about to haul it away because you don’t leave any package around unattended because they think it’s a bomb. And I looked over, I went to the counter, they were saying you know, is this anybody’s cart and I came and said yes, it’s mine. I am so sorry, I forgot. You know and I’m standing there to pay for the book that I bought in Steinmaskies and next to me is an orthodox Jew with the curls, with the hat, all dressed you know just in his orthodox attire and he is buying a Playboy. I’m standing there. My eyes are falling out. And I’m thinking, God he should not be buying that. Puts it in the bag, walks out, and I said to the clerk, I said, did you see him do that? Did you see him do that? And she said, it happens all the time.

I was so frustrated with myself. I was so angry. I should have said son, you know when you’re older you can get away with things like this, but son, do you realize what you are doing? Do you know what the law says? The law says that you’re not to commit adultery and I want you to know that buying one of these magazines is an adulterous act, because you are looking at these women for lustful purposes. You’re in trouble with God.

And this is what he’s saying. He’s saying, you can’t be the teacher and live contrary to what you’re teaching. He says, “You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?” In other words, are you getting money, are you doing certain things to get money when you really shouldn’t be doing that? “You who boast in the law through your breaking the law, do you dishonor God?”

You know the Gentiles that have turned their backs on God and turned their back on this inner witness dishonor God and wrath is going to come on them. Do you think that because you’re a Jew and you know the law and you have the law and you quote the law and you teach the law that you can get away with dishonoring God and not have the judgment come upon you?

If you bear the name Christian and you act like this and you’re into pornography and you’re into these other things, you’re into lying and you’re into cheating and you’re into stealing, you’re blaspheming the name of God. And a just and righteous and fair God who judges without impartiality will hold you accountable.

He says, “Just as it is written …,” and he’s quoting the Old Testament, the Tanak, “… the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” It’s written in the Tanak, not just in the New Testament. “For he says, for indeed circumcision is a value if you practice the law, but if you are a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.” What does he mean by that?

We need to know, because there are many Jews that believe that if they are circumcised that that is their ticket to heaven. And you know what? It’s not your ticket to heaven, not according to the Word of God. And we’re going to see that. How do we bring today to a conclusion?

We need to stop, curl up with a good book, read what I’ve said again, and know that God judges impartially. Remember that.

Jesus Gave Honest Counsel ~ Rick Warren

"A friend means well even when he hurts you”

(Proverbs 27:6 GN).

Jesus shows us that real friends care enough to confront. Even when it's painful, they'll tell you the truth (Proverbs 27:6 GN).

They won’t let you waste your life in silence.

I’ve found that correcting another is powerful—and it can be dangerous. Done the right way, it builds people up, but done the wrong way, it can scar a person for life.

The difference between the right and the wrong way to correct is your attitude. If all you're doing is pointing out faults, then stop.

The purpose has to be to correct, not to condemn.

You need to ask, "What's my motive in this? Am I correcting him for my benefit or for his benefit?"

A lot of times we want to correct people just because they're being jerks and they're hassling us. We think, "If they would stop being such a jerk, my life would be easier."

That's the wrong motive.

Instead, follow Ephesians 4:15, which says,

"Speak the truth in love."

Love means giving people what they need
rather than what they deserve.

So this is the key to proper correction:

Affirm the person; then correct the behavior.

Jesus is Creator ~ Bob Coy

For by Him [Jesus] 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.

(Colossians 1:16 (NKJV)

Question: Who created the heavens and the earth?

Most everyone would answer, "God."  This is correct because the first thing the Bible tells us is that In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(Genesis 1:1 NKJV)

But did you notice that our lead verse attributes the same act of creation to Jesus? That's because Jesus is God (refer to December 6), and in the beginning He created all things in perfect harmony and accordance with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
 
This might be a foreign concept to some, but the Bible couldn't be clearer.

Christ is Creator.

That means He is the One who formed and framed the billions of stars that span the universe, the One who engineered the earth to conform to the countless parameters necessary to sustain life, and the One who conceived the complexities contained in a single cell.
 
Because of Him, our heart will beat 2.5 billion times without taking a break, our ears use a million moving parts to make hearing possible, and our eyes can distinguish millions of different colors.
 
