Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
(1) Bless Adonai, my soul! Everything in me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless Adonai, my soul, and forget none of his benefits!
3 He forgives all your offenses, he heals all your diseases, 4 he redeems your life from the pit, he surrounds you with grace and compassion, 5 he contents you with good as long as you live, so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
This is a special Psalm for me, so much so that I just feel like sliding deep into a comfortable chair and breathe, contentedly breathe. But there is so much more.
The Psalm is not only a familiar Psalm, but it opens our eyes and ears to the sheer totality of what God has done for His people. In Psalm 103:1–5, the author highlights the individual aspects of God’s love for his people. In 103:6–12 he binds, focuses, upon God’s concern with the community of believers together.
Psalm 103:1 The Psalmist acknowledges that being a person of faith in this God of Israel cannot praise half-heartedly.
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!”
The “soul” and “all that is within me” stresses that there is no medium ground with God. Either we are all in with God, or we are all outside of His realm. The Psalmist claims pointedly that with his whole heart and whole soul, the believer is committed in blessing/praising/worshipping Adonai God for all He has done.
Deuteronomy 6:4-19 Complete Jewish Bible
(A:vi, S: v) 4 “Sh’ma, Yisra’el! Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad [Hear, Isra’el! Adonai our God, Adonai is one]; 5 and you are to love Adonai your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources. 6 These words, which I am ordering you today, are to be on your heart; 7 and you are to teach them carefully to your children. You are to talk about them when you sit at home, when you are traveling on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them on your hand as a sign, put them at the front of a headband around your forehead, 9 and write them on the door-frames of your house and on your gates.
(S: vi) 10 “When Adonai your God has brought you into the land he swore to your ancestors Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov that he would give you — cities great and prosperous, which you didn’t build; 11 houses full of all sorts of good things, which you didn’t fill; water cisterns dug out, which you didn’t dig; vineyards and olive trees, which you didn’t plant — and you have eaten your fill; 12 then be careful not to forget Adonai, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you lived as slaves. 13 You are to fear Adonai your God, serve him and swear by his name. 14 You are not to follow other gods, chosen from the gods of the peoples around you; 15 because Adonai, your God, who is here with you, is a jealous God. If you do, the anger of Adonai your God will flare up against you and he will destroy you from the face of the earth. 16 Do not put Adonai your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah [testing]. 17 Observe diligently the mitzvot of Adonai your God, and his instructions and laws which he has given you. 18 You are to do what is right and good in the sight of Adonai, so that things will go well with you, and you will enter and possess the good land Adonai swore to your ancestors, 19 expelling all your enemies ahead of you, as Adonai said.
In Psalm 103 v. 3, he notes that when we are in that relationship with God, the first aspect means that we remember: do not forget even one of God’s benefits.
In the swirl of life, anxiety, pressures, threats to life, we can easily slip into forgetfulness, especially with regard to what God has done for us.
Hence the Psalmists strong exhortation “And forget not all His benefits.” As an individual believer we are each called to remember, not forgetting one thing of what God has done, 100% refreshing our memory with all that God has done.
The first item of required remembrance is “Who forgives all your iniquities.”
We live in a sinful world, we are too often tempted, and more than we’d like to admit, we sin. But God… reaches out to forgive us. We need to recall that such is our heritage as people of God. How often we need reminding? Thank You, Lord.
More remembrances: “Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.”
I look back at the so many times I have been injured and those scars to prove it.
Even greater is God’s protection in the midst of injuries, diseases that affect all of us. Several times over the past six decades I am reminded of these “benefits” continually. The phrase “forget not all His benefits” is a call for us to take stock of our hard circumstances bless God, praise His name, repeatedly, continually.
In Psalm 103:6–12 the author now directs our attention to our life together as the people of God, as one people.
Some of the statements are looking back to the ancient days of Moses when God delivered the people.
“The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed…”
Think of the great Exodus and recall the words exchanged between Moses and God at the burning bush, recall the indescribable holiness of that moment and when God sent the plagues to provoke the Egyptians to allow Israel to escape.
God not only delivered, God decisively delivered. As they were receiving the Law they rebelled and built for themselves their golden calf, God executed His own judgement. Yet, when, as he punished the one’s of that rebellious generation, He also sustained them with water and food in the wilderness for forty years.
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever” (vv. 8-9).
The generation of Israelites learned in the hardest ways about God’s anger against sin. But they also began to learn that God does not retain His anger forever. Rather they learned of His mercy, grace, forgiveness—repeatedly.
He further illustrates this with
“For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (vv. 11–12).
See also Jeremiah 31:34No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, “Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Note that some of these actions of God are seen only in part in present our lives.
The key; healing, transformation, forgiveness, freedom are foremost in God’s work.
That sustains us until Jesus Christ returns and He brings the complete blessing of God’s salvation and deliverance.
Today we see glimpses of that, but the day will come when the fullness of what God has already accomplished for us will be proclaimed throughout creation.
All of these promises are foreshadowed in Psalm 103.
What a blessing that we can read, refresh, and remember all of this.
May the whole of Psalm 103 become an essential part of our memory work, and our surest, truest, proclamation of all what God has done, is doing, and will do.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 Complete Jewish Bible
16 (0) Mikhtam. By David:
(1) Protect me, God, for you are my refuge. 2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good outside of you.” 3 The holy people in the land are the ones who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.
4 Those who run after another god multiply their sorrows; To such gods I will not offer drink offerings of blood or take their names on my lips.
5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup: you safeguard my share. 6 Pleasant places were measured out for me; I am content with my heritage.
7 I bless Adonai, my counselor; at night my inmost being instructs me. 8 I always set Adonai before me; with him at my right hand, I can never be moved; 9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices, and my body too rests in safety; 10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol, you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss. 11 You make me know the path of life; in your presence is unbounded joy, in your right hand eternal delight.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
105 Your word is a lamp for my foot and light on my path. 106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, that I will observe your righteous rulings. 107 I am very much distressed; Adonai, give me life, in keeping with your word. 108 Please accept my mouth’s voluntary offerings, Adonai; and teach me your rulings. 109 I am continually taking my life in my hands, yet I haven’t forgotten your Torah. 110 The wicked have set a trap for me, yet I haven’t strayed from your precepts. 111 I take your instruction as a permanent heritage, because it is the joy of my heart. 112 I have resolved to obey your laws forever, at every step.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
To be called a Christian is to believe in Jesus Christ and the supporting text that talks of life before, during, and after His time walking amongst people.
That text is the Bible, God’s Holy Word.
Within Scripture itself, aside from the various stories and characters we read about, there are several verses that give us insight into why God has blessed us with His Word to begin. One such verse is written in the Book of Psalms.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” (119:105)
Verses such as this are rare areas where the Bible talks about itself.
These verses highlight the importance of not only hearing God’s Word but living accordingly.
In order to live life according to God’s will, we first have to know how He has called us to live.
In order to know that, we cannot rely first on our own thinking, but instead, must actively read, study, listen to and discipline to hear what the Bible says.
This verse from Psalms 119 embodies the wisdom we receive from reading the Bible. The verse also reveals an important truth – to live like a Christian is to live like Christ, sacrificed all He had, who lived out God’s teachings perfectly.
How Is God’s Word a Lamp Unto My Feet?
The phrase “God’s word is a lamp unto my feet” is a metaphorical statement meant to emphasize the wisdom that comes from following God’s instruction.
This particular chapter 119 in the Book of Psalms is authored by an unknown person. Over the course of this passage, the author writes in an acrostic pattern, including twenty-two stanzas with eight lines each.
Each stanza begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
This chapter lacks a cohesive narrative as each stanza is written with varying topics and tones.
One underlying theme that is present throughout is the idea of understanding God’s Word. The writer assures people who follow God’s Word are blameless (119:3). The speaker wants to do better in following God, and that only occurs when living by the Lord’s precepts. The phrase “God’s word is a lamp unto my feet” appears far into the writing, as the 105 verse.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
This verse furthers the idea that dependence, reliance, on God’s Word is the only way to successfully live as a Christian. Lamps are used in society to create a light for their movement and activity. The Hebrew word for lamp is niyr.
This description of a lamp is more equivalent to the subtle light of a candle.
The implication then is that there is limited visibility of the surrounding area, but just enough light to navigate.
With enough light to navigate through life, God gives us the narrowed direction that we need, not all at once, but as needed.
In this way, God’s Word operates for the speaker as a form of direction.
In the verses following 105, the writer continues on to ask God for teaching (Psalm 119:108). The speaker wants to learn from God. This illustrates God’s Word operating as a lamp in bringing wisdom into the mind of a believer.
When they compare God’s Word to being a light on a path, that pathway is life.
Within the details of Psalm 119, abiding by God’s word in every instance creates a more fulfilling life.
Walking in the light is very distinctive from walking in the ways of the wicked (Psalm 119:110). If God’s Word is a lamp, helping us to navigate the pathway of life, then we know God’s Word is intended to help us live prosperously.
God does not fully reveal the future with the lamp He gives us.
However, our prosperity in living by God’s Word is not contingent upon how much of the path ahead we can see. That prosperity is not contingent on any financial and occupational standards, but on a closeness with God. And He gives us just enough of the light of grace to be successful in life (2 Corinthians 12:9).
God is the speaker’s chief concern in Psalm 119 and according to Jesus is to be our chief concern too (Matthew 22:35-37).
If we can focus on loving God, obeying His Word, then we will have better lives.
This idea is not only present in Psalm 119 but also in other passages where God reveals similar commentary on His Word.
What Does God Say about His Word?
In addition to what we read in Psalm 119, there are other areas in the Bible where the Bible talks about itself and offers key insight into why reading God’s Word is vital for any Christian.
These other passages from Scripture complement the message from Psalm 119.
Upon reading, we can confirm that the Bible is intended to offer God’s wisdom alone to believers, and help us all to live according to God’s commandments, not other ideas that we sometimes confuse with God.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
The Bible when followed or when ignored, reveals certain truths and emotions that lay in our hearts.
If God’s word is meant to edify our behavior, how we respond to His teachings will reveal characteristics about our beliefs, personality, and more.
For example, the Bible says to forgive others just as we ask God for forgiveness (Matthew 6:15).
If we find that exercising forgiveness is difficult, then God’s Word has revealed truth to us.
“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)
Reading, interpreting, and living by God’s Word is as essential as our daily food and drink. Jesus himself indicates the significance of applying God’s word to our lives. Just as we instinctively know to eat and drink to live and survive, and we make plans to do so, we should instinctively respond likewise to Scripture.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Certain translations indicate that Scripture is God “inspired” rather than breathed. Whatever the translation or word choice, the Bible makes full admission that God Himself did not physically write the Bible.
