Tag: Word of God Speak

Holy Spirit, You are Welcome Here! Come! Holy Spirit Rain Down! Being Taught, Counselled by the Holy Spirit

Jesus’ words are God’s words. When we read and study our Bibles, we come to know God through His Son, our Savior Jesus. When we come to the knowledge of our Savior, we come to obey our Savior. When we come to obey our Savior Jesus, we come to obey the Father. When we disobey Jesus, we also disobey the Father. With so much at stake, how will we know what Jesus wants us to do?

We have in our possession, only by the grace of God, two great blessings: One blessing is Scripture, especially the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) which tell us about Jesus’ life and words. The other blessing is the Holy Spirit, which helps us understand Jesus’ words, reminds us of Jesus’ words when we are trying to live for him, and leads us to become more like our Savior, Christ.

John 14:25-27 New American Standard Bible

25 “These things I have spoken to you while remaining with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. [a]Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor [b]fearful.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

As believers, we have been given the Holy Spirit as a Helper, Teacher, Friend, and seal for the promised inheritance of eternal life with God. His presence, guidance, and wisdom in our lives are our greatest gifts while here on earth.

Through him we have access to direct connection with our heavenly Father. Through him we receive spiritual gifts to empower us. And through him we are able to bear the incredible fruit of abundant life. Pray! Open up your heart and mind to all the Holy Spirit would give you, show you, and lead you to this week.

We have in the Holy Spirit the same Teacher who faithfully breathed the perfect and practical words of Scripture to imperfect men across 10 thousands of years.

And Jesus said in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” Not only did the Holy Spirit teach the disciples, but he also longs to teach us. He longs to reveal to us the depths of God so that we might learn what it is to be a true follower of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

He longs to show each and every one of us the wisdom of God so that we might surely live as men and women inspired by God rather than fools who find their knowledge only in the matters of the world. Let’s open our minds and hearts to receive the wisdom which can only come from God himself in the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:10, “These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” 

The Holy Spirit who dwells within us searches the depths of God and longs to reveal to us the ways of our heavenly Father. He longs to teach us what it is to be a lover of God in a world so fully and completely set in opposition to the ways of God. The Holy Spirit longs to reveal to us the maximum allowable wisdom of God’s plans for us and show us the folly which comes from living for the world.

The Holy Spirit desires to be your Teacher today.

The questions before you and me today are:

Are you and I willing to be his student?

Are you and I willing to submit the shallowness of our understanding to the ageless understanding of the Holy Spirit and live in light of his teaching?

Are you and I willing to appear foolish at times when the world does not have any desire, or a very limited desire, to come to understand the wisdom of God?

Are you and I willing to live wholeheartedly for the pleasure of our heavenly Father over the undefinable shallowness and the fleeting opinions of man?

If you and I will open our hearts and minds today to being taught by the Spirit, you and I will discover an undefinable, limitless wealth of truth which has the power to set you free from the bonds and burdens of this world. Scripture will begin to change our lives as the Holy Spirit reveals unto you and me how these words written thousands of years ago are entirely applicable to our life today.

Receiving the counselling and guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit is as simple as submitting our lives to him one day at a time and making quality time to sit quietly and listen to him and study and pray, ponder, the word with him.

As important and helpful as they are, we don’t have to be ordained pastors, ministers, theologians, or scholars to understand what the Bible means.

The Holy Spirit will be our teacher the way he was for the disciples. He will teach us how Scripture applies to our life and guide us into the way of truth. It’s incredibly important that we make time to study Scripture, but it’s equally important we read the Bible along with the Spirit instead of apart from him.

The Bible is an eminently practical book meant to impact the lives of those who read it under the influence of the Spirit. It’s a text manual for living life in the abundance of relationship with God, not a book to be read apart from the reality of God’s nearness. Scripture is meant to guide us into direct communication with our heavenly Father, not to substitute real, direct relationship with him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Trust in the teaching of the Holy Spirit today. Lean on his wisdom instead of your own. Acknowledge the reality of his nearness in your life. And discover knowledge that has the decisive power to fill you with abundant life.  

1. Meditate on the Holy Spirit’s desire to be your teacher.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26

“But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.” 1 John 2:20

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have in your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not [a]personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and that they would attain to all the wealth [b]that comes [only] from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments.” Colossians 2:1-4

2. Choose to be a student of the Holy Spirit. Choose to follow what he reveals to you to be wisdom over the ways of the world. Choose his opinion over man’s.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” Proverbs 3:5-6

“But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” 1 John 2:27

3. Spend time studying Scripture with the Holy Spirit. Pray and ask the Spirit to reveal to you what measure and degree of wisdom he wants to show you. Ask of him to reveal to you the deeper meaning of the words and passages and text you are reading. Surrender Self! Allow him to apply Scripture directly into your life.

“These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5

We now have perfectly powerful guidance in Scripture and the Holy Spirit. The pairing of God’s written word and the very God who authored the word have the power to lead us into a life of all wisdom, understanding, and revelation. But we must choose to live this life in light of eternity. We must now choose success in heaven over success in the world’s eyes. Scripture and the teaching of the Holy Spirit only have power in our lives if we follow their leadership and principles.

Choose today to be a doer of the word instead of a hearer only and discover freeing and empowering wisdom that has the power to transform your life.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Father, please bless me as I seek to obey Jesus and live according to his words for my life. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who is at work to bring those words to life in me. Forgive me, dear Father, when I have not sought to know more about Jesus in Scripture or when I have resisted the work of the Spirit to transform me to be much more like my Savior. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

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Now I Choose to Believe! Now, Let Us all Choose to Believe! A Shared Prayer for Difficult Times! Our Confidence is Forever Secure in God’s Faithfulness!

Faithful is our God!

God alone is the one who can give us victory over our adversary. He is the one who shields, leads, guide, protects and strengthens us for the journey and He protects us along the way from the evil one.

Our God is the one who makes a way where there is no way. He is the Lord God who sees what we cannot see, and He is the God who makes provision for us before the need arises. He is the God who clears the path for us to travel.

Our God is the one who promises never to leave nor forsake us, but to be with us always.

As humans we often fail one another but God CANNOT fail. His Word is true and will NEVER return void for what He says, He will accomplish.

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so, through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians. 1:20, NIV).

God is faithful to His people and all His promises to them can be received with assurance and confidence in knowing that He will do just what he said concerning us.

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9, NIV).

Great is the Lord’s faithfulness always and forever is a promise from God to His people on today.

Who besides God can we truly call faithful? NONE!

Faithful is our God! There is none like Him!

Faithful is our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Faithful is God the Holy Spirit to intercede for us when we cannot or know not when or if we ought to intercede for ourselves.

Faithful is our God to hear our prayers! There is none like Him!

Faithful is our God to answer our prayers! There is none like Him!

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 New American Standard Bible

Request for Prayer

3 Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord will [a]spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it was also with you; 2 and that we will [each] be rescued from troublesome and evil people; for not all have the faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, [b]and He will strengthen and protect you [c]from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing, and will do, what we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the perseverance of Christ.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

MUTUAL PRAYER FOR DIFFICULT TIMES

“Mutual Prayer for Difficult Times” is an exposition of 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5.

There is a powerful dynamic that works and reveals itself when the Body of Christ, the Church, pray for one another, when saints pray for one another.

In this brief letter to the young church at Thessalonica, Paul teaches about the last days or end times. There was confusion about the second coming of Christ.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul discusses the coming of the Lord to rapture the saints. In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Paul discusses the Day of the Lord that will consummate history. But confusion apparently remained. So, Paul wrote this second letter to the Thessalonian church.

In chapter 1, Paul again discusses the coming of the Lord. In chapter 2, Paul discusses the man of lawless who will oppose Christ. In chapter 3, Paul exhorts the church to live in light of the imminent return of Christ.

This is the pattern when the Second Coming of Christ is addressed. There is an explanation and then an exhortation. The New Testament is emphatic Jesus is coming again. The Lord will return to the earth physically and majestically and unexpectedly. But Christ’s imminent return is not an excuse to disconnect from the real world or to really live irresponsibly. We are to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that true blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. God’s word? 100% faithful.

This letter begins with the reality of the last days. It ends with the responsibility of the saints as we live in the last days. Between these two sections there is the resource the church can access until Jesus returns. It is the privilege and power of prayer. Paul was facing difficulties in Corinth. And the saints were facing difficulties in Thessalonica. But Paul knew a way they could help one another through their difficult times. He says, “You pray for me. I will pray for you.”