Jesus also designed the human brain, which contains 100 billion neurons and can make a thousand trillion computations per second and store the amount of information contained in 25 million books (8 million more than the Library of Congress).*

As amazing as all of that is, it doesn't compare with the creative work that Christ accomplishes in us when we surrender ourselves to Him. Only the Creator can take bruised, broken, and burned people and make them overflow with the love and joy of heaven.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

(2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV)

Discuss how Christ’s creative power has been demonstrated in your own life.

Dig into 2 Corinthians Chapter 5. What does it mean to be “in Christ”? When someone becomes a new creation, what evidence should there be?
 
Decide this next week to focus on living “in Christ.” In what areas are you living like a new creation? What areas need improvement?

You may find yourself losing everything ~ Bob Caldwell

Judgment's End Goal

  
"By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it."

Psalm 137:1-2

When the Jews found themselves in foreign lands, it was common for them to gather by a nearby river for Sabbath worship. This passage refers to those captives who had been taken to Babylon. The Babylonian captivity had been God's judgment in response to Israel's decades of sinful rebellion against Him.

We can see in the psalmist's words that God's judgment had accomplished its intended goal. What Israel once took for granted, they now longed for. They wept at having to worship so far from Zion, the Temple Mount.  If you find yourself distracted by the cares of this life with little heart left for the things of God, beware. You may find yourself losing everything that has replaced God. A loss that sometimes is the only way left for God to awaken the love we have lost for Him.

Seek Him first and you will gain all other things. Seek first all other things, and in the end you will lose both.

God's Word Backed by God's Name 

 "I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name." 

Psalm 138:2

David speaks from experience when he declares, "For You have magnified Your word above all Your name." David discovered, as few have, what amazing things stand behind the "name" of God. He saw God's grace in choosing him to be king of Israel. He saw God's good in the years of chastening God brought him through to prepare him for his calling as king. David discovered through all he experienced, a list of virtues that are alone found in the perfection of God. God's love, holiness, power, forgiveness, and sovereignty are examples of things David knew firsthand.

David came to see that all of the main aspects of God's glory represented in His name were at His disposal to assure the fulfillment of His promise. Like David, our hope in God's Word has carried many of us through the most turbulent of waters. Because of this unreserved confidence in God's word of promise, David boldly declares in the midst of a great trial that God will surely revive him. God will stretch out His hand to overthrow the enemies of his soul. Those who know and hope in God's character, which is great in its perfection, will also surely see God's word of promise fulfilled beyond human understanding.

The Searching Light of God

 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting."

Psalm 139: 23,24

David's desire that God would fully search the depths of His inner being, the rightness of his way of living, as well as the origins of his anxieties reaffirms why David had such a passionate heart after God. No matter what evil God saw in him, He would also lead David out of his sin to the golden path that leads to life everlasting. David proved the saying, "Though God knows all about me, He loves me still." David was not afraid to face himself as God saw him because he knew two vital things about God. First, he knew God already knew everything about him anyway so why hide what cannot be hidden? This is why he begins his psalm describing the complete length, depth, height and width of God's knowledge (v. 1-16). Secondly, David knew that in spite of the wickedness of his fallen nature, God's thoughts toward him were precious thoughts of love (v. 17-18). This is the basis for each one of us to fully accept the all-knowing eyes of God.

Let this knowledge of God give us the confidence to face all that God already knows about us. God will not only help us face the cancer of sin that eats away at what we were created to be (the image of God), but He will also lead us onto a path of abundant life. God will do all this for each of us because David is not the first nor last for whom God holds countless precious thoughts. This includes you!

Psalms 137
~Longing for Zion in a Foreign Land

1 By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down, yea, we wept
When we remembered Zion.

2 We hung our harps
Upon the willows in the midst of it.

3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,
And those who plundered us requested mirth,
Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

4 How shall we sing the LORD's song
In a foreign land?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget its skill!

6 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.

7 Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Who said, "Raze it, raze it,
To its very foundation!"

8 O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed,
Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!

9 Happy the one who takes and dashes

Your little ones against the rock!

Psalm 138
~A Psalm of David.

1 I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.

2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.

4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O LORD,
When they hear the words of Your mouth.

5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
For great is the glory of the LORD.

