We need a high view of God. Too often when we speak to God in prayer, that is all it is, our speaking. We must discipline ourselves to make our words few, and take time to listen! A definition in Scripture of a fool is that the fool speaks too much. Sometimes in prayer, we make promises to God, as though we can barter with our actions to gain something from God we don't think He would otherwise give us. Don't play the fool. God wants to give us every good thing. If we don't have the good things we want, we need to look at why. There could be many reasons. But we have no right to try and bargain with God. He deserves our right actions and obedience, completely. Besides, we have nothing to bargain with. Believers are slaves, and God holds all their rights! If you are in the habit of bargaining with God, raise your view of Him and cease the practice. And if you don't listen to Him when you pray, begin to do so, today.
Generally one comes across these verses when studying personal growth as a Christian. But here we apply it to our personal relationships. What good are the fruits of God's Spirit in us, if they are not exercised with those around us, including family, neighbors, co-workers, and other believers? Every believer is given the indwelling Holy Spirit, who acts as a power source residing in us. But the Spirit will not dictate to you, nor will this fruit come out in your life if you do not so choose. God doesn't make us robots. But do we find ourselves at odds with people all the time? Then we are not accessing the power of God's Spirit to enable us to have love, joy, peace and more in our lives. Do you want real power? The fruit which the Spirit makes available to you today is power beyond imagination! Those who want it, will have it. Ask God to release into your life an abundance of His power today.
The name Saul means "one asked for." He was the first human king of Israel, and as the Scripture makes clear, he was very pleasant to look upon and physically strong. Saul had every benefit, besides being handsome and big, he was chosen to lead the Israelites. God gave him His Spirit to guide him. Saul began well, but over time he let himself abuse the power God gave him. What a warning for us today, especially for those in any kind of spiritual leadership. When the Apostle Paul spoke of finishing the course, perhaps he had Saul in mind. Saul began the course well, but let down his discipline, let his pride rule him and lost all self-control. Don't be fooled, this could happen to anyone today, and unfortunately does! If you have been so blessed to lead and hold power, whether in your family or at the head of a huge corporation, keep your eyes on Jesus. Remember, you have nothing that wasn't given you by the Lord.
In public worship we draw near to God, and He to us. Worship is often understood to be the giving of praise and adoration to God. But that is only half the process. It is in public worship that we are spiritually fed. Jesus told the Pharisees that He was the Living Bread, which should a person eat of it they would not die, but live forever. It seems no one would turn down such a miraculous bread. Yet many Christians live today, just barely. We apparently do not believe the Word that tells us that we are soldiers, and have deadly enemies; the world system, the flesh and the devil. No soldier purposely would go into battle half starved. But how often do we go into the world without feeding on the Living Bread? It is especially during worship that we are best fed. As we give to Almighty God His due, He gives back to us what we need to accomplish glorious things for Him! Attend your churches' worship services regularly, and partake of the Living Bread.
We can see that God is all-powerful by looking at creation and this is a good beginning. But we must not stop there. We need to discover that He is the all-loving God of Righteousness and Justice; and that we need a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, as He has ordained. To do less is to forfeit eternal life. It is that simple. There are millions of precious people in the world today who acknowledge the existence of God, but who have not gone on to enter into that personal relationship with Jesus, either because they have not heard that they need to, or they do not perceive the necessity of it. In both cases, the result is the same: eternity without God. Do you acknowledge God's mighty power as you observe the universe? Do you perceive the great need of your heart for a personal relationship with God's Son, Jesus Christ?
Jesus said that to be approved of God, or blessed, we must hear what God says and we must do it. These two are impossible to the unbeliever and to the carnal Christian. Hearing the Word of God is not just listening and comprehending. Hearing the Word of God requires that we have ears to hear, spiritual ears, given by the Holy Spirit. If we really long to hear from God through His word, then we need to be ready to walk in obedience. Have you already heard from God something that you are not doing? If you sense that you are not living up to the light that you already have, you may not get any further light until you obey that which you do know.
The one thing that this rich man lacked was a Godly (eternal) world-view. He had to sell his many possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and by way of the cross, enter in to new life with Jesus. This requirement is not possible apart from the miraculous intervention of the Holy Spirit into the life. Wise are the words of the martyr Jim Elliot who said, "He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose." What is the Lord requiring of you? Do you need to heed His words from this passage? For this man, there didn't seem to be a middle ground, no compromise. The Lord still permits no compromises today. Anything more precious to you than God must be given away immediately. If you will it, God will give you the strength to do it, and come into a right relationship with Him!