Neither is Jesus known to have written anything.
Nevertheless, the purpose of the Bible is consistent throughout each book. By reading, we learn how and why we should aim to be more Christ-like. In this way, God redeems us from our sinful nature.
“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” (Mark 13:31)
The tangible things and people in our lives, and the ideas that they exclusively represent pass away with time. However, since the beginning of time, God’s Word has been true and has endured throughout the generations.
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)
To live according to God’s Word is not as simplistic as rehearsing or reciting what Scripture says. Instead, to live by God’s Word means to narrowly design your life in a way that reflects, reveals, His teachings. God wants us to live so in tune with Scripture that we think about what He teaches throughout the day.
Why Reading Your Bible Is Important
The aforementioned verses from the Bible highlight God’s desire to improve our lives. By following His commandments we will live a life that is more mature, spiritually prosperous than what we would have outside of Him.
Recognizing that God’s Word is intended to redeem us by making us better people is important for any Christian to do early on in their faith journey.
If we call ourselves believers in Christianity, then we should understand what our religious text, the Bible, says about the high value of God’s truth, our faith.
The more disciplined, the more studious, the better versed we are in the Bible, the more we can learn what it means and looks like to become more like Jesus.
The more like Jesus we are, the more God can call us to His purpose, His service.
Not only will we be transformed, redeemed, but we can help God redeem others.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 119:1-16 Complete Jewish Bible
א (Alef)
119 How happy are those whose way of life is blameless, who live by the Torah of Adonai! 2 How happy are those who observe his instruction, who seek him wholeheartedly! 3 They do nothing wrong but live by his ways. 4 You laid down your precepts for us to observe with care. 5 May my ways be steady in observing your laws. 6 Then I will not be put to shame, since I will have fixed my sight on all your mitzvot. 7 I thank you with a sincere heart as I learn your righteous rulings. 8 I will observe your laws; don’t completely abandon me!
ב (Bet)
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; don’t let me stray from your mitzvot. 11 I treasure your word in my heart, so that I won’t sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, Adonai! Teach me your laws. 13 I proclaim with my mouth all the rulings you have spoken. 14 I rejoice in the way of your instruction more than in any kind of wealth. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and keep my eyes on your ways. 16 I will find my delight in your regulations. I will not forget your word.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
9 Therefore God raised him to the highest place and gave him the name above every name;
10 that in honor of the name given Yeshua, every knee will bow — in heaven, on earth and under the earth — 11 and every tongue will acknowledge[a] that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai — to the glory of God the Father.
12 So, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey now when I am away from you: keep working out your deliverance with fear and trembling,[b]13 for God is the one working among you both the willing and the working for what pleases him.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Do any of you love to work out?
Do any of you love to get on a treadmill and either walk or jog or run or sprint from what amounts to from the gym to the furthest, remotest place on earth?
What about lifting those weights – doing those bar bells in ever increasing weights, working those abdominal muscles to get those 6 or 12 pack of abs?
Anyone out there, male and female, who who are trying to become, or on their way to becoming a professional competitive body builder, weight lifter or the world’s strongest athlete, compete in an Olympic level Decathlon or Marathon?
If you are, I say … keep it up, get in shape, be competitive, follow your dreams, Exercise those heart muscles, lower your blood pressure, lower blood sugars.
God the Father Bless You! God the Son Bless You! God the Holy Spirit Bless You!
From my own personal experience from 18 1/2 years of military service, from my efforts to keep my own vital signs and sugar levels down, Triple Bypass Open Heart Surgery one year ago, from what I understand, it’s a fluid time ebbing and flowing from an acquired taste to an absolute medical necessity.
A person may begin a workout regimen and hate it right off the bat and quit, but then as they push themselves, keep at it week after week, they may begin to see positive results mentally, physically, or both. The hard work of working out almost becomes addicting and before they know it, they’ll do love to work out!
The bottom line is anything good for us requires hard work, whether it be monetarily, emotionally, physically, or even spiritually, and with that hard work, pain may come at the start. Seems to contradict the goal, doesn’t it?
However, I believe that humans, by nature, have a desire to work out things for themselves. We read it in the Bible and we will see it in certain religions, where doing hard works is more palatable than accepting God’s free gift of salvation.
So how do we reconcile Paul’s statement in Philippians 2:12b,
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling?”
Doesn’t that contradict the fact that we cannot work our way into heaven and too God has given us the free gift of His Son Jesus who finished the work on the cross?
Philippians 2:13 gives us the answer, “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
You might respond, “Okay, so… how do I work out my salvation?”
Let’s look at how together:
Recognize God’s Power Within You
As we discussed above, working out takes willpower, discipline, and a stick-to-it attitude. There needs to be a strong desire to start working out, discipline to continue, and a spirit hardened stick-to-it attitude for it to become a habit.
We can apply this same series of attitudes to our walk of obedience to the Lord by first recognizing God’s power within us to renew our minds to that end.
The Apostle Paul tells us in the verse mentioned earlier that it is GOD who works in us!
Jeremiah 32:17 expands upon that further:
“We believe that you made the heavens and the earth by your great power and your outstretched arm. And that nothing is too hard for you, Lord God. So we pray boldly for things that are impossible apart from you.”
So how do we apply this to working out our salvation?
By recognizing God’s power within us “both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13b).
Obedience unto God is hard.
Yes, I said it.
In our sinful state, even as children of God, we can easily fall prey to our selfish hearts and choose what we want rather than what God has called us to do.
Sometimes it can feel impossible to stop sinning. Like Romans 7:18b-19 says,
“For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”
Step 1 = the hardest one = If we want to recognize God’s power within us …
When we recognize God’s power within us, we will pray boldly for things that are impossible apart from God.
We need to ask God to help us with any besetting sin we might have and seek Him with our whole heart for help to walk in obedience day after day.
In doing so, we will be working out our salvation through the power of God at work within us.
Obey the Spirit’s Leading
Like me, I’m sure we have all had that “little nudge” from the Holy Spirit prompting us to do something.
Too often, though, we might respond like Moses in Exodus 4:13:
Moses felt that he did not have the gift of speech even though God told Him He would give Him the words to speak!
That being said, did Moses really even want to go?
It would appear that he didn’t want to under any other caveats and conditions other than his own. We can be like that, right? We try to justify our reasons, but the reality is, for whatever reason, we just don’t want to do it. It could be fear, it could be selfishness, it could be any number of reasons, all of which have their root in our adversary Satan trying to hard stop us in our tracks in serving God.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
This is how we work out our salvation, by submitting, obeying the Holy Spirit’s leading, completing the works He prepared for us to do before the world began.
Repent of Anything Contrary to God’s Will
Even though we have received the free gift of salvation, it doesn’t mean that we have a free pass to sin or to live our lives independent from Christ.
I know I’m stating the obvious, but sometimes, we can and in truth, do, will act that way without even realizing we are doing it.
How do we act that way?
Through selfishness. And I’m sure you all would be nodding your heads in agreement. Selfishness is a real struggle for most people. It makes sense. Of course, we want to look out for ourselves, but we end up taking that too far.
I would say that a majority of the difficult stories (Jonah) in the Bible all had their root in selfishness and pride. Wanting what they wanted at any cost.
All acts of wars, all wars, will start in this manner. Most crimes are a result of complete hardened selfishness. Selfishness is wanting our will and not God’s.
Philippians 2:3-7, leads up to our passage on working out salvation, says,
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”
Here, we see in context that this is a means of working out our salvation.
How do we put this into practice?
By repenting of our selfishness whenever a selfish thought comes to mind and repenting immediately. We would then find that a lot of the issues we deal with such as anger, frustration and anxiety would all disappear.
By becoming disciplined in this manner, immediately repenting of anything contrary to God’s will, we will indeed be working out our salvation through our accountability to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit with every selfish thought.
In that moment, He will renew our minds to seek after His will. (Romans 12:1-2)
Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself
The interesting revelation about our topic on working out your salvation is how the entire passage in Philippians 2 is basically giving us God’s instructions on how to obey the second commandment which is “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31).
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling”(Philippians 2:12b) is literally bookended by those admonitions.
What does it mean to workout your own salvation with fear and trembling?
This biblical statement implies a need to live out—to practice, demonstrate, and exhibit—the salvation which believers have in Christ. The concept of “fear and trembling” addresses worshipful respect for God. This echoes back to the context of every knee bowing before the Lord mentioned in verse 11.
Let’s take a look at Philippians 2:14-16b which are Paul’s final exhortations regarding working out your salvation.
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life.”
Now more than ever we need to work out our salvation by being lights in this fallen world through loving our neighbor as ourselves.
This past April, we had the privilege of being able to see total eclipse of the sun.
There are no words to describe the experience.
When the moon fully covered the sun and we could take our eclipse glasses off, to see the licks of fire shooting out all around and to watch the darkness fall and the stars come out, we felt like we had a special glimpse into God’s handiwork.
I was especially struck by the sight when there was just the slightest sliver of sun showing through before the total eclipse, yet there was still a dusk-like lighting outside.
It amazed me so little of the sun could be showing and still create that much light!
If you feel like you don’t have much to offer in the Kingdom of God, that you don’t have spiritual gifts that could do great things for God, I’m here to tell you that you do!
Even if you are not a great evangelist filling stadiums with thousands of people, your light has great impact.
You may feel your light is small, but like my experience with the eclipse, even though your perception of how you light up the world may seem small, I am now here telling you that your light is significantly impactful to those you come in contact with.
Don’t ever feel that your light doesn’t matter because it does!
Matthew 5:14-16 says,
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”.
When we show, reveal, the love of Christ to others and let our light shine to all mankind, we are working out our salvation.
So, What does it mean to workout your own salvation with fear and trembling?
This biblical statement implies a need to live out—to practice, demonstrate, and exhibit—the salvation which believers have in Christ. The concept of “fear and trembling” addresses reverent, worshipful respect for God. This echoes back to the context of every knee bowing before the Lord mentioned in verse 11.
Have you ever wondered why a visit to the gym is called a “workout”?
Maybe it’s because somewhere deep inside you is a strong, svelte, and trained body ready for rigorous competition.
But that body is not present here and now—it needs to be worked out!
It’s similar with farming.
Through plowing, planting, seeding, irrigation, fertilization, and weed control a farmer works out the results of a potential crop. One can only work out results if something already has potential to work hard, harder, hardest hardcore at it.
In today’s text, Philippians 2:12-13 Paul is urging us to engage in a spiritual workout and to take it seriously.
By grace, God—through the work of Jesus Christ—has placed into our lives the most precious of gifts: salvation to new life!