6 Though the LORD is on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.

8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Psalm 139
~For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.

3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"
Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.

20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.

21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;

24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalms 137


This psalm was composed after the brutal conquest of the nation of Judah in 586 BC, with its bloodcurdling massacres when the towns and cities fell one after another to the conquerors, accompanied by pillage, rape and unspeakable cruelty. Much of the population was dragged off to Babylon in the subsequent mass deportations.

v. 1 By the rivers of Babylon – Babylon, located in a fertile plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, had a sophisticated canal system that connected the two water sources. The Judean exiles were located along these streams; the prophet Ezekiel, for instance, received his first vision "among the exiles by the Kebar River [canal]" (Eze. 1:1).

of Babylon – The Hebrew text reads: "…Babylon – there! (sham, Heb.)

We sat down – Emphasizing the strangeness and foreignness of their location. The "there" is repeated again for emphasis at the beginning of v. 3.

v. 2 We hung our harps – Probably similar to what we know as "Irish harps," which are small enough to be carried by hand. The exiles "hung it up," they were not in any way inclined to make music in the midst of the situation.

upon the willows – literally, "poplars;" the trees growing beside the canals


in the midst of it – i.e. in the midst of Babylon

v. 3 there – See note on v. 1.

those who carried us away captive – our captors

those who plundered us – The memory of the pillaging of Judah and Jerusalem was still fresh in the poet's mind.

saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" – The captors or "plunderers" wanted to be entertained; this is a common occurrence among conquering armies.

v. 4 How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land? – What their tormenters considered quaint "folk songs" of Zion (v. 3) were, for the exiles, sacred worship songs; it was totally out of place to sing them for a crowd of rowdy and perhaps drunken captors.

v. 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! – Right hand and tongue (v. 6) are, of course, the key to playing the lyre. The poet is saying: If Jerusalem is not at the center of my thoughts, may I be cursed.

v. 7 Raze it, raze it – The final three verses are a livid "anti-prayer" by the psalmist, asking God to repay the gloating enemies of Judah with their own coin with which they treated the defeated nation. The final scene of the attack when the enemies took the capitol ("the day of Jerusalem") replays itself before his mind's eye.

the sons of Edom – i.e. the Edomites, a neighboring people descended from Esau, Jacob's brother. They allied themselves with the attacking Babylonians, screaming for the city's total destruction during the final attack.

v. 8 Happy the one who repays you as you have served us! – i.e. happy is the one who pays you back in kind. The poet sees quite accurately, though, that whoever "draws the sword shall die by the sword" (Matt. 26:52).

v. 9 the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock! – This blood-curdling curse is the anguished cry of someone who has probably seen unspeakable cruelties during the final hours of the battle for Jerusalem. Are these only words of personal vengeance and vindictiveness or is there more to them? In ancient times, children were often viciously murdered at the successful conclusion of a siege (2 Kings 8:12, Is. 13:16, Hosea 13:16; Nahum 3:10).

Psalm 138

This thanksgiving psalm expresses the poet's personal gratefulness to God for deliverance from his enemies (v. 7)

v. 1 my whole heart – The heart, in Hebrew thinking, was the center of one's personality, the source of one's very being. It must be guarded and developed (Prov. 4:23).

Before the gods I will sing praises to You – This phrase has bothered Jewish and Christian commentators for centuries. Some have tried to interpret "gods" as meaning "judges," but that is a stretch. There is nothing particularly polytheistic about the phrase, though; it is best read as a simple statement of fact: in the midst of the nations, the psalmist confesses the true God, while folk around him worship idols and other things they imagine to be "gods."

v. 2 worship – bow down; probably similar to the way Muslims pray today

For You have magnified Your word above all Your name – The word order and emphasis in Hebrew is instructive: "Because You-have-magnified above-all-Your Name…Your Word!" The meaning seems to be that, glorious as God's "Name" (His character and nature) is, His revelation of Himself to humankind has brought Him even greater glory and praise.

v. 3 In the day when I cried out – i.e. in supplication that God would deliver him from His enemies.

made me bold with strength in my soul – "You made me bold and stouthearted" (NIV).

v. 4 When they hear – Whenever the word "hear" appears in the psalms, one should at least consider the possibility that the mighty "confession of faith" of Israel is a connotation; that makes sense in this case. The psalmist is reflecting on his small part in the great proclamation of faith before the nations: "Hear O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is One!" (Deut. 6:4).

v. 6 Though the LORD is on high – Note the Hebrew a-b-b'-a' parallelism: "on high…regards the lowly // the proud…knows from afar (i.e. from a distance).

v. 7 Your right hand will save me – The "right hand" is a Hebrew idiom for strength.

v. 8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me – God's purpose will be fulfilled in our lives; not because of our cleverness or moral goodness, but because His "mercy endures forever" and we are the "work of His hands" (Phil. 1:6).