There is a dynamic power that works and reveals itself when the Body of Christ, the Church continually and continuously prays for one another, when the saints continually and continuously pray for one another. It can only be accessed when our focus is on the Lord. Paul and the Thessalonians prayed for one another.

But the primary concern of their mutual prayers was not about themselves. It was all about the Lord, who is mentioned four times in these first five verses. 

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 teaches several critically important spiritual priorities that should consume our prayers for one another.

I. THE WORD OF THE LORD

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 says: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.”

Chapter 2 of this letter ends with Paul’s prayer for the church at Thessalonica.

Chapter 3 begins with a prayer request Paul makes to the church.

Verse 1 says, “Finally, brothers, pray for us.” This request is not unique.

Paul frequently solicited the prayers of the saints. 

1 Thessalonians 5:25 also reads: “Brothers, pray for us.”

Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles. The Thessalonian followers were brand new Christians. Yet Paul did not think they were too little to pray for him. And he did not think he was too big to ask for their prayers. Paul humbly requested, “Brothers, pray for us.” This request is in a grammatical emphasis that denotes continual action. He freely solicited their ongoing prayers. Paul’s example reminds us we never reach a place where we do not need others to pray for us.

This prayer request also tells us that the Thessalonians needed to pray. The saints at Thessalonica were facing difficulties for which Paul prayed the Lord would comfort and establish them. But Paul did not consider the difficulties these young Christians faced so great that he should not ask them to pray for him. They absolutely needed to pray as much as they needed to be prayed for.

This is the irony of prayer. The heavy load you carry is often lifted as you take on the burdens of others. Job 42:10a says, “And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends.” Job’s friends were not good friends.

As Job suffered, they showed up not so much to console, but to question and condemn him, rather than comforting him. Yet he prayed for them. And God intervened for Job when he prayed for his friends. God will also restore some things for you when you pray for your friends. Paul understood the benefits of mutual prayer. So, he asked the saints to pray for him and his missionary team. Specifically, Paul makes two prayer requests concerning the word of the Lord.

A. PRAY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT IS BEFORE US.

Verse 1 says, “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you.” This request was not so much for Paul and Silvanus and Timothy as it was for the word of the Lord to go forth.

It is an affirmation of the primacy of the word of God. No one in the church is indispensable. But the word of God is. All that the church is and does is to be rooted and grounded and go forth into God’s Kingdom, in the word of God.

Reverend Dr. Warren Wiersbe comments: “Too much Christian work these days is accomplished by human plans and promotion, and not by the word of God. We trust our programs and do not publish the word of God.” May this not be true of us. May the Lord give us a holy passion and preoccupation with the word of God. May we preach it, teach it, believe it, obey it, share it, defend it, and pass it on to the next generation. This requires prayer. Pray and the word of God are inextricably tied together. Both must be alive and well for the church to be healthy. So, Paul asks the church to pray for the ministry of the word.

PRAY THAT THE WORD WILL GET OUT.

Paul asked the saints to pray “that the word of the Lord may speed ahead.” The verb Paul uses here means “to run.” It is an athletic term used of one who runs a race. Here Paul pictures the word of God as being a strong well-trained, long-legged, long-distance, high endurance runner speeding ahead on its course.

This prayer request makes an important statement about the nature of the word of God. The word of God is not dead or idle or passive. It is forever alive, forever active and forever on the move. It is forever going forward enduring all things. 

Psalm 147:15 says, “He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.” This prayer request is also a statement about the urgency we ought to have for continuing the momentum progress of the word of God. If we believe the word of God, must absolutely go forth no matter what, then we should pray earnestly that the word of God would continually and continuously speed ahead to reach those who are lost. The word of God must be that diesel locomotive that knows no quit, whose engineer and engine stoker know the Gospel must move. It is absolutely imperative every last ounce of energy keeps this train moving!

PRAY THAT THE WORD WILL GET IN.

The word of God can get out without ever getting in.

It can reach a person’s ears without reaching his or her heart.

So, Paul asked the saints to pray “that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored.” The word can be translated as “honored” or “praised” or “glorified.” 

Psalm 138:2 says, “I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.”

God exalts his word as much as his name. And it is God’s will that his word be exalted among men. So, pray the word of God would be honored everywhere in your towns, villages, your cities and states and nation and among the nations.

The word of God is fully honored when it is affirmed and believed and obeyed.

At the end of verse 1, Paul gives us a frame of reference: “as happened among you.” When Paul preached the gospel in Thessalonica, they honored it.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul writes: “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” Paul asked the church to pray that what happened among them would happen in Corinth: the word of God would speed ahead and be honored.

B. PRAY FOR THE OPPOSITION THAT IS AGAINST US.

In verse 1, Paul testifies about the positive response the word of God received in Thessalonica. But in verse 2, Paul testifies about the negative response the word received in Corinth.

In verse 1, Paul asked the saints to pray for the proclamation of the message. But in verse 2, he will ask them to pray for the protection of the messenger.

In verse 1, we see Paul’s humility. But in verse 2, we see his humanity as he asks the saints to pray “that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men.”

Paul was doing the will and the work of the Lord. Yet he still faced significant opposition he described as “wicked and evil men.” “Wicked” here refers to stubborn, unreasonable men who oppose the word. One commentator called them “morally insane.” Paul also calls them “evil men,” indicating they were actively involved in mischief to actively hinder the progress of the word of God.

This is as specific as Paul gets about his opposition. But we know from the record of Paul’s time in Corinth that he is referring to religious people both outside and within the church who opposed his work.

Concerning this text, Reverend Dr. J. Vernon McGee wrote: “I find that the spreading of the Gospel is hindered more by people in the church than by anything else. No liquor industry, no barroom, no gangster ring has ever attacked me – at least I have never known about it. But I have had so-called saints in the churches attack me.”

Paul could surely relate. Yet he does not spend a lot of time talking about the opposition. He mentions them only to make a prayer request: “that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men.”

The word “deliver” is the same word used in Matthew 6:13, where Jesus teaches us to pray, “Deliver us from evil.” Why does Paul ask for the saints to pray for deliverance? “For not all have faith.” Apostle Paul did not take personal attacks personally. He rather viewed it as a spiritual matter of faith. So, he would ask of the church to pray for his deliverance for the sake of the word of the Lord.

II. THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE LORD

Verse 2 ends with a sad indictment: “For not all have faith.” Verse 3 begins with a wonderful assurance: “But the Lord is faithful.” We live in a world where loyalty is a scarce commodity. And we are often left to ask, who can you trust? Paul answers, “The Lord is faithful.” His character never changes. His love never ceases. His compassion never ends. His promises never fail. His wisdom never errs. His purposes never come short. His strength never wanes.

No matter the state of the restless sea of humanity, be it the muted ebb and flow of indifference, or the violent swell of fierce opposition, the Lord controls the waves, and he is faithful in every circumstance. (Psalm 107:23-30)

He is faithful in salvation. 

1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “But God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ the Lord.”

He is faithful in temptation. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

God is faithful in confession. 

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he if faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

God is faithful in sanctification. 

1 Thessalonians 5:24 says, “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

He is faithful in every circumstance. 

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God is faithful in answering our prayers.

Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Salvation in Death.

A [a]Mikhtam of David.

16 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I have nothing good besides You.”
3 As for the [d]saints who are on the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones; all my delight is in them.
4 [f]The pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.

5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me.

7 I will bless the Lord who has advised me;
Indeed, my [g]mind instructs me in the night.
8 I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to [h]Sheol;
You will not [i]allow Your [j]Holy One to [k]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the way of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

In 2 Thessalonians 3 verses 3-4, Paul states the Lord can be absolutely trusted to do whatever it is which needs to be done in you and through you.

We serve a good and faithful God, who has promised to work His good work in the lives of all His children and establish each one in every good work and word. But we must be aware that we have a powerful enemy, who desires our downfall and seeks to shipwreck our faith. No wonder Paul was keen to remind this little group of believers that God is faithful to guard us against the evil one… that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan.

Man may be, and frequently is, faithless and false – God is faithful despite our inconsistencies. And He expands this promise of grace even further, for the Lord our Salvation has pledged to strengthen and establish His children in the truth of His Word – for we are HIS. In His grace, HE works in us and through us, for His good purpose. God knew us before the foundation of the world. He knows the number of hairs on our head and keeps our tears in His bottle.