We do not earn our salvation by our own efforts; rather, we are each called to cultivate and develop this gift of God, provided at the cost of his own Son’s life.
We are to work it out to its full potential.
The Holy Spirit is our personal trainer for this workout.
Pointing us to Jesus, he urges us to be
“like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).
That’s a big challenge, and it reminds us all that we still have much to work out.
May we all work out our salvation not in our own strength but by truly allowing GOD’s strength to showcase His power and the free gift of salvation that lives within us by recognizing God’s power, obeying the Spirit’s leading, repenting of anything contrary to God’s will, and loving God, our neighbors, as ourselves.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 27 Complete Jewish Bible
27 (0) By David:
(1) Adonai is my light and salvation; whom do I need to fear? Adonai is the stronghold of my life; of whom should I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assailed me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and foes, they stumbled and fell. 3 If an army encamps against me, my heart will not fear; if war breaks out against me, even then I will keep trusting.
4 Just one thing have I asked of Adonai; only this will I seek: to live in the house of Adonai all the days of my life, to see the beauty of Adonai and visit in his temple. 5 For he will conceal me in his shelter on the day of trouble, he will hide me in the folds of his tent, he will set me high on a rock. 6 Then my head will be lifted up above my surrounding foes, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, sing praises to Adonai.
7 Listen, Adonai, to my voice when I cry; show favor to me; and answer me. 8 “My heart said of you, ‘Seek my face.’” Your face, Adonai, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me, don’t turn your servant away in anger. You are my help; don’t abandon me; don’t leave me, God my savior. 10 Even though my father and mother have left me, Adonai will care for me. 11 Teach me your way, Adonai; lead me on a level path because of my enemies — 12 don’t give me up to the whims of my foes; for false witnesses have risen against me, also those who are breathing violence.
13 If I hadn’t believed that I would see Adonai’s goodness in the land of the living, . . . 14 Put your hope in Adonai, be strong, and let your heart take courage! Yes, put your hope in Adonai!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
2 (1) The heavens declare the glory of God, the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands. 3 (2) Every day it utters speech, every night it reveals knowledge. 4 (3) Without speech, without a word, without their voices being heard, 5 (4) their line goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.
In them he places a tent for the sun, 6 (5) which comes out like a bridegroom from the bridal chamber, with delight like an athlete to run his race. 7 (6) It rises at one side of the sky, circles around to the other side, and nothing escapes its heat.
8 (7) The Torah of Adonai is perfect, restoring the inner person. The instruction of Adonai is sure, making wise the thoughtless. 9 (8) The precepts of Adonai are right, rejoicing the heart. The mitzvah of Adonai is pure, enlightening the eyes. 10 (9) The fear of Adonai is clean, enduring forever. The rulings of Adonai are true, they are righteous altogether, 11 (10) more desirable than gold, than much fine gold, also sweeter than honey or drippings from the honeycomb. 12 (11) Through them your servant is warned; in obeying them there is great reward.
13 (12) Who can discern unintentional sins? Cleanse me from hidden faults. 14 (13) Also keep your servant from presumptuous sins, so that they won’t control me. Then I will be blameless and free of great offense.
15 (14) May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable in your presence, Adonai, my Rock and Redeemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
There’s nothing quite like a triumphant hymn to truly make you feel closer to the Lord. When you sing out those lyrics, it’s almost like His power, strength and majesty and love just wash over us. And one of the most powerful hymns of all time is ‘How Great Thou Art.’ I just love hearing this amazing hymn and now that I know the story behind the song, it makes it that much more beautiful.
The hymn “How Great Thou Art” is a timeless worship song, cherished by generations of believers for its inspiring description of God’s greatness.
Its verses resonate deeply in our souls, leading us into genuine moments of awe as we contemplate the wonder of who God is and how God works in our world.
“How Great Thou Art” is a classic hymn that remains popular today because it invites us to marvel in fresh ways at our Creator’s beautifully designed creation, His majesty, His Power and his inspiring, wonderful presence in our lives.
Each verse of this song serves as one gateway after another to understanding God more deeply and celebrating our great God in worship. When we sing the beloved hymn “How Great Thou Art,” we can grow closer to our great God.
The hymn originated as a poem written by Swedish pastor Carl Boberg in 1885.
Boberg was inspired to write the poem after experiencing a wondrous sight in nature: a sudden thunderstorm followed by a clear, beautiful view over a bay.
The poem was set to music in Sweden, and the song later went through various translations. In the 20th century, British missionary Stuart Hine translated the hymn into English and expanded it with additional verses. Hine’s version of “How Great Thou Art” became popular around the world after George Beverly Shea sang it during Reverend Billy Graham’s evangelistic crusades in the 1950s.
Just as a subtle or most likely, not so subtle reminder, here are some truths for us to contemplate an awesome God, “How Great Thou Art,” reveals about God.
1. God’s indescribable glory in creation.
The opening lines of “How Great Thou Art” exclaim:
“O Lord my God,/when I in awesome wonder,/consider all the worlds thy hands have made./I see the stars/I hear the rolling thunder,/Thy power throughout the universe displayed.”
This echoes Psalm 19:1, which declares: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
It also evokes the imagery revealed in Psalm 29:3-4: “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.”
As we enjoy God’s creation – from the sparkling stars to the powerful thunder, to the forest glades we each wander through – we can’t help but marvel at the wondrous beauty of its precise design and power.
Nature itself is evidence of God’s glory and creativity. Romans 1:20 points out:
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Psalm 104:24 celebrates God’s creative power: “How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”
Job 9:10 says about God: “He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.”
Throughout the entire song, “How Great Thou Art” emphasizes the importance ofnoticing the wonder of God’s work around us. Every single part of God’s creation shows us something valuable about God that can inspire us with awe. Singing “How Great Thou Art” can motivate us to spend time in nature as often as possible, experiencing environments that help us discover God’s greatness.
2. God’s holiness and righteousness.
Another profound truth “How Great Thou Art” reveals about God is his perfect holiness and righteousness.
The awe expressed in the hymn’s refrain, “Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee,/How great Thou art, How great Thou art!” reminds us of the vision of God’s holiness the Bible describes in Isaiah 6:3, where the seraphim angels call to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
God’s holiness means that he is absolutely uncorrupted by sin and completely morally pure.
Psalm 145:17“The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.”
The hymn’s refrain captures the reverent awe we feel when we think about God’s great holiness and righteousness.
In 2 Corinthians 5:21, we see that God’s holiness and righteousness are accessible to us through relationships with Jesus: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
This profound truth should inspire us to praise God like the hymn’s refrain does. It aught also to motivate us all to live lives that reflect God’s character by growing to be more holy ourselves.
Ephesians 4:24 encourages us to: “… put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” The refrain of “How Great Thou Art” calls us to strive for a greater, deeper, reverence for God’s majesty. It highlights a grateful response to God’s perfect nature, inspires us to make that response our own.
3. God’s constant presence with us.
“How Great Thou Art” reflects on God’s constant presence with us as it describes experiencing the extraordinary presence of God during ordinary moments like walking in nature: “When through the woods and forest glades I wander,/and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees./ When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur/And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.”
In Psalm 23:4, King David also uses the imagery of walking to describe the power of God’s constant presence:
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Throughout the Bible, God promises us to be present with us.
In Exodus 33:14, God assures Moses, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
In Matthew 28:20, Jesus promises his disciples: “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
God’s presence is a tangible reality we each can experience regularly through reading, study, prayer, meditation, other spiritual disciplines and practices.
In fact, if we have saving relationships with Jesus, God’s Holy Spirit comes to live right inside our souls, as 1 Corinthians 3:16 points out: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”
Psalm 139 beautifully describes God’s presence with us everywhere, pointing out in verses 7-10:
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.”
In its refrain, “How Great Thou Art” encourages us all to notice God’s loving presence with us wherever we go – even unto the furthest reaches of eternity.
4. God’s plan to save us.
One of the most moving verses in “How Great Thou Art” declares: “And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in./That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,/He bled and died to take away my sin.”
This verse reminds us of what is perhaps the most famous Bible verse of all, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:17 Complete Jewish Bible
17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved.
The timeless hymn’s reflection onGod’s profound love for us through Jesus’s coming and ultimate sacrifice invites each and every single one of us to feel a reverent awe at God’s wondrous plan to save our souls from sin and death.
Jesus’ death on the cross made it possible for humanity to connect with God again, as 2 Corinthians 5:17-18:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
In Ephesians 1:7-8, The Bible highlights the enormous generosity of God’s grace through his plan to save us:
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us…”.
Isaiah 53:5 prophesies about Jesus’ healing work for us on the cross:
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Jesus offers forgiveness from sins to all who place their faith in him, fulfilling God’s plan to save us.
Singing “How Great Thou Art” can help us focus on the greatest gift of all that God has given us through Jesus, the world’s Savior. Just like the song says, we “scarce can take it in,” but it’s still important to remember it on a regular basis.
5. God’s Unchanging promise of eternal life.
“How Great Thou Art” concludes with a triumphant declaration of hope:
“When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation/And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart./ Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,/And then proclaim: ‘My God, how great Thou art!’”
This evokes the promise of Revelation 21:4, which envisions our future joy in heaven, saying about God:
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Jesus describes our eternal life with him when he says in John 14:2-3:
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
Titus 1:2 assures us that we have “…the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.”
When we sing the song “How Great Thou Art,” we joyfully celebrate the reality of this unending hope. “How Great Thou Art” reminds us that our great God has prepared great joy for us to experience in heaven with him for eternity.
In conclusion, “How Great Thou Art” is an incredibly stirring powerful worship hymn that resoundingly declares and proclaims and celebrates God’s greatness.
It invites us to
explore the wonders of God’s glory displayed in creation,
explore God’s perfect holiness and righteousness,
explore God’s constant presence with us,
explore God’s loving plan to save us,
discover God’s promise of eternal life for all who choose relationships with him.
As we sing “How Great Thou Art,” we cannot help but to perceive, to receive so much more of God’s awe-inspiring greatness and worship him with gratitude.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 29 Complete Jewish Bible
29 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Give Adonai his due, you who are godly; give Adonai his due of glory and strength; 2 give Adonai the glory due his name; worship Adonai in holy splendor.
3 The voice of Adonai is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, Adonai over rushing waters, 4 the voice of Adonai in power, the voice of Adonai in splendor.