As we communicate with God, our Father, it is good to know what His promises to us are. If we don't know them, how can we stand on them? It is important to know that we can ask according to His declared will and the answer will always be YES! As this verse states, His promises already have a stamp on them that reads "So be it!" What confidence we can have as we ask God to make His promises affective in our lives. Begin today by finding promises in God's Word to attach to your specific requests. Write them out and then memorize them. Your faith will grow, along with your desire to pray, as you see the promises of God made good in your own life!
This verse makes it sound like your treasure and your heart are linked together somehow. That what you spend your time, energy, and resources on is what is really important to you. That others could evaluate your priorities by looking at your calendar, your schedule, and your checkbook. That what you say is important, and may or may not line up with what you do. It would be good for all of us who call ourselves Christian to reevaluate how we spend our time, who we spend our time with, and what we spend our money on. This would provide real insight into our priorities. Could you withstand the careful scrutiny by others into these areas of your life? Are you willing to scrutinize them for yourself?
According to Lockyer's ALL THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE, Priscilla is inseparable from her husband because "their two hearts beat as one." They walked as one, for they had mutually agreed to put Christ first. They were one in marital bliss, in their secular occupation, in their friendship with Paul, and in their service to the chruch. The oneness of Priscilla and Acquila shame the self-centeredness of our day. We spend much of our time demanding our own way, and striving for self-recognition. Throughout the history of Christianity, however, the truly great characters have always been simple and humble men and women. Will you be listed among the simple and humble in the Lord's records?
Paul had a habit, built out of long standing practice. He was a Jew, now a Jewish-Christian. On the sabbath it was appropriate to attend synagogue. And even though he was constantly in strange cities, he still visited the synagogue. Of course, another reason he did this was because there he could have a hearing for the gospel. Christians who travel frequently may see Sunday in a strange town as a good reason to sleep in. After all, they're away from the comforts of home and so deserve this little extra rest. If this is your attitude, reconsider. We are not to attend church just because it's Sunday. We're not to attend church just because it's habit. Our God calls us to worship. When you get to town and you know you'll be there through Sunday, call around and find a place you'd like to visit. You will probably have a new experience. But above all, you'll be honoring God, as you go to worship Him with other believers. And perhaps He will have other blessings for you there.
There is nothing in creation that is not under God's sovereign rule. His seat of power is in heaven, and from there His power goes throughout every nation and kingdom there is, has been or ever will be. His power is not of the character of that taken by force, but rather it is His power by right. It is sovereign power. And that power has no limitations. God can accomplish, by His power, whatever He wills. And His hosts are angels, heavenly beings of great power themselves. These willingly serve Him and act as His ministers and messengers. When we consider God, we must see Him in this manner. He is sovereign, He is king and He has all power. Are you discouraged, Christian? Have you considered your Father's power? It is available to His children. He may send it in the form of one of His mighty angels. As you purpose to honor and obey Him, He will direct His power through you to accomplish His will, and care for you.
Jesus is our model. Christians are to become more "Christ-like" as time passes. But sometimes we think, "sure, He would grow in all that, He was God." Our thinking needs to be reorganized on that point. Jesus came to earth in space and time, in flesh and blood, as both true man and true God. The Greek word translated "increase," in our verse today, carries a sense of effort or even struggle in it. Increase He did. But we must not assume there was no effort, no difficulty. The Scripture tells us Jesus knows us inside and out. As we purpose to grow in Christ, we must strengthen ourselves against feelings of defeat, against thinking that tells us Jesus is not the model, because He is God. Jesus is our model for personal growth. He did increase in wisdom, because He made the effort to grow. He learned and increased in favor with God and man. Is this what you want? Your Savior has shown you the way. Follow it. By His strength, you can do it.
This is the famous passage regarding the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego were talking to king Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest monarch of his time. If they didn't bow down before an idol, they would be incinerated. But these servants of God had a faith, tested over time, that told them their God was more than great enough to deliver them out of all the dangers their service put them in. Often in our service we are willing to take risks because of this truth, our God is able to deliver us. But don't stop there; go further. God is not obligated to deliver us. He is sovereign, and if it pleases Him, He will deliver. But He may choose otherwise. These three servants knew this. "But even if He does not...." What faith, what a knowledge of God! If you take risks in service because you believe God must deliver you, rethink your motives for that service. He will bring the greatest glory to Himself, and if you're part of that, you'll be greatly blessed.
Great teachers of our faith tell us that prayer is the life breath of the believer. Are you easily winded these days? Jesus needed a place to be completely alone, where he could concentrate and focus His attention on God the Father. He chose a mountain. We need this same concentration. Some of us pray as we drive, others send up arrow-prayers throughout the day. Neither is wrong. But God deserves our utmost respect and effort. Prayer of that kind comes only when we give time to it, and place for it. When Jesus was praying like this, He might pray all through the night. Have you? Has anything ever been that important? There is a private and wonderful place the believer finds when he or she purposes to persevere in prayer. We should not struggle like Jacob, who wrestled and lost his hip for it. Rather, we should set our face to communicate with our God. If you will do this, you will find that special, mysterious place of close communion. And you will not want to leave it.