God knows our weakness, and He understands that our faith may fail, “BUT the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and guard you from the evil one.”

We cannot be faithful to God as God is faithful to us. So, we pray, and we pray ….

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us pray,

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithful promises… to strengthen, establish, and protect me, even when my faith falters and I prove faithless and false to You. Keep me ever mindful of this truth and guide me in the choices I must make today. Use me as an instrument of Your grace and keep me from all evil, so that I may grow in grace and in a knowledge of You, and in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in Whose name I pray, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! AMEN.

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Am I like a person who looks at his face in a mirror, studies his features, goes away, and immediately forgets what he looks like? James 1:22-25

You won’t be surprised to hear me say that time spent in diligently studying the Bible is never wasted. However, when we next set the Bible down, we put it back upon our bookshelves, turn around and go on and turn around and to live life as we always had, we leave the Bible behind us to gather dust, without heeding the following advice from the book of James, we are fooling ourselves into thinking we did something noble to grow our faith. Do God a favor – please avoid looking into any mirrors. God does not want your image to be seen – but only wants His.

We simply enjoy looking back at our smiling elves quite enough during the day. Do you get tired of looking at yourself in the mirror? James certainly hopes so!

Come along side with me as I walk through a passage of Scripture phrase by phrase, reviewing its context, interpreting, and offering an application. Some of us – including me – learn best by watching somebody else. That is what I am now inviting you to do with me today as we study through James 1:22-25:

James 1:22-25 The Message

22-24 Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.

25 But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life! —even [a glimpse] out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Let’s dive in and explore the context: James is writing this letter to a number of believers scattered across regions. They likely scattered when they ran away from persecution in Jerusalem after Stephen was stoned to death for preaching about Jesus (Acts 7-8), Saul went on the “warpath” arresting, jailing followers. 

The Book of James begins by exhorting them to consider their current trial joy in light of how it can grow their faith. They fear for their lives because of the threat of persecution, but James is urging them to trust without wavering just like God does not waver. (James 1:2-18)

Having already warned them not to be prideful about their earthly wealth, James now addresses their attitude of anger and calls on these believers to get rid of all moral filth and evil by humbly accepting the Christian teachings and warnings to follow.

This is where we step into today’s passage with verse 22 AKJV: 

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James doesn’t play around, nor does he mince his words. He tells all of these believers plain and simple what he wants and what he expects from them:

“Obey God’s Word! Do not just listen to it being read or just read it yourself and feel exceedingly great about “devoted Christian self” Actually DO what it says! Do not just read the Scriptures then nod your head and smile in a not-so-subtle pretense of thoroughly understanding what you just read. Read the Scriptures! Then perk your ears up, listen to what God is trying to communicate into your heart and unto your soul. You read Scriptures, you are definitely talking to God!

Even though this sounds excessively simple, like a natural extension of your soul, ask yourself a question – is it a natural extension of your heart and soul?

Let’s take a look at each phrase because that’s when we learn more than we expected to learn or substantially more than we actually wanted to know.

“Do not merely listen to the word…” Why is he talking about “listening”? Don’t most people read God’s Word? It’s not exactingly like they had the King James Bible APP on their Smart Phones reciting the Bible back to them verse by verse.

Exactly, and neither did most first century Christians have a copy of the Old Testament or letters by the apostles in their home. The church leadership likely had possession of a copy – as letters such as this epistle usually traveled from church to church – and they were read when the community gathered. Most first century believers only listened to these teachings being read to them. 

“… and so, deceive yourselves.” Ask yourselves, “Who are we hurting when we walk away from the Bible unchanged?” The answer is we hurt ourselves. We are severely hurting ourselves by deceiving ourselves into thinking we are “good Christians” for having read the Bible today when, in fact, we are not living out our faith. James’ clearest command is this; “Do what it [God’s teaching] says.”

As James likes to do, he brings his point to us in an analogy in verses 23 and 24:

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his [a]natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, [b]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. [NASB]

How is reading the Bible like looking into a mirror?

When I do a quick once-over before I leave the house, I make 100% sure all the zippers are zipped, my shirt matches my pants, my necktie does not clash with my outfit, my socks and shoes match my pants, and my hair is neatly combed.

Let’s say I am on my way to a business meeting, or a formal event and I spot a giant stain on my shirt. I see the stain – it’s loud and clear – but I leave for my function without changing. What’s the point of looking in the mirror in the first place? I make it to my gathering with my giant stain, and somebody asks me a little sarcastically, “Don’t you own a mirror?” and my response is, “Of course I do. I took a long look at myself in said mirror before I left, too. What else could possibly be the problem here?” I just gave the appearance of a careless dresser.

This scene is so ridiculous, yet this is how we sometimes act with the Bible.

James 1:19-22 New American Standard Bible

19 [a]You know this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 20 for a man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all [b]that remains of wickedness, in [c]humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.

In full disclosure, I’ll share with you a personal example. Let’s take the set of verses we just glanced over, James 1:19-20: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

I will freely confess that anger and impatience is a big weakness of mine and has been as long as I can remember. There have been years of taking this sin seriously but there have also been periods of giving up and basically saying, “I am an impatient person. I see this verse telling me to listen patiently and to keep my sarcasm and anger in check, but I am walking away without a change.” 

Here are some reasons why, I think, some of us walk away from God’s Word unchanged:

  • We have tried to solve this problem in our own strength, have failed and given up. Clearly, this is just how we are, and there is no hope. Not true! Jesus told us He was sending the Holy Spirit to be our Helper to remind us of everything He has taught us (John 14:16-17, 26).
  • We have forgotten why we study the Bible. It’s easy for our quiet time to become our quiet routine. Remember to start our Bible reading with prayer for focus and a heart and soul open to being convicted and changed. (Psalm 32)
  • We are scared to admit and confess our sin before man and before God. We each somehow think we will lose face – even if just in front of ourselves. We run from the shame we’d feel at the thought of our sin. Guess what?! Forgiveness is right on the other side of confession. Jesus has already paid the price, so our heavenly Father is waiting with open arms for us to confess and to grow closer to Him.

I cannot move on before mentioning that last phrase: “When we walk away, we forget what we look like.” When we close our Bible and our souls are unfazed and move on with our day, we are not likely to revisit the issue. On the other hand, if we read the passage with an open heart and feel convicted, the Holy Spirit has our attention to begin working in our hearts towards change and righteousness.

James 1 Verse 25 NASB has another promise for us:

25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but [a]an active doer, this person will be blessed in [b]what he does.

There is so much to explore in this verse. 

How is this person looking into God’s Word? Intently! It’s not an obligatory glance but intentional, focused reading. 

What do we learn about His Word, “the perfect law”? It gives freedom. The world tries to tell you that God’s rules are restricting, but obeying God rather than being a slave to sin is actually freeing. Have you ever experienced that? When we turn from sin towards Christ, we have a joy and peace beyond description.

Is it about intentionally reading God’s Word then? No, that’s just the first step.

The key is to continue in His will – that means to not forget His word but rather implement it. Of course, we do so imperfectly on earth and grow over time with the help of the Holy Spirit. But thankfully, God first looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). He knows we are “only human” (Psalm 103:14), and never gives up on us but grows our faith until the day He will perfect it (Hebrews 12:2).

And when we do God’s will… well, then God will bless us in it! What a promise.

James continues his letter to the scattered believers with lots of exhortations to love one another regardless of status or wealth, live out our faith in our actions and speech, and walk humbly with God instead of boasting in ourselves.

The book of James is full of these life lessons.

Do you seriously and over-zealously want to learn how to study them well?

I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me (African American Spiritual)

1. I’m gonna live so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!
I’m gonna live so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!

2. I’m gonna work so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!
I’m gonna work so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!

3. I’m gonna pray so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!
I’m gonna pray so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!

4. I’m gonna sing so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!
I’m gonna sing so God can use me
anywhere, Lord, anytime!

I’m gonna read my Bible so God can use me anywhere, Lord, anytime!

I’m gonna study my Bible so God can use me anywhere, Lord, anytime!

I’m gonna love my Bible so God can use me anywhere, Lord, anytime!

I’m gonna live the word of God, so God can use me anywhere, Lord, anytime!

I’m gonna walk the word of God, so God can use me, anywhere, Lord, anytime!