5 The voice of Adonai cracks the cedars; Adonai splinters the cedars of the L’vanon 6 and makes the L’vanon skip like a calf, Siryon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of Adonai flashes fiery flames; 8 the voice of Adonai rocks the desert, Adonai convulses the Kadesh Desert. 9 The voice of Adonai causes deer to give birth and strips the forests bare — while in his temple, all cry, “Glory!” 10 Adonai sits enthroned above the flood! Adonai sits enthroned as king forever! 11 May Adonai give strength to his people! May Adonai bless his people with shalom!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
T0day, marks the 23rd anniversary of the attack against the United States known simply as 9/11. That day is a day that is ingrained into to each of us old enough to remember. Looking back, it is hard to believe 23 years have passed.
I recall hearing of the first tower being struck by a plane. At first it seemed it was a horrible accident. It was not even clear what type of plane it was, whose plane it was, was it Hollywood special effects, a preview of a new epic movie?
What is your story from that day?
Where were you on that day?
Where on earth or in Heaven Was GOD?
On that day, the death toll from the four commercial aircraft, the Pentagon, and the World Trade Towers totaled 2,996 with another 6,000 injured. That is not the whole story. Nearly 10,000 first responders and volunteers have since been diagnosed with cancers caused by the toxic fumes & dust. Quoting the USA Today newspaper, “By the end of 2018, many expect that more people will have died from their toxic exposure from 9/11 than were killed on that terrible day.”
I had questions……. If we are honest with ourselves, …I bet we all had questions following that day.
Why would a religion that was supposedly built upon peace, teach and demonstrate that much hate & violence towards others?
Do you recall all of the celebrating & parades shown from the Arab world?
…. More importantly to me, and my faith, Where was GOD during this? …. Why does GOD even allow such violent and murderous things like this to happen?
I was shocked. I was confused. I was hurt. I was crying I was angry, I was scared.
I didn’t know what was coming next.
An all out attack upon the United States?
Had somebody made a declaration of war against us?
Was God’s day of judgement coming and coming right quick?
I was questioning GOD….and I didn’t even know if it was alright to question GOD. For all I knew, GOD might strike me down just for challenging HIM.
After all, I just saw what happened on television and who knows any details, who knows how many people were just suddenly killed and severely injured?
Today, I’d like to share what I’ve discovered since.
Maybe this will help some of you as well. The first thing I have learned is that GOD, His Kingdom is definitely big enough to handle our stresses, questions.
He has a whole universe which He created. HE has broad shoulders. GOD is not petty. HE did not give up on me, even when I was close to giving up on HIM.
The second thing I learned was that I wasn’t even the first person to question GOD. In fact, the Bible offers several examples of this very thing.
In Psalm 10:1, the writer asks Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble?
Jesus Himself asked this same question in Mathew 27:46about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
The destruction of the Twin Towers was devastating to me, watching it over & over the collapse of the buildings, the billowing black clouds of smoke, the dead being carried out, the ash collecting upon cars and on the faces of those on site.
Your Kingdom Come
“This . . . is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. . . .’” — Matthew 6:9-10
Most of us are confronted by many challenges – some simple others are not so simple but greatly challenge our faith, face many, many choices each day too.
On a daily basis, What clothes will I wear? What will I have for breakfast? What route will I take to work? What do I need at the store? Tasks will I focus on?
There is one choice, however, that is far more important than all the others: God, His Word’s on the matter before us and Prayer, Which kingdom will I serve? Where will I spend my best efforts—in the kingdom of God or in the kingdom or domain or country or community or family that I am dwelling in?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and Holy Spirit, where can I help, how can I serve, how can I support those around me, who need it most?
Jesus teaches us to pray, “Father . . . your kingdom come.”
As we pray these words, we are making a commitment to living God’s way.
“Your kingdom come” means, first of all, “Rule over me! Master my soul. Make me a loyal citizen of your kingdom.” It means, “Lord, rule in my life and master me in such a way that my deepest desire is to walk with you. May your principles and ways be the air that I breathe.”
“Your kingdom come” also means, “Help me to see your kingdom advance in the people around me—my family, friends, classmates, coworkers, and neighbors. Help me to foster a love for kingdom living in them as well.”
This also means seeing institutions and organizations abide, align with those principles of God’s kingdom. And as the Lord’s kingdom comes, is revealed and acts, any evil forces that revolt against him will be overwhelmed and shattered.
My Lord and Savior’s Prayer and My Life’s Prayer
Philippians 3:7-14 The Message
7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.
10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.
Focused on the Goal
12-14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
I read where researchers in Europe went door to door, asking people about their belief in God. One question was this:
“Do you believe in a God who intervenes in human lives, who changes the course of history, and performs miracles?” A typical response to this question was “No, I don’t believe in that God. I believe in the ordinary God.”
I admit that it can be tempting to fall back in our faith, prefer “the ordinary God”—that is, a God who is there when I need him but who remains mostly quiet and who cares how distant in the background while I go about my life.
Fortunately the Scriptures do not let us settle with that notion of an ordinary God. The Jesus we meet in the New Testament entered our world, carried our burden of sin to the cross, bled, died in our place, and then rose from the dead and later ascended to rule with God in heaven. This is not any “ordinary God.”
The God of the Bible does in fact break into our lives in all kinds of surprising, beautiful, and disruptive ways.
John 3:16-18 The Message
16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
In fact, the one true God is beyond anyone’s broadest definition of the term extraordinary. And all of this is conveyed in this remarkable prayer of Paul:
“God, I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings” and then to experience that resurrection as well.
What a prayer!
How would my life, your life, our lives change if this became our life’s prayer?
What could happen if we all prayed this “Lord’s Prayer” this “my life’s prayer” for the people in my life, in your life and in all our fellow Body of Christ lives?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 32 The Message
32 Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be— you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean.
2 Count yourself lucky— God holds nothing against you and you’re holding nothing back from him.
3 When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans.
4 The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up.
5 Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll come clean about my failures to God.”
Suddenly the pressure was gone— my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.
6 These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray; when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts we’ll be on high ground, untouched.
7 God’s my island hideaway, keeps danger far from the shore, throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.
8 Let me give you some good advice; I’m looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight:
9 “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on track.”
10 God-defiers are always in trouble; God-affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around.
11 Celebrate God. Sing together—everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
18 At that moment the talmidim came to Yeshua and asked, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” 2 He called a child to him, stood him among them, 3 and said, “Yes! I tell you that unless you change and become like little children, you won’t even enter the Kingdom of Heaven! 4 So the greatest in the Kingdom is whoever makes himself as humble as this child. 5 Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me; 6 and whoever ensnares one of these little ones who trust me, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and be drowned in the open sea!7 Woe to the world because of snares! For there must be snares, but woe to the person who sets the snare!
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Growing Up Big and Strong and Wise Just to Become a Child
Matthew 18:1-6 Amplified Bible
Rank in the Kingdom
18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a little child and set him before them, 3 and said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever [a]humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives and welcomes one [b] child like this in My name receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Stumbling Blocks
7 “Woe (judgment is coming) to the world because of stumbling blocks and temptations to sin! It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person on whose account or through whom the stumbling block comes!
What does Jesus mean by saying we need to “change and become like little children”? One clue we have here is that Jesus is responding to the question “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And he replies, “Whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
In the Gospel Narratives about Jesus and his disciples (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), we find the disciples often argued over which of them was greatest; they seem to have been quite a competitive group. They were thinking of their greatness in terms of leadership, knowledge, power, influence, other things.
So Jesus is telling his disciples that they need to repent, change their inner selves, their selfish personal attitudes about greatness and become lowly and humble like little children. Jesus’ followers need to die to their selfish ambitions and realize that, just as little children depends on their parents and caregivers, we are all totally 100% dependent on God for all our needs and future living.
Here’s another thought from a short devotional I just read. A man in his sixties said, “Last week my five-year-old grandson said he wanted to be a firefighter when he grew up. I replied, ‘And when I grow up, I want to be a five-year-old curious little boy.’ My grandson stared at me with wide, wondering eyes.”
Have you looked around at God’s world with “wide, wondering eyes” lately?
That’s something I long for when I read the Bible every morning to hear the call from God’s only Son to change my mindset around, becoming like a little child.
What aught we to remember when our life feels inconsequential?
Matthew 18:1-7 The Message
Whoever Becomes Simple Again
18 At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, “Who gets the highest rank in God’s kingdom?”
2-5 For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it’s the same as receiving me.
6-7 “But if you give them a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you’ll soon wish you hadn’t. You’d be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck. Doom to the world for giving these God-believing children a hard time! Hard times are inevitable, but you don’t have to make it worse—and it’s doomsday to you if you do.
Does your life ever feel small?
Does your life ever feel inconsequential, irrelevant, without usable directions?
Mine sometimes does.
I have those unsettling experiences of irrelevance, and unusable smallness on just about every moment of everyday of the week that ends in the letter “Y”.
All around me are a ton of things I should be about the business of doing which require an extended period of physical adrenaline pumping labor, but which also present the very real possibility of trouble with my heart and blood sugar.
I go so far, then in a new state of deliberate determination push myself beyond where I know I probably should not be. Knowing others are keeping very close eye on me, scared and worried something impactful might happen and I’ll need sudden medical attention. I have the unsettling feeling of being small, smaller, in their eyes, a burden and then I feel that unsettled feeling of “no confidence.”
Self defeating inconsequential self confidence and self defeating determination!
Everyone suddenly wants to protect me from myself, I deeply sense what they are trying to do on my behalf, even somewhere I deeply appreciate the effort.
But deep in my own spirit, I pray the Holy Spirit for them not to be so protective of me and just let me try the normal stuff I could have easily done before I had my triple bypass open heart surgery last July 2023. When I am engaged in my efforts, A deep desire, longing stirs up deep in my soul—something like an exhilarating hunger. I suddenly wondered what it would feel like to live again.
Back at home, I knew that laundry was piled on our bedroom floor, and that the dishes would be nearly toppling in the kitchen sink. I know there are so very many tasks around my house to be done, yet life post triple bypass seemed so humdrum and un-noteworthy and undoable that I just could hardly stand it.
As it turns out, this hunger I was feeling—this longing to know what health, vitality and life lived in greatness and wellness feels like—came about long before my physical, mental and spiritual recovery. Those e disciples felt it, too. One day, they even dared ask Jesus “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1)
Jesus didn’t name any hall of fame athlete or rock star. He didn’t list off kings, or Prophets or Bible heroes, or rich professionals well revered in their fields.
Instead, stunningly, he beckoned for a child to come and stand among them.
“‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me…’” (Matthew 18:2-5).
Earth-side, we perceive greatness as notoriety and wealth, great strength of body, mind and spirit, personal character without reproach, power and fanfare.
It involves being or having abundantly, uniquely more than someone else. But in the kingdom of heaven, with Jesus? Greatness looks more like humility, child like trust. Greatness looks like a child, automatically, innately, instinctively, honestly, dependently, and truthfully, turning to their Father for everything.