The teaching in this verse applies to personal relationships. The perverse man is given to change. Change for the better is what we aim for. But the change in this verse is a turning over of things, just to cause trouble. God's Word says such a person causes arguments and disagreements. Look at yourself, see if you are given to such actions. Is it the general character of your life, the common habit of your life to constantly turn things over in order to "get a rise?" If so, consider what the Scripture says of such a one. "Gossip" carries with it the meaning of rolling something to pieces. The King James has it, "whisperer." It's like the phrase, "can't you just let it lie?" Sometimes we are given to rolling a problem (someone else's frequently) over and over in order to break it apart. This also we must check ourselves on. In our personal and family relationships there is no room for the perverse one or the gossip. Let's be sure we're not found in those categories.
Samuel's name could mean "Asked of God," or "Offering of God." He was given to Hannah in response to her fervent prayers for a son. Her heart led her to commit Samuel to the Lord's service. Samuel took the vows of a Nazarite which meant he drank nothing with alcohol in it, and specifically avoided anything else that could be termed "worldly." Nazarites also never cut their hair, showing the source of the mind was totally dedicated to God; they never touched a dead body, thus representing their purity in God. Samuel was the first prophet following Moses, and the last judge of the Israelites before they took a human king. His words, spoken in God's power, brought the Israelites out of idol worship and delivered them as they rose against the Philistines. His courage and faith made him loved by the people. They knew he was the man of God. Take Samuel's lead. Today in a world where we all blend in, don't be afraid to stand out for God, by your choices and actions.
Have you ever considered that the service of worship we perform here on earth, in space and time, is a reflection of that which occurs continually in heaven, throughout eternity? Public worship is about as close as we'll get to heaven, until we are with the Lord. How greatly would our services change today and especially our own attendance upon those services and attention in them, were we to see this connection? The angels surround the throne of Almighty God, giving Him honor and glory, proclaiming His holiness in perfect adoration. Brother or sister, the next time you come into the church to worship your God, remember, it is a reflection of what is occurring in heaven right now. And let that reality lift you in your expression of love to the One who died for you, and lives for you.
God certainly does not do things the way we do. Or, more correctly stated, we don't do things the way God does. After all, He is God, the Creator. Because He has chosen to bring confusion to the so-called "wise" and "mighty" and reveal Himself and His truth to the foolish and weak, we need to be careful where we seek Him and who we follow as we do it. The world's ways just won't do. Big names, wealth and power should not be influencing our walk with the Lord. Are you careful and discerning in these matters? What changes do you need to make in your way of thinking?
Jesus spoke these words to the religious leaders and others that were around Him. The truth is clearly stated, but for some reason, we read it and go on our merry way, thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought! For this kind of thinking certainly goes against the current philosophy of our day that says self-esteem is what is needed in order to find inner peace. Self-esteem is a worldly philosophy and we need to be very careful that we do not take worldly philosophies into our Christianity (see Philippians 2:3). As Christians, we either choose to humble ourselves, or risk being humbled (usually publicly) by our Lord. Is it time, again, to take a spiritual inventory of our attitude about ourselves? If you need to, confess the sin of pride and start over!
The Lord said this about the woman at Bethany who poured precious oil on His head in preparation for His soon-coming burial. On the surface, what she did seems insignificant and even, perhaps, inappropriate. His statement implies that there was probably much that she couldn't do; she hadn't wasted time and effort attempting them. It seems that she could even have decided not to do what was possible for her. But the Lord's words to her echo down through the centuries to us today. Are you doing what you can for Him? Will Jesus be able to say this about you?
From all we discover about God from the Scriptures, we should certainly understand that He is able to do anything and everything. We call this attribute of God, omnipotence. But what we know intellectually doesn't always make its way to our hearts so that we can believe it. To get results from our prayers, we need to believe that He is able to do what we ask of Him and even more!. Look at your prayer list. Do you really believe that God can and will answer your prayers? How would you pray if you really believed God was going to answer?
It is always the desire of Christians to get along with each other. But the reality is that sometimes it is just not possible. This disagreement between the Apostle Paul and his trusted companion was so sharp, each feeling so strongly about his position, that they went their separate ways. This picture into the humanity of these two giants of the New Testament is comforting to those of us who have experienced the pain of sharp disagreements with other believers. What encourages us is in regard to our verse, is that they were allowed to continue to minister effectively, with the blessing of their fellow believers. We should be committed to reconciliation; and we should be just as determined to continue on in our walk and service with the Lord after divisive disagreements.