I’m gonna talk the word of God, so God can use me, anywhere, Lord, anytime!

Finally, in your contemplations, in and within your pondering and meditation over exactly whose mirror you are looking in, whose image is most preferred?

Consider well your motives for knowing versus not knowing the Word of God:

In your experience, what’s the hardest part about reading God’s Word intently?

What distracts you from taking a look at yourself in light of what you see in Scripture? And, while you comment to God, see if you can encourage a fellow believer who has also shared to keep on keeping on in our faith in Christ Jesus.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us pray,

Heavenly Father, Author of Wisdom, thank You for the wise teachings of James. I realize how important it is to not only have a genuine faith… by trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus at Calvary, but to be a fruitful Christian in word and in deed. Keep me from worldly ways and from slipping back in the carnality of fleshly living, but may I grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ – as I abide in Him… and bring forth much fruit to Your praise and glory – this I ask in Jesus’ name, Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! AMEN.

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As Much as it is Possible with Me, be Joyful in Hope, Patient in Affliction, Faithful in Prayer—Romans 12:12

Romans 12:10-13 GOD’S WORD Translation

10 Be devoted to each other like a loving family. Excel in showing respect for each other. 11 Don’t be lazy in showing your devotion. Use your energy to serve the Lord. 12 Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually. 13 Share what you have with God’s people who are in need. Be hospitable.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

As much as it is or is not possible for any one person, we read Paul’s directive to be joyful, patient and faithful in the midst of ever-mounting daily struggles.

Considering the differences between when Paul first wrote these words and these 21st century days, if there really are any significant differences except the passage of years and generations of people which have come and gone, and the obvious differences in socio-cultural, socio-economic, techno complexities, it must still be the same in the minds of the readers specific to each time frame.

They read the words and I have read the words myself over and over again, and it is clear to me as I believe it was to them: these words seem like a hard pill to try and swallow and remain faithful and devoted to Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Every era has its own singularly unique complexities and challenges which we as followers and believers must raise up and meet – not in any image of “me, myself and I” but in the image of God. the Father, God the Son and Holy Spirit!

Be devoted to one another like a loving family.

Excel in showing respect for each other.

Do not be lazy in showing your devotion.

Use your energy to serve the Lord.

Be happy in your confidence.

Be patient in times of trouble – without regard to how big or small trouble is.

Pray continually.

Share what you have with God’s people who are in need. (Who does not need?)

Be hospitable.

Any one of these directives taken alone is daunting enough.

Any two or three or more taken together in whatever combination – WOW!

But there are NINE DIRECTIVES given by the Apostle Paul in these verses.

Doing all NINE DIRECTIVES in the image of God, the Father, Son and Spirit?

Who is not wondering what was on Paul’s mind when he wrote these words?

Is Paul out of his collective mind? Is he or is he not in firm contact with reality?

However, these charges come directly on the heels of instruction to serve the Lord continually out of a growing and maturing spiritual fervor and passion for God. When we are walking after the Spirit, living out of our relationship to Him then these things will naturally occur in our lives because each one of these is a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-26). These fruits are His characteristics and traits, so each of these identified characteristics in our lives are a byproduct of our relationship to Savior Christ. As we devote ourselves to God, become more and more like him, we will 100% start resembling His character on a daily basis.

Let us just try to carefully examine the directives from verse 12.

12 Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually. 

We are to be joyful in hope.

When our hope is placed Jesus then being joyful in all things is easy because we know the hope to which we were called.

1 Peter says, “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

As born-again believers, we know the hope that we have through Christ. Our future in heaven is secure in him by evidence of his resurrection. 

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Just the knowledge one day we will be reunited with Christ is reason enough to be continually joyful in all things. This inexpressible and glorious joy should be self-evident to everyone around us because of the 100% hope we have in Christ.

Secondly, we are to be patient in affliction. Being patient is a wonderful characteristic to have. It is a quality of suffering with fortitude while enduring wrongs and trials at the hands of the world.

James tells us that we are to “consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

The King James Bible says it this way, “the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:3-4 KJV). 

The work of patience in our lives produces growth, maturity and completion in our faith. This is why we can be patient in affliction, because we know the result of the trial will not destroy us but rather help us grow and mature in the Lord.

Next we are to be faithful in prayer.

James teaches us “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

Through Christ Jesus we are completely righteous which means when we pray, it is powerful and effective. This is why Paul tells us to be continuously faithful in our continual devotion and discipline to prayer because we know that we are releasing God’s power on this earth when we pray. 

Jesus told the disciples “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). When we pray in accordance with God’s will then we can rest assured that the answer is yes to whatever we ask.

The Apostle Paul gave us an empowering and encouraging word in Romans 8 concerning this and praying in agreement to God’s will, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Since we are called to His purpose, we can pray in the knowledge that it is effective and will work out for our good.

Joy, patience and faithfulness are all fruit of the Spirit. We can operate in all of these things because they are characteristics of God and have been deposited into our born-again spirits. We can let them flow through us simply by living by His spirit and renewing our minds to the truth of His word. How may this word of God come to bless you and may your fruit look like His characteristics today?

Try giving the directives a new life within your 21st Century Times and Seasons!

Try giving these directives a new order within your 21st century complexities!

Recently I skimmed the verse backwards and it gave new life to the verse I already love.

FAITHFUL IN PRAYER

Prayer basically means to talk to God. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In all things we should seek God through prayer. We don’t need to be anxious, worried, or in doubt. He is always available to listen and give us peace.

Not only are we asked to pray but pray faithfully. Faithful by definition is to have a long-continued and steadfast devotion. So, we are to be devoted to prayer, and another translation tells us to be constant in prayer. Break the Cycle! Being in a constant conversation with God throughout your entire day. Through every last stumble we deliberately look to Him to guide us. That’s what He wants, and that’s what we need. A healthy relationship will always require communication.

PATIENT IN AFFLICTION

Patience is the ability to tolerate delay without getting angry or upset. I’ve heard a lot of people say, “don’t pray for patience, God will give it to you!” As in, you and I will sooner or later, end up in a situation that will require patience.

But the truth we all seem to take for granted is we will all have afflictions or something that causes us our unique pain and unique suffering in this life.

Whether it’s financial hardships, chronic pain, emotional struggles, or even various degrees and measures of oppression and persecution, we need Godly patience to help us along the way. When we face times like these, we can seek God through prayer and lean on Him to give us patience to endure our trials.

JOYFUL IN HOPE

We will spend eternity in the presence of the creator of the universe.

Our hope is in Jesus and eternal life spent with Him! This truth should be radiating from us!

John 14:1-14 GOD’S WORD Translation

Jesus Promises to Send the Holy Spirit

14 “Don’t be troubled. Believe in God and believe in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms. If that were not true, would I have told you that I’m going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again. Then I will bring you into my presence so that you will be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going. So how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me. 7 If you have known me, you will also know my Father. From now on you know him ⌞through me⌟ and have seen him ⌞in me⌟.”

8 Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will satisfy us.”

9 Jesus replied, “I have been with all of you for a long time. Don’t you know me yet, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I’m telling you doesn’t come from me. The Father, who lives in me, does what he wants. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me. Otherwise, believe me because of the things I do.

12 “I can guarantee this truth: Those who believe in me will do the things that I am doing. They will do even greater things because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do anything you ask ⌞the Father⌟ in my name so that the Father will be given glory because of the Son. 14 If you ask me to do something, I will do it.

Whatever size and magnitude of trials come our way; we can always be joyful in the fact that we will have a future with Jesus. In the meantime, through faithful prayer and patience, we can continue to look at Him until that day has come.

In John 16:33 after Jesus tells the disciples the future troubles, they were going to face he says:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Through faithfulness in prayer, we receive patience to wait upon Jesus in whom we find our joy-filled, joyful everlasting, ever-living, genuine hope.

We are called to disciple and shepherd not just the ones who are easy, but also the hurting ones. The hurt might be self-inflicted, or due to an illness, personal, financial, or relational loss or a number of other reasons.  Regardless of the reason, Romans 12 is a beautiful road map I often refer to for walking with the hurting.

BE PRESENT: Let your love for others be genuine, not artificial or forced. Be the first one to greet them in the church lobby, make eye contact, smile at them make them feel valued and that they are important to you. Make the sincere effort to be present with them as they navigate their ups and downs of life.