If we only remember to align, realign as often as is necessary, our life’s work to what the world deems ‘great,’ then our days will be filled with wrong headed striving and mounting measures and degrees of uncontainable discontentment.
We’ll be ever more subjected to the tidal waves of the fickleness of humanity.
But when we instead remember to align ourselves only with what Jesus values—when we humble our souls and trust in the only one that is truly great—we are able to bask in an eternal greatness that gives our souls rest and contentment.
So when we find ourselves caught in a pattern of discontentment, wondering when our time will come, or if anyone will ever notice us, or if our lives will ever possess that magnetic essence of greatness, let’s remember to repent, to come back to that image of Jesus, pulling the child near and saying, “This. This is what greatness looks like in my kingdom. no self imposed stumbling blocks are allowed”
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Are there moments when your life feels inconsequential, irrelevant, small?
Take note of any patterns.
Do you feel more bottomless than limitless whenever you get together with that one friend who seems to have a glamorous, exciting life? Or do you feel surging discontentment bubbling whenever you spend time on social media?
Once you are able to identify when, where, or what makes you feel “small,” you can and should pray to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to pray for, develop strategies to help you fight the lie greatness comes from what the world hails, like fame and wealth or power and position. These strategies might include:
Limiting how often you expose yourself to these people or situations.
Reading, Studying, Praying, Memorizing Scripture to pray over yourself when you’re feeling overcome with discontentment or inferiority.
Surround yourself with others whose lives model humility and surrender to the Lord.
Finding solitude, then stopping to ask the Holy Spirit to reorient your priorities and remind you who are—and who he was, is, and forever shall always remain.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray;
Matthew 6:5-13 Amplified Bible
5 “Also, when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray [publicly] standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets so that they may be seen by men. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, they [already] have their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your most private room, close the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 So do not be like them [praying as they do]; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
‘Our Father, who is in heaven, [b]Hallowed be Your name. 10 ‘[c]Your kingdom come, Your [d]will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 ‘Give us this day our [e]daily bread. 12 ‘And forgive us our [f]debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment]. 13 ‘And do not [g]lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [h]evil. [i][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
14 We know that the law is spiritual, but I am not. I am so human. Sin rules me as if I were its slave. 15 I don’t understand why I act the way I do. I don’t do the good I want to do, and I do the evil I hate. 16 And if I don’t want to do what I do, that means I agree that the law is good. 17 But I am not really the one doing the evil. It is sin living in me that does it. 18 Yes, I know that nothing good lives in me—I mean nothing good lives in the part of me that is not spiritual. I want to do what is good, but I don’t do it. 19 I don’t do the good that I want to do. I do the evil that I don’t want to do. 20 So if I do what I don’t want to do, then I am not really the one doing it. It is the sin living in me that does it.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
I Need Thee Every Hour
The United Methodist Hymnal Number 397 Text: Annie S. Hawks, 1835-1918 Music: Robert Lowry, 1826-1899 Tune: NEED, Meter: 64.64 with Refrain
1. I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord; no tender voice like thine can peace afford. Refrain: I need thee, O I need thee; every hour I need thee; O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.
2. I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby; temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. (Refrain)
3. I need thee every hour, in joy or pain; come quickly and abide, or life is vain. (Refrain)
4. I need thee every hour; teach me thy will; and thy rich promises in me fulfill. (Refrain)
5. I need thee every hour, most Holy One; O make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son. (Refrain)
I absolutely require God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!
You absolutely require God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!
We, the Body of Christ, His Church on earth, absolutely requires God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!
We all absolutely require Grace upon grace from God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!
It’s what I am learning I literally need every single moment of every single day, especially the older I get, the more discipleship responsibilities fill up my plate.
More and more I feel inadequate at living the way I hope to live. I feel like Paul when he said he can’t seem to get himself to do the things he wants to be doing (Romans 7:14-20).
It’s funny, because the Bible tells us over and over that we will alwaysneed God!
When it comes right down to it, from the very beginning, we were quite literally nothing, we were nothing but the 100% lifeless dust of the earth until God said;
Genesis 1:26-29 Complete Jewish Bible
26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth.”
27 So God created humankind in his own image; in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them: God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth.” 29 Then God said, “Here! Throughout the whole earth I am giving you as food every seed-bearing plant and every tree with seed-bearing fruit.
We were nothing without His power!
We are nothing without His power, His love, His grace, His plan for our lives, and His everlasting gift of salvation through His own Son Jesus’ lifeblood.
But it feels like I am constantly playing whack-a-mole with my pride.
This pride tells me over and over that I can do all things by my own strength. A pride that compares to others and tells me I should be doing better than them.
A pride that looks deep, directly and decisively, longingly into my own strength rather than embraces my deep need for a Savior. I don’t really understand grace.
2 Corinthians 12:9 says,“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Grace gives us license to be real with the world around us. We can boast of our weakness because where I fall short God shows up. My tears are his chance to show his great unyielding love for me by covering my wrongs with his love.
The Christian life absolutely depends on grace upon grace every single day. It is by God’s loving Holy Spirit that we are all given the power to live in a way that is a pleasing aroma to God, that our failures don’t have the final say in our lives.
Here are at least 4 ways the Bible teaches that we experience God’s grace daily:
1. God’s Grace Is Sufficient to Cover Sin
His grace is always enough.
If that is true, why am I spending most of my days counting up my failures rather than thanking him for his forgiveness?
Because I’m holding onto my failures far too aggressively, irrationally believing they are too big, too impossible, for God to take grasp, hold on to, wash clean.
Romans 6:14 reports, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
My sin is covered by grace. Yet, I’m learning that in order for me to feel, hear, and live in that kind of freedom, I have to 100% participate in a holy exchange.
I have to lay down my right to be wrong and pick up something that no part of me feels I deserve – God’s amazing forgiveness.
What are you holding on too tightly to that God’s desires to cover with grace?
Is it anger? lust? self defeating ideas? Addiction? Depression? Pride? Infidelity?
This sin has no power over you once you release it to Jesus. Is it time to let it go?
Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
God is holy, mighty, perfect, and all powerful.
Moses was not able to see God’s face because it would have killed him. God is too majestic and powerful for us to behold in our human form (Exodus 33:20).
Exodus 33:17-23 Complete Jewish Bible
(iv) 17 Adonai said to Moshe, “I will also do what you have asked me to do, because you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 But Moshe said, “I beg you to show me your glory!” 19 He replied, “I will cause all my goodness to pass before you, and in your presence I will pronounce the name of Adonai. Moreover, I show favor to whomever I will, and I display mercy to whomever I will. 20 But my face,” he continued, “you cannot see, because a human being cannot look at me and remain alive. 21 Here,” he said, “is a place near me; stand on the rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you inside a crevice in the rock and cover you with my hand, until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand, and you will see my back, but my face is not to be seen.”
What grace we have been given through Christ that we can now boldly draw near to God’s throne to receive what we need. We could never live holy enough to be worthy of God’s presence on our own. Through Christ who died on our behalf, we are able to better behave as a son or daughter of the one true God.
We can tug on our Father’s hand, or on His cloak or on His sandal strings asking him to help guide us, resolve our problem, asking him to provide what we need.
Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 Complete Jewish Bible
8 For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift. 9 You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast. 10 For we are of God’s making, created in union with the Messiah Yeshua for a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do.
Salvation is something we could never earn.
From the moment that humanity allowed sin to enter our world we became deserving of death.
Yet, due to God’s great love for us the Father made a plan for our salvation.
How ceaselessly thankful we should each be that God did not allow us to remain hopeless, doomed to eternal separation from his love!
We can live abundantly believing, knowing, the best is yet to come because of God’s extravagant, gracious, and powerful love.
Every person can share eternity in Heaven; all they have to do is believe in their heart and profess with their lips that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior.
There is no sin too great for God’s grace to overcome.
The only way we can miss out on the free gift of salvation is if we flat out reject him by our own free will. Otherwise, God’s gracious invitation to join his family, live with him in Heaven forever is being extended to everyone who confesses.
4. By Grace God Shows Us How to Live Upright Lives
Titus 2:11-14 states, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
God’s grace trains us to live self-controlled and upright lives.
Without God’s Spirit living in us, we cannot discern what is good for us.
We need him to show us his ways and to teach us his path. We rely on his nudging, God’s word, the gracious wisdom offered by other believers, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit to follow his narrow way. We cannot live in a way that pleases God without his gracious power at work within us.
Every part of our Christian life is given to us as a free and gracious gift.
We have no power on our own to save ourselves from sin, death, separation from God, failure, and immorality. Relying on God’s Spirit and accepting his plan for our salvation is something we have to do every day.
Grace upon grace is what we must cling to each day. When we realize this truth we can let go of some of the pressure we put on ourselves to “get things right.”
We can place that worry back onto Jesus and once again rely on his power to do what only he can do in our lives.
I cannot help myself but to feel so completely blessed and grateful for all of the great generosity of God at always deep work in my life and your live every day.
Despite All My Faults and Failures, I Still Belong to Jesus
There’s something about Paul’s writing here that resonates with me.
Paul is being gut level honest and vulnerable, and here we see him wrestling deep inside himself and not simply with the theology of faith.
God apparently wants us to see and understand that.
So Paul, a significant church leader and follower of Jesus, says there are times when he doesn’t understand himself.
I feel bad for Paul because that isn’t pleasant, especially not for someone who wants the pieces of his life to fit and have integrity.
Though I feel bad for Paul in this situation, I am also thankful that he dares to say what he did, and that God chose to pass that along to me (and all of us).
It clarifies for me that being a follower of Jesus, even when I do plenty of honorable things, doesn’t mean everything in my life falls neatly into place.
But Paul identifies something more.
Even in those areas of my life that don’t fit with my desire to follow Jesus, my heart still knows this: I belong to Jesus.
Even though I sin, I always sin, I do not belong to sin.
I don’t understand even .00001% of myself sometimes, but I know to whom I belong, weaknesses and all. And that’s the point. I belong to my Savior Jesus!
Do you belong to Jesus too?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 46 Complete Jewish Bible
46 (0) For the leader. By the descendants of Korach. On ‘alamot [high-pitched musical instruments?]. A song:
2 (1) God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 3 (2) Therefore we are unafraid, even if the earth gives way, even if the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, 4 (3) even if its waters rage and foam, and mountains shake at its turbulence. (Selah)
5 (4) There is a river whose streams gladden the city of God, the holy habitation of ‘Elyon — 6 (5) God is in the city. It will not be moved — when daybreak comes, God will help it. 7 (6) Nations were in turmoil, kingdoms were moved; his voice thundered forth, and the earth melted away.