According to Lockyer's ALL THE WOMEN OF THE BIBLE, Sarah's name was given to her by God to "signify the gracious purpose and promises of God." She followed Abraham, as he followed God, even though they did not know where they were going. Sarah was ninety years old before God fulfilled His promise and made her "the mother of the son of Promise." If Abraham is "the father of all them that believe" (Romans 4:11), then Sarah is their mother. If we would be like our spiritual mother, we would trust God to do all He says He will do - even if it defies logic, science or imagination.
What ever became of the sabbath? Today many think of the concept of honoring the sabbath as one of legalism, or Puritanism. Neither is correct. If we believe God's Word, then we must recognize that God rested on the seventh day and ordained that His people should do the same. There are many human arguments that can be made for resting one day a week. But we are not considering human arguments. We are Christians and we turn to our God's Word for direction. His Word tells us that as we commit one day a week to considering Him, worshiping Him, meditating on Him and His ways, He will bless us with enormous blessings. It is true, man was not made for the sabbath, as Jesus said. It is true that the sabbath was made for man. But man must act upon the reason behind the sabbath to gain from it, to be blessed by it. Take the sabbath, and "turn your foot from doing your own pleasure" and focus on your Creator.
There was a new believer, a baby Christian, who would wake up every day and and very sincerely ask God "What can I do for you today, Father?" It was not until some years later, years of growing closer to God, that this person realized a great truth, taught by these verses. Our God has no needs. He is completely self-sufficient. At first this thought may be somewhat dismaying. The dismay changes to marvel when we think that God has nevertheless adopted us, made us his child! And as a child looks to the human father for all needs, so we too look to the one who has all, and is all, for all our true needs. Our God delights to care for us, teach us and grow us up into a closer knowledge of Himself! Instead of asking God what you can do for him, why not present yourself to Him every morning, and tell Him you desire to be used of Him this day. And wait to see what happens.
Have you found that special spiritual friend, your spiritual mother or father, or your first or current pastor, who is everything to you? And then has that special person suffered for some reason? Did you become angry and lose your direction in your walk with God? It happens. We are never, never to put our trust in a person, no matter how precious and good that person is to us. That kind of trust is only for God. He is the only One who will never let you down. The people were led by Moses and obeyed him. But when he seemed to be taken out of the way, they fell away into old, sinful habits of life. They lusted for a god they could see. Don't fall into this trap. It has happened to many. Beware. Every Christian goes through defeats and failures. Sometimes it is deserved and sometimes not. But God is the One who will care for you. Put your trust in Him, not man and you won't be let down, ever.
There will come a time in our service when this command will be delivered, "Do not act." It will mean don't act in Jesus' Name. This is the case today in Asia, the Middle East and Africa where there are places where Christians are commanded not to teach or preach in Jesus' Name, on penalty of death. Believers must answer just as the apostles did so long ago. But what of us, here in the United States? Are there things being done in our communities, cities, states and in the nation itself that are clearly not in line with God's Word? The trouble we are in is due to our own lethargy and fear. "Why, if we did do what the Word indicates, it would cause such trouble, and offend so many," we say. Realize what that means. God's Word will offend. But it is a purifying offense leading some to salvation. Don't let your own fears, or the norms of the day, stop you from obeying God. You must look at the general character of your life and see whether you are obeying God or man.
Did you know this is a form of prayer? Israel's king was in battle, striking his enemies down and directing his men to do the same, when the enemy realized they could gain an advantage and kill him. In deadly peril he called out to the only One who could save him, God Almighty. It pleased God to rescue him. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, we know we can call on the Name of the Lord. But take note. Jehoshaphat was a good king and was known to walk with God. He had a habit of life of praying and communing with his Lord. That God answered Jehosphaphat in his trouble is a sign of his walk. Those who wait until the utter end to call upon God to help them, are motivated more by their own fear than God's glory. If you are not walking with the Lord, that last call may not bring the answer you desire. Make your walk close now, be near to your Father and when you are in need, He will be near to you.
This verse is often quoted out of context. Its context is, it follows Paul's admonitions regarding relationships, family and otherwise; passages which define the Christian's responsibility to family and the workplace. Paul goes on to explain that it is not against flesh and blood we wrestle. Although surely when we consider family and work, we think it is flesh and blood against whom we struggle. The Holy Spirit is telling us that a primary battleground is our family and our workplace; and we war against the flesh and the devil. So take the Spirit's advice: don't go on without His armour. That armour is detailed in Ephesians 6:13-18. It is in our personal relationships that we are tried and tested; with fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, children, bosses, co-workers and those under our authority. Remember your relationship to your Savior and Lord. That will guide you in all other relationships. As you follow that pattern, you will honor God and benefit all others.