Reconciliation, forgiving someone, coming back to church, making amends with those they hurt, or starting a conversation with God who they believe let the bad thing happen to them. These may be little baby steps to us, but it is a very necessary forward motion, and they need to hear you celebrate with them.

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ” Romans 12:9

“Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” – Romans 12:15

BE PATIENT: Don’t put off the hard conversations. This takes dedication, time, and intentionality. There is God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit’s part, there is our part, and their part. Don’t get too far ahead in your expectations and goal setting for them. Walk next to them, not ahead of them.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12:12

BE HUMBLE: “Let your mind be like Christ Jesus.” Ouch, that is a hard one. But Jesus showed us how to do that over and over. Living in harmony is hard work. We don’t get a free pass just because it is hard. Pride is the enemy of humility.

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” – Romans 12:10

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” – Romans 12:14

BE A GOOD LISTENER: A Sound, Growing and Mature Wisdom is knowing what to say and more importantly what not to say. Knowing when to say it and when not to say it. Listen with the exact intent to understand, not respond. The best moments occur when I’m counseling someone, and they just have that “awe ha” moment as they talk it out.  Be ever so prudent in your use and application of silence. Give God His space. I didn’t tell them the solution, the Holy Spirit did.

In any time, Paul’s directives are complex and challenging. If we are walking with someone who is hurting, who has hurt you or those you care about, give it to God. He can take the burden off your shoulders and do what only he can do. Love them well in their journey to freedom from the heartaches weighing them down. Love them just as God loves you! Celebrate them as God celebrates you!

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. — Romans 12:12

Most of us have endured devastating trials in our lives. We have been devastated by financial loss, heartbreak, loss of loved ones, and other troubled times. Many of these stories are reported on television on a daily basis. And yet, 100% truth, time after time, the resilience of those who are facing adversity shines through.

The main reason many of us do not buckle or stumble under the weight of our circumstances is because of the eternal hope that is alive, well, in our hearts.

Characteristically, just like faith, hope is strengthened by adversity. The harsh experience of having gone through something difficult toughens our resolve so that we believe we are going to be okay. In verse 12 of Romans 12, Paul tried to help us understand that going through difficult times was no excuse to abandon hope. We should strive to remain joyful in faith, hope as we wait in anticipation for God’s promises to be fulfilled, with the greatest promise being His Heaven.

When you experience difficulty, you always have a choice. One option is to hide yourself in a dark place away from the world, or you can face the adversity head on, knowing that, In God, the Father, Son and Spirit, you are, 100% not alone.

God is forever there. Just reach out to Him in prayer. The everlasting hope that He has placed in your heart will see you through. And the next time you endure a trial, through godly patience and perseverance, your hope will be stronger.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us pray,

Holy God, make me a partaker of your Holy Spirit. Enlighten me, oh, God. May I taste this heavenly gift that you reserve for your righteous people. Cleanse me of any barriers in my heart and mind that may stop me from feeling your true presence in me. Flood any dark spots in my heart with your light. Help me to walk in your light and shine your beauty and grace on everyone I meet. Amen.

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Happy Valentine’s Day! The Love of God in the Light of Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is a special day for those in marriages where there is a mutually enriching relationship. It is a special for couples who are dating or engaged. It is a special day for dear friends. It is a day is for gifting with boxes of chocolate candy all wrapped with a red and white bow, flowers, loving cards, enjoyable times together, lunch dates and dinners all with the most romantic of flares.

But there are some people would like to ignore Valentine’s Day: recent widows and widowers, those living together who are estranged, separated or divorced, those struggling as single mothers or single fathers or anyone because of age, depression or infirmity who feels alone. How can those who are celebrating look at their celebration of shared love from another perspective? How can those who want the day to be invisible, live in their lives from another perspective?

The answer is contained in the pages of God’s Word to us. Whoever we are, we ought to try and remember we are first loved by Creator God at the moment of conception in our mother’s womb. This love remains a constant in our lives. The truth is: God’s love is our first valentine. So, whether we celebrate openly or simply desire the day to fall off the calendar, we can all celebrate God’s love on Valentine’s Day. We do this by reflecting on his word to each of us individually:

1 John 4:7-21 GOD’S WORD Translation

God’s Love Lives in His People

7 Dear friends, we must love each other because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. 8 The person who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, because God is love. 9 God has shown us his love by sending his only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. 10 This love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if this is the way God loved us, we must also love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 We know that we live in him, and he lives in us because he has given us his Spirit.

14 We have seen and testify to the fact that the Father sent his Son as the Savior of the world. 15 God lives in those who declare that Jesus is the Son of God, and they live in God. 16 We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God’s love live in God, and God lives in them.

17 God’s love has reached its goal in us. So we look ahead with confidence to the day of judgment. While we are in this world, we are exactly like him ⌞with regard to love⌟. 18 No fear exists where his love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear, because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn’t have perfect love.

19 We love because God loved us first. 20 Whoever says, “I love God,” but hates another believer is a liar. People who don’t love other believers, whom they have seen, can’t love God, whom they have not seen. 21 Christ has given us this commandment: The person who loves God must also love other believers.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

We often think of Valentine’s Day as the day for couples to show their love to one another, but rarely do we use the day to remind us of God’s unmatched love for us, His children. For many single people, Valentine’s Day can be a bitter reminder of their singleness and desire for a relationship. Luckily, God doesn’t leave anyone, single or in a relationship, out of His unending love and grace.

In 1 John 4:8, the author says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

God is love itself. We wouldn’t have any conception of “love” at all if it weren’t for God, the definition of love.

God further defines love in the classic 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 passage that reads, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

God continuously describes love in this way, and then continually tells us that He IS love. This further emphasizes that God himself is all of these things.

God is continually and continuously patient and kind. He keeps no record of wrongs. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. God’s love is a perfect love that no one on earth could ever possibly emulate.

We frequently read this 1 John 4 and 1 Corinthians passage near Valentine’s Day or at weddings to remind us of what continuous and continual love should look like. We sin and tragically fall short, but God is the perfect demonstration of it.

John 3:16 says, “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.”

In His continuous and continual love for us, He gave up His only son for us. He gave us eternal life because of His great and unmatched love for each of us.

The theologian C.S. Lewis once said, “He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.”

Ponder upon and today meditate upon this thought: God loves you so much. If you were the only one on earth, He 100% still would have sent His son for you.

Mark 12:28-34 GOD’S WORD Translation

Love God and Your Neighbor

28 One of the experts in Moses’ Teachings went to Jesus during the argument with the Sadducees. He saw how well Jesus answered them, so he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of them all?”

29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. 30 So love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

32 The expert in Moses’ Teachings said to Jesus, “Teacher, that was well said! You’ve told the truth that there is only one God and no other besides him! 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus heard how wisely the man answered, he told the man, “You’re not too far from God’s kingdom.”

After that, no one dared to ask him another question.

So, on this Valentine’s Day 2022, remember to set your sights not on earthy relationships, but on the God above who loves far more fully and abundantly than we could ever imagine. Strive in your life to continually, continuously learning everything there is to know from God’s Word about His love for you.

Translate that knowledge and experience into your everyday life with whoever it is you may meet. Celebrate and share the perfect love of God in Christ Jesus. Love others in the exact same way in which God, through Christ first loved you! Pray openly or secretly, with those you meet today, “may God’s love embrace you not just on this Valentine’s Day but in every single moment of every single day!”

There is no such a time that is ever a bad time to express your love for someone, and if it takes a formal holiday like Valentine’s Day, to help you to express your affection to the loved ones in your life, then I’m all for it and you should be too. For the occasion: don’t just send a card or note that says “I love you!” Include a personal message from God’s Words of Love and Life, of Faith and Hope about what it is that you love about that person, why you find time to cherish them.  

Please, Do not put off saying “I LOVE YOU.”

For God’s Sake, do not assume someone knows how you feel about them. Tell them. Tell them right now. The matter of one person’s soul hearing God’s love for them should never be taken for granted. God’s first love transforms utterly. Give God, Give Jesus, Give God’s Holy Spirit the opportunity to grow loves seed. We plant the seed of His abiding love with our love we first received from God. Love is always meant to be communicated. Love is always meant to be known.

Try and imagine all those moments when you did not speak or hear of 1st love. Did you love the feeling? Do you regret not even knowing of all the feelings? I encourage each and every one who eventually comes to read this devotional to pick up their Bibles, clean, wipe the dust off the covers – learn of “first love” all over again. Reacquaint and refresh your hearts and your souls with His Truth.

“Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, you soul, mind and strength!”

FROM GOD TO YOU, THROUGH ME, HAVE A HAPPY VALENTINES’ DAY 2022!!!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

A Valentine’s Day Prayer

I said a Valentine prayer for You
and asked the Lord above
to fill your heart and bless your soul
with the precious gift of love.

I asked Him for sincere love
the kind that’s meant to stay
just like the generous love
You give to those You touch each day.

I prayed for love from family
and from every cherished friend
then I asked the Lord to give you
His love that knows no end.

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Come! Let us Be Continuously Joyful in Hope. Come! Let us be Continually Patient in Affliction, Come, Let us be Continually, Continuously Faithful in an Attitude of Prayer—Romans 12:12

How can we keep our circumstances from determining our mood? How can we free ourselves from the continuous limitations that life continually deals us? This wondrous trio of commandments opens the door for the other two to be true — we can rejoice in hope, and we can be patient in affliction because we have been faithful in prayer. No matter what our situation is, we can pray with joy because of our hope in Christ no matter what our current situation is. We can remain patient, persevering through affliction, by presenting our requests and intercessions to God with thanksgiving. Prayer is God’s gift to us so that we can be surely patient and joyful, even when things don’t appear to be going well.

Romans 12:10-13 New American Standard Bible

10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; [a]give preference to one another in honor, 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the [b]saints, [c]practicing hospitality.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Apostle Paul composed a lengthy and weighty letter to the Roman Church that addressed every issue which is so vital to daily living the normal Christian life, in this post-cross era. His extensive epistle is written in such a wise way as to provide us with a wonderful understanding of all church-age doctrines and how to properly apply them in our 21st century lives today, so that we are enabled to live a victorious Christian life – the life that God intended for all His children.

Just as the main body of Romans is lengthy and weighty, so his final remarks are by contrast are succinct yet compelling. In a few short, crisp verses Paul sums up all that is necessary to live a life which is fully pleasing unto the Lord. In verse 12 we are challenged and encouraged to continuously Rejoice in hope, be continuously patient in tribulation, and be in a continual attitude in prayer.

To continually rejoice in hope is to have that unfaltering assurance in God’s Word as a continuous source of wisdom and truth – knowing that our hope of glory is secured for us in heavenly places for the eternal ages to come, simply because God’s Word is continuously true and cannot be broken. Our hope is built on nothing less than our own continuously trusting in the cross of Christ, continually taking God at His Word. We are continuously giving God a chance.

To be continuously patient in tribulation is to continually know and accept that in this world we will have constant tribulation – but to wait patiently in our suffering, without murmurings – and to be of good cheer, knowing that His strength is sufficient to see us through every difficulty of life, because He has already overcome sin and death – and we are united with Him and His victory.

To be constant in prayer is to recognise that prayer, is one of the chief weapons of the spiritual warfare in which all Christians are engaged. As saints of God, we should all be instant in prayer – constantly lifting our hearts and voice unto the Lord in prayers of thanks and praise and intercession and requests – and laying them before the throne of God’s Grace, in the name of JESUS – knowing that so much infinitely greater is He that is continuously within us that He who is in the world. It is this continuous connection and continuous conversation with God which serves to continually keep our hearts and souls and hands on God.

Come! Let us work out with God a plan to continually exercise all Paul’s short, crisp instructions for godly living which are found in this final section of His epistle to the Romans as well as taking time to study this lengthy and weighty letter that has been written for our learning – so that we too may live a life that is pleasing to the Lord – so Christ can be continually seen in me and in you too!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Father, I thank you, because no matter what struggles I face, you assure me of your ultimate victory. I thank you, dear God, because no matter the hardship or burden, I know you will help me through it and bring me to your presence with great joy. Until that day of ultimate victorious joy, please ransom my heart from discouragement by the power of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Alleluia! Amen.

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Who is it who is Really and Ultimately in 100% Absolute Control of our Life? Just Exactly Whose Plan is it Anyway?

It is commonly thought among humans that if one wants to be somebody, he or she must find something of some measure of significance to accomplish.  Most people will do this by looking all around the world to see who and what others most admire, then set their hearts on becoming that, or accomplishing it. The plan becomes to set into motion a carefully laid out step-by-step plan to try and achieve their desired end. The hope is that once they have achieved their victory, they will be somebody, be happy, or even earn some kind of salvation.

Even those who do not have even the minimal self-discipline and drive to go after their dreams will spend all of their waking time wishing and dreaming and planning the steps even if it takes the form of condemnation for their failures.

This is the proposed, supposed way of the world.  It will lead to either achieving the goals and being left with pride, or worse, emptiness upon finding that the goal was not worthy. Alternatively, it will lead to failure, self-condemnation, feeling low and full of self-pity.  Breaking the cycle, to understand that the Lord establishes his, her steps will set a person free from this self-destructive cycle. 

Right from the beginning of all created things, God has always said to us, seek first the long planned for, created things of the Kingdom of God, and the Lord, who, from the beginning establishes all your steps, will add all things to you.

Proverbs 16:9 The Message

9 We plan the way we want to live,
    but only God makes us able to live it.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Throughout history, mankind has made their plans for what they will do each day. In the office, we start out our days with a detailed planning sheet we create for ourselves and organize our days and weeks and prioritize tasks to ensure the most important ones get done. We also make plans for holidays and vacations.

We budget our money; we set out our financial goals and make step-by-step plans with our financial planners for how we ourselves see fit to achieve them. We make, have daily planners, plans for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and other events. Expectant parents plan and prepare for a new child. Teachers make lesson plans. The corporate owner plans for his, her business to grow and expand and become profitable. It is perpetual motion. We make plans.

There is nothing whatsoever wrong with planning. In fact, it is always a great idea to set goals and plan for their maximum success. If we did not, our lives would be a little here and a little there but mostly going nowhere fast– kind of like a balloon you completely blow up and then let go without tying a knot in it – and we’d really never accomplish much. Planning is definitely a good thing.

Our plans should always begin with prayer and seeking God’s will for our lives. If God has been included in our planning process right from the exact starting, we can be reasonably assured, those plans will have some measure of success. The only thing to remember here is that we are not the ones who get to define what that success is. Our personal vision of success will always be too limited.

We will probably let all the “bumps and the grinds, hills and valleys,” define whether or not we will even bother to continue that single-minded pursuit of what we ourselves define and measure out as the definition of our successes. We may end up quitting on ourselves, our hopes, our dreams way, way too quickly. We may not give ourselves the proper time to learn about perseverance in life. The glue in our “stick-to-itiveness ” will not be allowed to do its proper work.

It is here when we unceremoniously and regretfully, inconveniently, “forget” about God. When our planning is contrary to God’s will, we become guilty of sin.

In James 4:13-17, James wrote, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.’ You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring — what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, ‘If the Lord will, we will live and do this or that.’ But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So, it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.”

God may still allow you and me to make our own plans without properly, prayerfully consulting with Him. He will even allow you and me to make our own plans, own our own plans when you and I do not particularly like His plans or His will and decide to do things our way anyway. But you and I can be assured regardless of what you and I plan, God will be ONLY the one finally directing each and every step you and I take. And if in our arrogance and pride we choose to do things our way, God will always bring about His divine will.

The Prophet Jonah is a very familiar example of someone who didn’t like what God was telling him to do and so he trusted in himself and made his own plans. God had wanted Jonah to go preach in Nineveh and Jonah didn’t want to go.

He got on a boat and went in the opposite direction from Nineveh. As a result, a great storm came up and everyone on the boat became afraid they would die at sea. They started throwing the cargo over to lighten the boat’s load and then Jonah told them they had to throw him overboard and the storm would stop.

The sailor’s thought Jonah was crazy, but after a while, they conceded and tossed Jonah into the storm-tossed waves. God was not only directing Jonah’s steps, but he also directed the swim path of a great fish who came along at that exact moment and swallowed Jonah up. After living three days in the belly of the fish, Jonah finally repents and finally, humbly prays to God. God then has the fish throw up Jonah and Jonah goes to Nineveh and preaches repentance.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Proverbs 16:9

#1 “In their hearts…”
In most places where the heart is mentioned in Scripture, it is not looked upon very kindly.  Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it” (Jeremiah 17:9)?  Mark 7:21-22 says, “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.” The advice of others to “Just follow your heart” may work great in the movies, but it is foolish, terrible advice for the believer.