8 (7) Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us, our fortress, the God of Ya‘akov. (Selah) 9 (8) Come and see the works of Adonai, the astounding deeds he has done on the earth. 10 (9) To the ends of the earth he makes wars cease — he breaks the bow, snaps the spear, burns the shields in the fire. 11 (10) “Desist, and learn that I am God, supreme over the nations, supreme over the earth.”
12 (11) Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us, our fortress, the God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
‘Our Father in heaven! May your Name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.
11 Give us the food we need today. 12 Forgive us what we have done wrong, as we too have forgiven those who have wronged us. 13 And do not lead us into hard testing, but keep us safe from the Evil One. [a]For kingship, power and glory are yours forever.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
These verses come to us from Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, which begins in Matthew chapter 5. With his disciples gathered around him, Jesus sat down on the mountainside and began teaching the crowds that had come to hear him teach.
In this sermon, Jesus covered a wide range of topics, from Jewish law to anger, giving to the needy, prayer, and more.
Jesus started his teaching about prayer in Matthew 6:5. Here, he explains that prayer is an intimate conversation we have with God, our Father in heaven.
And even though God knows exactly what we need even before we ask him, he still wants us to naturally, intentionally bring our needs and requests to him.
So Jesus instructs us to get out of the public eye and hide ourselves away in a quiet, private place. When we hide ourselves away, Jesus tells us that we can be confident that God, our Father in Heaven sees us, hears us and 100% listening.
Then, as we pray, we are to recognize and acknowledge that God, our Father is in heaven. His sovereignty is absolute and He is not bound by any earthly rules.
He is not influenced by worldly trends or politics. He is outside of everything and able to accomplish infinitely more than we could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
Ephesians 3:14-21 Easy-to-Read Version
The Love of Christ
14 So I bow in prayer before the Father. 15 Every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name from him. 16 I ask the Father with his great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.
20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.
Hiding away in a quiet, solitary place to pray such prayers as Jesus taught may appear insignificant. It may even feel “too simple”, as though no power could possibly come from such an unseen, quiet action. But the very opposite is true.
As the Apostle Paul teaches in Ephesians 3:14-21, It is there God, who calls himself your heavenly Father, wishes to meet with you. He comes down from heaven, all the way to your hidden, secluded space, to listen to your prayers.
Right now, God is encouraging us to go into that private place of ours, that “war room” and tell God our Father in Heaven exactly what is on your mind or heavy on your heart here on the earth. While you do so, remind yourself of who He is.
He is the creator of everything, He is the redeemer of your soul, and He is the author and perfecter of your faith. He is ABBA God, who longs to meet with you.
Do not be shy about it. Give him 100% of it. He wants to hear it. Trust Jesus’ words your Father knows exactly what you need, and that he sees everything.
Psalm 139:1-18 Complete Jewish Bible
139 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai, you have probed me, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I stand up, you discern my inclinations from afar, 3 you scrutinize my daily activities. You are so familiar with all my ways 4 that before I speak even a word, Adonai, you know all about it already. 5 You have hemmed me in both behind and in front and laid your hand on me. 6 Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me, far too high for me to reach.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I climb up to heaven, you are there; if I lie down in Sh’ol, you are there. 9 If I fly away with the wings of the dawn and land beyond the sea, 10 even there your hand would lead me, your right hand would hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Let darkness surround me, let the light around me be night,” 12 even darkness like this is not too dark for you; rather, night is as clear as day, darkness and light are the same.
13 For you fashioned my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I thank you because I am awesomely made, wonderfully; your works are wonders — I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes could see me as an embryo, but in your book all my days were already written; my days had been shaped before any of them existed. 17 God, how I prize your thoughts! How many of them there are! 18 If I count them, there are more than grains of sand; if I finish the count, I am still with you.
God, Our Father, Who Art in Heaven — Heaven on Earth
‘Our Father, who is in heaven, [b]Hallowed be Your name. 10 ‘[c]Your kingdom come, Your [d]will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 ‘Give us this day our [e]daily bread. 12 ‘And forgive us our [f]debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment]. 13 ‘And do not [g]lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [h]evil. [i][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’
In Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus taught us to pray:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
To seek God’s kingdom coming to earth is to declare our great need for God’s presence, provision, love, and redemption.
As Christian’s, from where ever we are living, moving, having our being, we have each been given a divine mandate of the very highest importance from our King of kings and Lord of lords. Our daily burden is; we are each to carry the kingdom of God with us everywhere we go and release this kingdom through everything we do and say. We are called by Savior Jesus to bring heaven to earth.
Matthew 16:19 Jesus tells his disciples, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
What would it look like for the people of God to release the kingdom of heaven everywhere they go? What would it look like for even just a few of us to truly say yes to the calling of God on our lives to live for more than just worldly pleasure and comfort, to step outside of ourselves and live with an eternal perspective?
You, me, we, are made to make an eternal impact far greater than we can ever see ourselves imagining. God has placed within you keys to the doors of heaven, and he longs to use you to release his love, grace, peace, mercy, and redemption to others in desperate need of him. He longs to call you out from the daily grind of life into a higher pursuit of seeing the earth transformed by his goodness.
Seeing heaven come to earth all starts with our declaring our need of God. It all starts with drawing a circle around ourselves and allowing God to transform each of us from the inside out. We are not called to minister unto others in our own strength or wisdom. We are not called to figure out how to best love people.
We aren’t even called to muster up a desire to bring God’s kingdom to earth. All the weight of eternal impact rests on the shoulders of God, our heavenly Father.
All that is required of us is to take time to let God love us, fill us with the desires of His heart, follow His guidance, leadership to the fulfillment of those desires.
Matthew 14:13-21 Amplified Bible
Five Thousand Fed
13 When Jesus heard about John, He left there privately in a boat and went to a secluded place. But when the crowds heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt [profound] compassion for them and healed their sick.
15 When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, “This is an isolated place and the hour is already late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!” 17 They replied, “We have nothing here except five loaves and two fish.” 18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and He took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up toward heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people, 20 and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up twelve full baskets of the leftover broken pieces. 21 There were about 5,000 men who ate, besides women and children.
God wants us to take our five loaves of bread and two fish and exponentially multiply it to feed the souls of thousands. (Acts 2:37-47)
Acts 2:37-47 Amplified Bible
The Ingathering
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart [with remorse and anxiety], and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.” 40 And Peter solemnly testified and continued to admonish and urge them with many more words, saying, “[a]Be saved from this crooked and unjust generation!” 41 So then, those who accepted his message were baptized; and on that day about [b]3,000 souls were added [to the body of believers]. 42 They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to [c]eating meals together and to prayers.
43 A sense of awe was felt by [d]everyone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior] [e]were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole]. 45 And they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need. 46 Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts, 47 praising God continually, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.
Say yes to partnering with the Holy Spirit, allow God to use us to change the world by bringing His kingdom to earth through simple acts of love, obedience.
Isaiah 55:7-13 Complete Jewish Bible
7 Let the wicked person abandon his way and the evil person his thoughts; let him return to Adonai, and he will have mercy on him; let him return to our God, for he will freely forgive.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Adonai. 9 “As high as the sky is above the earth are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For just as rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return there, but water the earth, causing it to bud and produce, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth — it will not return to me unfulfilled; but it will accomplish what I intend, and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.”
12 Yes, you will go out with joy, you will be led forth in peace. As you come, the mountains and hills will burst out into song, and all the trees in the countryside will clap their hands. 13 Cypresses will grow in place of thorns, myrtles will grow instead of briars. This will bring fame to Adonai as an eternal, imperishable sign.
Please, Take some significant and quality time in your private and quiet place in guided prayer to allow God’s Living word, His Holy Spirit to teach and empower to inspire you, releasing you into the calling of bringing heaven to earth today.
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on the calling to bring God’s kingdom to earth.
Allow Scripture to lay a foundation for powerful works of God’s Spirit to pour out through your life.
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
2. What keys has God given you to release his kingdom?
What spiritual gifts has he given you? What ways do you best love people? How is He using your gifts now, has He used you in the past to reveal his full love?
Galatians 5:17-23 Complete Jewish Bible
17 For the old nature wants what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is contrary to the old nature. These oppose each other, so that you find yourselves unable to carry out your good intentions. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not in subjection to the system that results from perverting the Torah into legalism.
19 And it is perfectly evident what the old nature does. It expresses itself in sexual immorality, impurity and indecency; 20 involvement with the occult and with drugs; in feuding, fighting, becoming jealous and getting angry; in selfish ambition, factionalism, intrigue 21 and envy; in drunkenness, orgies and things like these. I warn you now as I have warned you before: those who do such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God!
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to bring heaven to earth today.
Ask Holy Spirit to fill you up that you might pour out. Ask Holy Spirit to tear down any strongholds that would keep you from loving Him and others well.
Being used by Father God to bring heaven to earth is meant to be a part of the normal, daily Christian life. We are called to more than simply working a job, going to school, hanging out with friends, and trying to enjoy life. No matter what job you work, God wants to bring the kingdom to earth through you.
No matter who your friends are or where you find yourself, God wants to bring the kingdom to earth everywhere around you. If you will say yes every day to the adventure of being used by God, your life will soon begin to take on a whole new purpose so much more fulfilling than anything you’ve previously experienced.
May you each live to see God’s kingdom come to earth through your life today!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 8 Complete Jewish Bible
8 (0) For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of David:
2 (1) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious is your name throughout the earth! The fame of your majesty spreads even above the heavens!
3 (2) From the mouths of babies and infants at the breast you established strength because of your foes, in order that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.
4 (3) When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place — 5 (4) what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them; humans, that you watch over them with such care?
6 (5) You made him but little lower than the angels, you crowned him with glory and honor, 7 (6) you had him rule what your hands made, you put everything under his feet — 8 (7) sheep and oxen, all of them, also the animals in the wilds, 9 (8) the birds in the air, the fish in the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
10 (9) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious is your name throughout the earth!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
15 Good common sense produces grace, but the way of the treacherous is rough.
16 Every cautious person acts with knowledge, but a fool parades his folly.
17 A wicked messenger falls into evil, but a faithful envoy brings healing.
18 Poverty and shame are for him who won’t be taught, but he who heeds reproof will be honored.
19 Desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but turning away from evil is abhorrent to fools. 20 He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will suffer.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Faith, Kingdom and Culture – on a Collision Course
Jesus has warned us in Luke 18:7-8 that when the end is near, He will not be able to find faith on the earth. And that could mean only one thing: Christian men and women’s faith is going to come under severe attack and whatever that is that is attacking our faith from all sides will somehow get the upper hand.