Psalm 139 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

Chief Musician – the head of the musicians in the Temple

of David – l'david (Heb.) can mean "composed by," "dedicated to," or "in the collection of"

Psalm 139

This wonderful psalm has been a companion of God's people through the centuries. It is a deep meditation on God's total knowledge of our human thoughts and condition and on the amazing glory of His presence everywhere: in all that is, was, or ever will be.

v. 1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me – God's knowledge is active, based upon His conscious awareness of everything in His creation.

v. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up – The phrasing recalls God's command to His people to know His commands: "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deut. 6:7).

You understand my thought afar off – God knows our innermost thoughts, a comforting and alarming prospect

v. 3 my lying down – Means the "lair" of an animal. I.e. in colloquial speech, "You know where I hang out".

v. 5 You have hedged me behind and before – The image the poet has in mind is probably that of a potter "squeezing" the clay between his hands; God has been directing the psalmist's life since the moment of his conception.

v. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? – It is impossible to escape from God's presence; there is nowhere in the created world that He is not there.

v. 8 hell – sheol (Heb.) the place of the dead

v. 9 If I take the wings of the morning – The picture is of someone riding the sun across the skies to the uttermost ends of the earth.

v. 11 the darkness shall fall on me – i.e. I will be wrapped up in darkness like a blanket

v. 12 The darkness and the light are both alike to You – It is all the same to God; night is like blazing daylight for Him.

v. 13 inward parts – literally, in Heb. "kidneys;" i.e. all of the most intricate organs of the body

covered me – Better translated: "knit me" or "wove me;" again emphasizing God's active role in the psalmist's life from the moment of conception.

v. 15 in the lowest parts of the earth – Literally: "in the depths of the earth;" it creates a picture (metaphor) comparing the womb and the underworld (v. 8).

v. 16 in Your book they all were written – The Hebrew text is not clear; this could mean: "All the days fashioned for me were written in Your book" (i.e., God intimately knows future events) or it could mean: "Everything about me…" (God knows us in detail).

v. 18 When I awake, I am still with You – After all of his effort to grasp God's thoughts (v. 17), the psalmist falls asleep; when he wakens, God's presence is still there.

v. 19 that You would slay the wicked – The poet's attention then turns to the conditions in the world. Wickedness is not hidden from him; how much more is it not hidden from God.

v. 22 perfect hatred – i.e. "total" hatred.

v. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart – Are a deep cry for personal revival. Spiritual renewal begins with the "searching" of one's innermost motives ("heart") and one's thought-life ("anxieties"; better translated "thoughts" or "thinking").

v. 24 see if there is any wicked way in me – Two life "ways" are envisioned by the poet: the "wicked" way (literally, the "aggravating" way…i.e. it is irritating or vexing to God and the "eternal way," upon which one is led by God (the image of the pilgrim "Christian" in Pilgrim's Progress).

Prayer Focus

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting."

Psalm 139:23-24

As David sought for You to search his heart, God, we pray for the same today. Examine our hearts, refine us in Your holy fire, and rid us of the sin that is within. Above all us, lead us in Your ways, Lord, so that we may spend eternity praising You.

Topical Core Groups

I've been attending the "Women of Sexual Integrity" class and through it, the Lord has been showing me things about my marriage relationship that need help. The women of our church body are blessed to have this opportunity to safely and effectively discuss and pray for issues related to sexual integrity in marriage. Tina Bailey is an awesome teacher.

Prayer Points

• that the Lord would continue to bless marriages in our church family through this class
• that more women would be yielded to allowing the Lord to work and heal and bless their intimate relationships with their husbands