#2 “…humans plan their course,”
It is, and always will be a good and righteous thing to plan our day to a certain extent; for example, what is for dinner tonight? When will I finish my work? But the kind of planning that is not good is the arrogant kind that desires its own way and has self-promoting expectations for how things are going to go. 

This is essentially mankind significantly over-extending his own abilities, taking on God’s job.  James 4:13-17 calls it “boasting about tomorrow.”

#3 “but the Lord establishes their steps.”
What is going to happen is what God wants to happen. Seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6:25-34), don’t worry for tomorrow, live in his presence right now, and watch him unfold his perfect plan before you. 

This means consciously remembering God, to live according to his principles in his Word and lay down your life for him and for his Kingdom.  You cannot even imagine what His control over your life has in store for those who trust in him.

In the New Testament, a group of shepherds made plans for tending their flock throughout the long cold night. But God suddenly interrupted their long night and sent angels to proclaim the birth of Jesus which brought the shepherds to worship the newborn King. Their plans were to simply care for their flock of sheep – God’s plans were “glorify the Lord,” to bring them to worship Jesus.

In Acts Chapter 3, A lame man who had been lame since birth had plans for going to the temple to beg for alms but as Peter and James saw him and listened to the leading of the Holy Spirit, Peter said to him, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk.” In an instant, he was healed, and he rose up on his newly strengthened legs and went walking and leaping and praising God. The Lame Man’s plans were to get enough alms so he could eat – God’s plan was a miraculous healing.

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has good plans for us – plans for our welfare and not destruction. If we truly believe this, then we should have no problems starting our planning time in prayer and seeking God’s will to be sure that the plans we make align with God’s will. If they do, then we can surrender our plans into His hands and trust that even if the path to get where we were planning looks different than how we planned it, that ultimately God will get us there, He will work all things out for our good (Romans. 8:28), and He will forever and ever be with us every single step of the way and keeping us from stumbling.

But if we try to go our own way like Jonah, we might find ourselves in some trouble just like Jonah did and then find ourselves right where God wanted us in the first place. Had Jonah simply cooperated with God’s plan in the first place, he could have saved himself three days in the belly of a fish – and if we will cooperate with God’s plans for our lives, we can save ourselves from all the unpleasant consequences that running from God brings. (Luke 15:11-32)

So go ahead and make your plans, but start every plan with prayer, seeking God’s will first. Then as you make your plans centered around His will, ask that your plans will bring Him honor and glory. If, like Joseph, the path getting to where God wants you looks different than you thought it would and includes a “pit” or “prison” along the way, remember that God is always with you and if the “palace” is God’s plan for you, you can trust Him to get you there at just the right moment so you are in position for what God wants to do in your whole life.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Dear Father in heaven, your Son promised that we would see him again if we wait patiently and listen to what the Holy Spirit says to us. Illuminate our hearts and send your Spirit in. All that is yours will be ours through your Spirit. I pray that I learn to quiet my mind so I can hear the Holy Spirit. I pray that I am filled with the understanding to know how to follow its guidance for me. Amen.

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From Every Single Street Corner, Let the Word Go Forth! Praise the Lord!! Let all our Praises Sing Out unto God! Let All Voices Shout Out: God Wins!!!

Praise Ye the Lord! Let all of us who have even a minimal voice, rise up from the places they are reclining or seated. Raise up your sleepy and tired and exhausted souls, unto a position of standing, unto an attitude of highest expectation and the loftiest worship. Open up your dreariness unto the Presence of the Lord our God, who is forever worthy of our praise! While there are many things for which we can praise God, one of the most significant is his 100% faithfulness to do all of what he has planned and promised. While many of us are big dreamers and schemers, only God can accomplish the marvelous plans he alone has made!!

Isaiah 25 English Standard Version

God Will Swallow Up Death Forever

25 O Lord, you are my God;
    I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
    plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
2 For you have made the city a heap,
    the fortified city a ruin;
the foreigners’ palace is a city no more;
    it will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
    cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor,
    a stronghold to the needy in his distress,
    a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;
for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,
5     like heat in a dry place.
You subdue the noise of the foreigners;
    as heat by the shade of a cloud,
    so the song of the ruthless is put down.

6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
    of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7 And he will swallow up on this mountain
    the covering that is cast over all peoples,
    the veil that is spread over all nations.
8     He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
    and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
    for the Lord has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day,
    “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
    This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
10 For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain,
    and Moab shall be trampled down in his place,
    as straw is trampled down in a dunghill.[a]
11 And he will spread out his hands in the midst of it
    as a swimmer spreads his hands out to swim,
    but the Lord will lay low his pompous pride together with the skill[b] of his hands.
12 And the high fortifications of his walls he will bring down,
    lay low, and cast to the ground, to the dust.

The Word of God for the Children of God! Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Today’s verses are all about praising God. You know, the word “praise” we hear so much in and around church, but what does it mean? It means “to give high thanks, to lift up, to exalt, to magnify, to celebrate.” It’s usually at a point of an otherwise inexpressible “from the very deepest depths of your humbled soul” thanksgiving which derives and then follows the maximum acknowledgment or confession of benefits we have all received from an ever-faithful, merciful God.

You might have just had the very worst day at school or at your place of work. Perhaps everything is going sideways in your life, and it just feels like there’s nothing to praise God for. That’s ok. I’ve been there too. The important thing is to realize that it’s when you’re at your lowest that praise can be most powerful.

As you begin wake yourself up, to stir up that need to praise God for what He’s done, praise Him for the world He created, praise Him for each day that you’re here on earth, it helps you. It makes you realize that yes, you might have had a bad day or a bad week, but God is good. He’s there to help you through all of the trouble you’re facing. And as you praise, it helps you remember God’s goodness.

So today, please take some quality time to praise God. It does not have to be a long thing, 5 minutes or better yet 10 will do. But remember God’s goodness. Remember all the good things that He has done and how much He loves you!

We cannot help but notice here Isaiah’s very personal relationship with God. In-between the different prophecies God gave Isaiah are passages where he seemed overwhelmed by what he had been given and needed to stop and simply worship God. He praised God for His actions in the past, and the promises He made and then faithfully accomplished. The absolute faithfulness, the utter reliability of God, the absolutely unchangeable fact that He does exactly what He promises, is an often-repeated thought throughout the Book of Isaiah.

Since God is absolutely faithful, absolutely reliable and unchangeable, we can be certain that He expects us to be faithful in our service to Him and others. He covenants with us to be in a continuous mind-set of truest praise and worship.

And here Isaiah is praising God in Chapter 25, Verse 1, let’s see why, he says:

“O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For you have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.”

This verse is part of a song of praise for God’s favor upon His people. Isaiah Chapters 24 – 27 are known as “Isaiah’s Apocalypse.” The chapters go over God’s judgment on the entire world for its sin. Isaiah’s prophecies were first directed to the Tribe of Judah, then to Israel, to the surrounding nations, and finally to the entire world. These chapters describe the last days when God will judge the whole world where He will permanently remove evil from the earth. 

But here’s the thing, God is a righteous and loving God. How many chances has He given to you and to me? I don’t think we would be able to count how many chances He has given mankind to repent and get back to a right and righteous relationship with Him. The billions and billions of people who have lived and have died since man first started inhabiting the earth has been given thousands of chances each. How completely crazy that God is longsuffering for our man’s love to turn away, to repent from the things of the world, and to turn to Him. He gives us all the love that we need if we would just open-up our hearts unto Him.

Isaiah recognized that genuine openness, that ability to realize that God is so impossibly forgiving and loving. Isaiah exalted and praised God because He realized that God completes His plans just as He promises. I love what Moses says to God in the “Song of Moses,” Exodus, Chapter 15, Verse 2, he says:

“The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”

Today, in our 21st Century, do we trust that song? Do we 100% believe the Lord is your strength and song? Is He your salvation, is He our God, will we praise Him, will we 0.1% exalt Him? Many believers have gone before us, billions upon billions who have all sang this song. It’s so amazing! God keeps His promises. 

He has another promise that is coming soon, Him. Jesus is coming back for His Church, His Bride. Are you and I, in these harsh, changing 21st century times living for God today, living for our Savior Jesus, breathing in and breathing out His Holy Spirit prepared for His return? Is your lamp full of oil? Praise the name of God from your lips for all He has done for you, 100% promises to do for you. 