The first thing that is certainly going to attack our faith and it is the world.
The “values” of this world will try to hard sell themselves as the same as the values of our God. But they are not. The values of this world are a moving target, constantly changing, and the value, values, of God are unchanging, constant.
The values of this world will try to hard sell themselves to you by enticements. The values of God are laid out plainly, precisely, in His Word, no enticements, and someday, you. me, we, will need to make a choice to accept or reject them.
Today, we are going to take a closer look at a second possible collision course with our faith and those are the toxic individual and group relationships that we are each probably in, and everybody has those relationships that we maintain.
For this devotion, you need to do an inventory of people you are in relationship with, and you need to honestly evaluate if they are helping you to get closer to God, or are they trying to bully, strongarm or subtlety pull you away from God.
And if they are trying to bully, strongarm or subtlety pull you away from God and your faith then they aught to be prayed over, possibly considered as toxic.
Today, we are going to look at some of the characteristics of toxic relationships, and then you, me, we have got to pray, decide if you are going to maintain those relationships or are you going to let your faith win, bring them to faith in God?
So, just as our faith is on a collision course with the world; our faith is also on a collision course with those relationships that threaten to, raise the red flag risk, to move us away, trying to separate us, remove us from God and from our faith.
SCRIPTURE TEXT REFERENCE
(20)Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13:20 – NIV
My Only Point is this …
If God wants to bless you, God sends people into your life that will be a blessing.
If the devil wants to harm you, the devil will send people in your life that will inevitably harm you. Our job is to determine who those people are that is going to be either a blessing and who are those people that are going to be harmful.
To rightly discern who is going to be a blessing, and who is going to be harmful greatly matters.
In I Corinthians 15:33 we are told “Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character.”
You hang with the wrong people, they are going to bring you down, you are not as likely going to bring them up. And since that is straight from the Word of God, we know that is true, and so if we are in those toxic relationship (those that bring us down) our fellowship with God is going to suffer and inevitably our faith will suffer. Those toxic relationships collide head on against our faith.
Psalm 1 Complete Jewish Bible
Book I: Psalms 1–41
1 How blessed are those who reject the advice of the wicked, don’t stand on the way of sinners or sit where scoffers sit! 2 Their delight is in Adonai’s Torah; on his Torah they meditate day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams — they bear their fruit in season, their leaves never wither, everything they do succeeds.
4 Not so the wicked, who are like chaff driven by the wind. 5 For this reason the wicked won’t stand up to the judgment, nor will sinners at the gathering of the righteous. 6 For Adonai watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.
The great King David knew this, so he tells us in Psalms 1:1– (1) Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
Paul, the author of the majority of the New Testament, knew this when he instructed the Ephesians church in Ephesians 5:7-9 (7) Therefore do not be partners with them. (8) For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (9) (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth)
So, I cannot stress enough how important it is to know the characteristics of harmful relationships. I want to share with you these three of them today.
There are people in your life who knew you back when and they want to hold you in their past, in the good old days of “before”. Those relationships are toxic.
(17) So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. Ephesians 4:17 – NIV
I am not the same person I was before I knew Christ.
Today, as I look back on my life before Christ, I don’t even like the person I was before I knew Christ.
I am so thankful that God saved me and made me a new creation and is even now changing me day by day.
But every one of us who are Christian have some family or friends, neighbors, that knew us back when we were not Christian, and they liked the way we acted back then prior to our salvation because we acted funny, foolish, just like them.
We might have gone out and partied with them; drank and smoked with them; used the same vulgar language as them; did drugs just like them, committed some petty act with them and had no regard for the things of God just like them.
And now they see the difference in you, and they don’t necessarily like it.
And so, they confront you, challenge you, bully and strongarm you let you know their displeasure with comments such as “What happened to you, you use to be able to go out with us and have a fun time, now you are this ‘high holy roller’?”
“What happened to you? You changed, you betrayed us and we don’t like it.” “We wish you would come back, be our friend, go back to the way you were.”
Tell me … does any of this have the very slightest ring of familiarity to you, to someone you know? Is there a God sound of the great shofar’s call to “truth?”
We read, study, and pray over Scripture from Ephesians 5 where Paul says I understand you were just like your unsaved family and friends before you knew Christ, but now you are different and so you got to live a separated life.
Even Jesus, Himself, while He was performing His earthly ministry, people wanted to hold Him in His past.
In Matthew 13, Jesus returned to his hometown to minister to the people.
But the people did not want the Jesus who was ministering in the town and villages instructing the people and performing miracles, but they wanted the Jesus of the past. Mary’s son, the son of a carpenter, one of their town folks!
They wanted Jesus the young boy not Jesus the master Rabbi, changing all that they believed and Savior of the world. They wanted to hold Him in the past.
And so, if people tried to hold Jesus in the past, we certainly will have people in our lives who want to hold us in our past. They want us to go back to the old ways rather than be glad that we are growing in our relationship with Christ.
Those people are toxic.
There are people in your life who will always tell you what you want to hear, those people are toxic.
(3) For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3 – NIV
I come up with ideas all the time; some of them I confess are brilliant, but some of them I confess are the dumbest ideas on the planet.
I don’t need someone in my life who will tell me that my brilliant ideas are brilliant; and my dumbest ideas are echelons beyond the worlds dumbest.
Proverbs 12:26 Complete Jewish Bible
26 The righteous guides his friend’s way rightly, but the way of the wicked will lead them astray.
I need someone of faith to tell me that my dumb ideas are really dumb. I need to hear 100% truth revealed through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit of God.
And the person who does not tell me the genuine truth according the Word of God may be out to cause me to fall into error. And what gets injured? My faith!
You don’t need a preacher, if you came to him for advice, to tell you what you want to hear. He better tell you what the Word of God says. If he tells you what you want to hear, he could lead you astray. If he tells you the truth you may be as angry as heck at him, but he told you something that can set you free if you only rightly discern God’s righteous truth, listen to the Holy Spirit within you.
You may not want to hear this, but this is the truth.
When I was growing up my parents had no problem telling me something I did not want to hear. No, you cannot use the car tonight. No, you cannot have that $20.00 to buy that thing you don’t need. No, I am not stopping everything I am doing and take you to your friend’s house or to the movies right this minute.
Do you know what so many, too many, parents will do today? They tell children what they want to hear, they let their immature children take charge of living.
You are not helping your children by doing everything they want, giving them everything they want, jumping when they say jump. Let me tell you children don’t always do the right thing and sometimes what they want is not going to be good for them and they need to know you as the parent is in charge not them.
It will teach for when they will have a boss over them later in life. If you are doing those things for your children (letting them do what they want, go where they want, and jump at their orders), you may think that you are being a good parent, but you are not – they do not know better. You are being a toxic parent.
They do not have enough intellectual and moral and emotional maturity to tell anyone what gender they know they should be instead of what they were born with, created, shaped in the Womb by God with-they cannot grasp all the long term permanent implications – that parents know very well but will not teach.
“We need to stand up, affirm them in their choices …” “it is their life, after all!”
The ever living, ever revealing, Words of God’s truth, commands 2 completely different lessons be taught and then retaught to all of the coming generations …
Genesis 1:26-28 Complete Jewish Bible
26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth.”
27 So God created humankind in his own image; in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them: God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth.”
Psalm 139:1-18 Complete Jewish Bible
139 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai, you have probed me, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I stand up, you discern my inclinations from afar, 3 you scrutinize my daily activities. You are so familiar with all my ways 4 that before I speak even a word, Adonai, you know all about it already. 5 You have hemmed me in both behind and in front and laid your hand on me. 6 Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me, far too high for me to reach.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I climb up to heaven, you are there; if I lie down in Sh’ol, you are there. 9 If I fly away with the wings of the dawn and land beyond the sea, 10 even there your hand would lead me, your right hand would hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Let darkness surround me, let the light around me be night,” 12 even darkness like this is not too dark for you; rather, night is as clear as day, darkness and light are the same.
13 For you fashioned my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I thank you because I am awesomely made, wonderfully; your works are wonders — I know this very well. 15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes could see me as an embryo, but in your book all my days were already written; my days had been shaped before any of them existed. 17 God, how I prize your thoughts! How many of them there are! 18 If I count them, there are more than grains of sand; if I finish the count, I am still with you.
The Days are Surely Coming or Have Now Arrived
(1) But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. (2) People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, (3) without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, (4) treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— (5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.2 Timothy 3:1-5 – NIV
Paul admonishes Timothy that there are always going to be people who will tell you, everyone; “Oh, yes I am a Christian” and he or she know the right things to say and so they have a form of godliness or there may be people who are in the church house that have a form of godliness because of their church attendance.
But having their lifestyle revealed, by the way that they live, shouts, preaches, teaches, he or she is not a Christian. Paul tells Timothy to seriously avoid them.
That means there might be some wolves in the sheep house. They may be in the pew or in the pulpit. In fact, they may be in your pew, pulpit. They may be in our deacon body. And worse yet they might be the senior Pastor or Associate Pastor.
Paul is telling us, each one of us, to keep our eyes open out in the world and even in the church house. Those who are saved ought to know how they should be living, and if you don’t see that in the life of someone else you know who expresses that he or she is a Christian, bells and whistles and great blasts of the shofar ought to be ringing out and going off in your head. Keep your distance.
Why is that so important?
Remember 1 Corinthians 15:33 which tells us that bad company corrupts good morals.
Conclusion …
Matthew 18:12-20 Complete Jewish Bible
12 “What’s your opinion? What will somebody do who has a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hillsides and go off to find the stray? 13 And if he happens to find it? Yes! I tell you he is happier over it than over the ninety-nine that never strayed! 14 Thus your Father in heaven does not want even one of these little ones to be lost.
15 “Moreover, if your brother commits a sin against you, go and show him his fault — but privately, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. 16 If he doesn’t listen, take one or two others with you so that every accusation can be supported by the testimony of two or three witnesses.[a]17 If he refuses to hear them, tell the congregation; and if he refuses to listen even to the congregation, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax-collector. 18 Yes! I tell you people that whatever you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. 19 To repeat, I tell you that if two of you here on earth agree about anything people ask, it will be for them from my Father in heaven. 20 For wherever two or three are assembled in my name, I am there with them.”
In closing remarks let me say this. Avoiding toxic relationships does not excuse our duty to witness to those who are being toxic. We are to witness to those who are lost, no question. Are we still not covenanted by God to be their best friends?
Jesus witnessed to publicans and sinner and told them about Himself and the salvation that He was offering, but He did not hang around with Him. He was usually with His apostles and the disciples. Those who lives resembled His.
We have a covenant duty to witness, and keep witnessing to all sinners but we also have a sacred duty to keep our faith strong by avoiding toxic relationships.
Those who have ears, let them hear with both of them …
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 119:105-112 Complete Jewish Bible
נ (Nun)
105 Your word is a lamp for my foot and light on my path. 106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, that I will observe your righteous rulings. 107 I am very much distressed; Adonai, give me life, in keeping with your word. 108 Please accept my mouth’s voluntary offerings, Adonai; and teach me your rulings. 109 I am continually taking my life in my hands, yet I haven’t forgotten your Torah. 110 The wicked have set a trap for me, yet I haven’t strayed from your precepts. 111 I take your instruction as a permanent heritage, because it is the joy of my heart. 112 I have resolved to obey your laws forever, at every step.
פ (Peh)
129 Your instruction is a wonder; this is why I follow it. 130 Your words are a doorway that lets in light, giving understanding to the thoughtless. 131 My mouth is wide open, as I pant with longing for your mitzvot. 132 Turn to me, and show me your favor; in keeping with [your] judgment for those who love your name. 133 Guide my footsteps by your word; don’t let any kind of sin rule me. 134 Redeem me from human oppression, and I will observe your precepts. 135 Make your face shine on your servant, and teach me your laws. 136 Rivers of tears flow down from my eyes, because they don’t observe your Torah.
23 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing. 2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures, he leads me by quiet water, 3 he restores my inner person. He guides me in right paths for the sake of his own name. 4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines, I will fear no disaster; for you are with me; your rod and staff reassure me.
5 You prepare a table for me, even as my enemies watch; you anoint my head with oil from an overflowing cup.
6 Goodness and grace will pursue me every day of my life; and I will live in the house of Adonai for years and years to come.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
3 Older women similarly are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor addicted to much wine, teaching what is right and good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to tenderly love their husbands and their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, makers of a home [where God is honored], good-natured, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
… 5 to be sensible, pure, makers of a home [where God is honored], good-natured, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. (Amplified Bible)
5 and to be sensible, morally pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, so that God’s word won’t be ridiculed. (Common English Bible)
5 sound-minded, pure, working-at-home[a], good, while being subject to their own husbands, in order that the word of God may not be blasphemed. (Disciples’ Literal New Testament (DLNT))
5 They will teach them to be wise and pure, to take care of their homes, to be kind, and to be willing to serve their husbands. Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us. (Easy to Read Version)
A God-Filled Life
2 1-6 Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Messagebecause of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives. (The Message)
5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. (NIV)
Husbands and Wives, Wives and Husbands …
Raising their families, Shaping and Transforming Their Households …
So that the Word of God for the Children of God will not be dishonored.
So that the Word of God for the Children of God will not be ridiculed.
So that the Word of God for the Children of God will not be blasphemed.
So, Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us.
We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior.
For as long as I can remember, I equated discipleship with a program, a fixed, step by step methodical way of helping people to grow in spiritual maturity.
I thought that to disciple someone meant that I had to carve out time to read and study the Bible or a Christian book with them, one on one. But with all the demands of life, I felt I just didn’t have enough bandwidth to do discipleship.
And I felt very guilty about it. Even as recent as my last worship service, when my wife gave her testimony on John 8:47 when we talked at length about doing spiritual good to one another, there was this nagging at the back of my mind telling me that I should be discipling someone or being discipled by someone.
John 8:42-47 GOD’S WORD Translation
42 Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me. After all, I’m here, and I came from God. I didn’t come on my own. Instead, God sent me. 43 Why don’t you understand the language I use? Is it because you can’t understand the words I use? 44 You come from your father, the devil, and you desire to do what your father wants you to do. The devil was a murderer from the beginning. He has never been truthful. He doesn’t know what the truth is. Whenever he tells a lie, he’s doing what comes naturally to him. He’s a liar and the father of lies. 45 So you don’t believe me because I tell the truth. 46 Can any of you convict me of committing a sin? If I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 The person who belongs to God understands what God says. You don’t understand because you don’t belong to God.”
Hence, I find it ironic, that God in His wisdom should show me this passage from Titus to approach me to do this sharing about being married, about that responsibility to live and love together and having a household that honors my wife, my God and correctly discern the Word of God, study to show myself and my wife approved, to teach, preach, live by the example set by Savior Christ.
I am the least qualified to speak about this—and still don’t have it all together.
But by God’s grace, we have His Word in Titus 2:3-5 that helps us to know what this critical process of discipling others and honoring God’s Word looks like.
TEACH WHAT ACCORDS WITH SOUND DOCTRINE
Paul prefaces this passage with a command to both men and women to teach what accords with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). This is a key message of this letter which he again repeats in Titus 2:3. In fact, in Titus 1, he says in his greetings to Titus that the purpose of his labors is for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth (Titus 1:1). And Titus 1:9, Paul tells Titus that an elder must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so they may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine, to rebuke those who contradict it (Titus 1:9).
BELIEF AND BEHAVIOUR
In Titus 2:3-5, Paul links the teaching of sound doctrine with a life that is evidenced by the fruit of the gospel. Our behavior is shaped by our beliefs. If we believe the gospel, then our lives should be characterized by godliness. Jesus says in Luke 6:43-44, “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit.”
Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:17).
And as many Reformed scholars have put it—we are justified by our faith alone, but not by faith that is alone. It is impossible to have faith that is not evidenced by our works.
GOOD WORKS
What does this good fruit or works look like? It is there in Titus 2:3-5—being reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine, being loving towards our husbands and children, being self-controlled, pure, working at home, assertive, kind and respectful and submissive to our own husbands.
Just to be clear—these instructions do not apply to married women and mothers only, but to all women who are speaking the truth to one another.
Paul himself calls Titus his “true child in a common faith” (Titus 1:4) and Timothy his “beloved child” (2 Tim 1:2).
The good works described here are relational; they happen in community—in our families, at our places of work, in church.
TRAINING
So how do we get from teaching what is good to living a life that reflects the gospel? Through practice (or training)!
James says that we are to be doers of the word, and not hearers only (James 1:22).
Training is a lot like parenting.
As a parent, you are not just helping your child grow in knowledge, you are also training them to behave in a certain way through affirmation and discipline.
Deuteronomy 6:7 says we should teach God’s Word diligently to our children and shall talk of them when we sit in our house, and when we walk by the way, and when we lie down, and when we rise.
Proverbs 22:6 Amplified Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
There are many forms of teaching.
There is talking about the Bible with our children, doing family devotions with them, being intentional about the gospel in your conversations with them.
But to talk to them from morning to night is a tall ask.
Instead, this verse in Deuteronomy implies that our children also learn through our conduct when we go about our daily activities.
They model our behavior, they model how we treat others like waiters at a restaurant, other family members, and friends. They listen; Are we kind in our speech, are we hospitable towards each other, friends, family, neighbors?
They listen in to our conversations, how we speak about others, what words and phrases we use, what conversations revolve around—work? money? gossip?
They see what we do, how we act, around the house, do we leave everything to our helper or do we chip in and help with the required household chores.
What routines do we have? Do we spend all our free time watching Netflix? Do we sacrifice any of our comforts or adjust our schedule to make time for others?
Guaranteed, We will make mistakes. We may discipline or say unkind words out of anger after a long day or take out our work stress on our children. But it is in these moments that we can clothe ourselves with Christ’s humility, teach and model prayer, ask God, our children for forgiveness when we sin against them.
The goal of training described in Titus 2 is to present everyone mature in Christ (c.f. Col 1:28).
Hebrews 12:1-2 Amplified Bible
Jesus, the Example
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of [a]witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, 2 [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [b]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].
We want to see people grow in their knowledge of God and their understanding of The Way and The Truth and The Life if the Bible, so that this next generation, these next “great clouds of future witnesses” may, so when their opportunities reveal themselves, they too will proclaim Him to everyone. We want to see them each grow and mature in godly character so they may resemble more of Christ.
What is the book of Titus trying to reveal to us, trying to poignantly teach us?
Paul’s letter to Titus urged him to remind believers that while they do live in a sinful culture, they can be transformed into a new humanity by the same grace that Jesus demonstrated when he died to redeem them. As a new generation of humanity, they can, should reject lifestyles which are clearly inconsistent with the immutable truths revealed by God’s own Words to us, God’s generous love.
The Apostles’ Teaching
Hebrews 4:12-13 Amplified Bible
12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [a]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the [b]soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account.
Not long ago I heard someone say that if you believe you can possess truth as your own, you will be argumentative and defensive, sometimes even violent.
However, if you realize that truth is something you point to, that only our God owns, you’ll be kind and compassionate because you know truth is for everyone.
If there is one thing that has polarized our society, it is personal expressions of truth.
If you are a follower of Jesus, or you are becoming a follower, you need to know that you are called to be devoted to the truth that belongs not to you but to God.
The very reason Jesus’ early followers held on to and continued in the apostles’ teaching was that the apostles had been with Jesus and had heard the truth from his very lips. Jesus’ followers knew these teachings taught life itself.
When I look at the world around me, I see so much confusion and chaos.
Maybe you see some of the same wasteland.
As people who are trying to find our way through the wasteland of confusion and chaos today, families need to find our anchor in the foundational truth of Jesus so that we don’t build our lives upon the ever-changing sand of society.
The early believers’ devotion to the apostles’ teaching gave them a deep sense of awe for what would lead them to live with holy reverence for God, his Word.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 19 Complete Jewish Bible
19 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
2 (1) The heavens declare the glory of God, the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands. 3 (2) Every day it utters speech, every night it reveals knowledge. 4 (3) Without speech, without a word, without their voices being heard, 5 (4) their line goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.
In them he places a tent for the sun, 6 (5) which comes out like a bridegroom from the bridal chamber, with delight like an athlete to run his race. 7 (6) It rises at one side of the sky, circles around to the other side, and nothing escapes its heat.
8 (7) The Torah of Adonai is perfect, restoring the inner person. The instruction of Adonai is sure, making wise the thoughtless. 9 (8) The precepts of Adonai are right, rejoicing the heart. The mitzvah of Adonai is pure, enlightening the eyes. 10 (9) The fear of Adonai is clean, enduring forever. The rulings of Adonai are true, they are righteous altogether, 11 (10) more desirable than gold, than much fine gold, also sweeter than honey or drippings from the honeycomb. 12 (11) Through them your servant is warned; in obeying them there is great reward.
13 (12) Who can discern unintentional sins? Cleanse me from hidden faults. 14 (13) Also keep your servant from presumptuous sins, so that they won’t control me. Then I will be blameless and free of great offense.
15 (14) May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable in your presence, Adonai, my Rock and Redeemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 