Isaiah Chapter 25, Verse 1, Praise to God, and that’s your Word on the Street.

This is your still small voice shouting far above the raucous din of chaos: God is the winner! God will always be the winner! God will always be 100% Victorious! Our God reigns forever and ever and there is absolutely nothing to change that. Chaos, even at its absolute loudest moment is absolutely powerless to change it.

God must be our number one focus. According to Isaiah, it is better that the whole earth should perish than that God be unfaithful or untrue! He is laser focused on God. Isaiah is laser prioritized on being a maximum expression of highest praise and the hopeful, hope-filled humblest attitude of daily worship.

Let us today, carve out some quality time with God! Let us all come back to God. Even if it is only for five or better yet, ten minutes of our chaotic day. Focus on Him! Praise Him! Worship Him! Exalt Him! Understand Him! Trust Him! Serve Him! Love only Him! And only then will our view of the world be the right one.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

God of all truth, God of all Wisdom, sometimes I not sure if I’m actually hearing your voice, or if it’s just my own thoughts or even another spirit. Sharpen my spiritual hearing, Lord, so I can recognize your words when you are speaking to me. Help me know it’s really you, with no doubt or second-guessing. When I’m asking for your guidance in important decisions, grant unto me your peace that surpasses understanding with your answer. Help me remember that your words to me will never go against your written word in the Bible. Give me a clear mind and push out all my confusion. In Jesus’ name. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

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A Teachable Heart. A Teachable Soul. A Teachable Life. On Psalm 119:15-16.

Today, I am asking you to take more than a few moments to look at anything and everything around you and surrounding you. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised to know that you got to know its name or its purpose simply because someone, somewhere, somehow taught this to you at some early stage in your life. Interestingly, most of the basics we learnt as children, and then as we grew into adulthood, we may have taken it further, studied or researched further, to excitedly increase our knowledge. So also, our understanding of God, His word and prayer are contributions made by many people right from our childhood. This list of contributors includes our Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Siblings, Teachers, Sunday School Teachers, Pastors, Friends, many others.

Meditate upon these things! Meditate on the God who brought all of this into existence. Meditate on the Word of God which brings these truths unto life, who gives these truths new and sustained life, completely, unimaginable vibrancy. Such a renewed and refreshing perception of life is so desperately necessary. Ponder and Reflect upon the significance of the Psalmists word “MEDITATE!”

In this devotional effort we are prayerfully going to explore the ways in which we as children of God, through meditation can grow more in the knowledge of God. For this to happen it is vital we have a teachable heart. Hope this teaching will help us understand the various aspects of being a godly teachable person.

Psalm 119:9-16 Complete Jewish Bible

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.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Christian meditation is a spiritual virtue that every believer should cultivate. The Holy Spirit through David has taught us the discipline of meditation when we read, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word” (Psalm 119:15-16).

Christian meditation is not merely Scriptural memorization, though such an exercise will certainly yield that virtue. Christian meditation is a most sublime division of private prayer. The teaching on Christian meditation is dealt with in the larger context of the most careful planning and execution of the Psalmists poetic reflection. Thus, the Prince of Preachers, the Reverend Charles Spurgeon wrote of Psalm 119, “The manner it is composed in is very elegant; full of art, rule, method theological matter in a logical manner, a spiritual alphabet framed and formed according to the Hebrew alphabet.”

Thus, the long methodical approach of the Psalmist to creating this longest contribution to the Psalter gives an example of the effect of such spiritual exercise in his own life. Ponder for a long while upon all of the time and effort and prayer and study and personal reflection and personal introspection it took for the Psalmist to bring such an empowering writing as Psalm 119 into being

To meditate is to gaze upon a divine object of incalculable worth with the spirit of humble devotion. It is to locate the precious jewels of truth in the Word. It is to mark the truths carefully and to recite those Biblical truths to your own soul. It is to listen quietly as the Holy Spirit applies His truth to your heart and mind.

It is to collect and gather those truths as an offering of thanksgiving to the Lord. Christian meditation, humbly practiced in devout prayer, will inaugurate a deep and genuinely delightful journey of intimate time, turning into a lifetime of closeness, with your Creator. It is to enter the holy of holies “praying in the Spirit” and thus rendering your sacrifice of praise as a priest of the Almighty.

“I will meditate . . .” This is the resolute soliloquy of the author, most likely an aged King David, near the end of his life, as he reflects upon, charges his own soul in response to all of the blessings and curses he walked and lived through.

Is it any different for us today as we sometimes consider all our blessings and curses, our ups and our downs, our left turns and our right turns, and all of the square pegs of our choices we have tried to hammer through round holes we drilled out to make them work, have had to contend with, as we ourselves make a deliberate effort to “carve out” some very much needed quality time with God away from the unseemly ruinous efforts of chaos as it threatens to run amok.

I encourage all you readers to try a wholly different tactic. Pick up your Bibles and invite God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit to sit with you. God is the One who commands and speaks order from chaos. We cannot know God’s ways of doing this, but we can know and be inspired and empowered by the truth that He did in fact, in the beginning of all things brought chaos under his full command. We freely ponder on the ever-present trouble chaos brings to our very doorsteps. I do not know how much time we spend meditating on God bringing even more trouble to chaos’s doorstep. Meditate upon God commanding chaos to leave.

To receive change in our lives away from the sovereignty of chaos into the light of the divine order of the absolute sovereignty of God, we must make this our firm resolution and immovable conviction. From this, we will come to learn that our alone moments with God passes quite effortlessly into hours as you meditate upon God’s precepts according to Scripture. Eventually, miraculously, the incomparable spiritual experience transforms your life of prayer, you will discover what it means to “pray without ceasing.” The benefits of Christian meditation are many—peace, perspective, power, perseverance—yet none so glorious as the blessing that becomes affirmation: “I have been with God.”

A teachable person is…

• Humble – Psalm 25:9 – He leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble his way. (ESV) Someone said, true humility is being truly teachable, regardless of how much you know.

• Wise – Proverbs 9:9 – Instruct the wise and they will be even wiser.

• Righteous – Proverbs 9:9 – Teach the righteous and they will learn even more (NLT)

I am sure there may many other qualities that mark a person who is teachable, but I would just like to highlight the above three.

The basic characteristic of a teachable person is humility. Someone said it this way, “True humility is being truly teachable, regardless of how much you know.” In other words, a person who is not humble, will not be willing to take any kind of teaching from anyone. So also Proverbs 9:9 explains that a wise and righteous person will certainly be teachable, because they understand the value of receiving instructions and gaining knowledge.

As children of God, who teaches us?

1. The Word of God – 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (NLT)

Someone said this aptly, the word of God is useful for teaching (teaches us what is right), for reproof (teaches us what is not right), for correction (teaches us how to get right) and training (teaches us how to stay right). David understood the significance of God’s word when he said in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (NLT). God’s word is of 100% paramount importance, as all of our guidance and teaching to live a holy life comes from the individual’s knowledge and deep experience with word of God.

2. The Holy Spirit – 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 “When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them, and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.” (NLT)

John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (ESV)

The Holy Spirit of God is absolutely our best teacher, counsellor and guide. You may have heard someone say that they could not understand the bible as they read it. The reason is that only the Holy Spirit of God can reveal to us the truths about God. Ergo, only a spiritual person, who has the Holy Spirit indwelling them, can receive these spiritual insights. Also, we may have experienced times when we are struggling mightily with and against sin, temptation or a badly complicated situation, that the Holy Spirit of God will bring to remembrance the Word of God and give us strength to overcome these trials and temptations.

The Holy Spirit of God is that still small voice of God inside us that is constantly prompting us to walk in the ways of God and live a life that is pleasing to God.

3. People of God – Philippians 3:17, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” (ESV)

The church of God is the gathering place of believers, where with the Word of God for the Children of God, we are covenanted, called upon to both bless, edify and encourage one another. Paul could boldly tell his fellow-believers that they should strive to imitate him and also keep their eyes on other people who are role models whom they could follow.

Acts 2:42-47 English Standard Version

The Fellowship of the Believers

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe[a] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Take the time to look around and you will notice many men and women of God who are working and praying hard at living exemplary lives, from whom we can learn. It is important that we should mentor those who are younger to us, but it is also crucial that we have in our lives those older to us who can mentor us as well, if we want to continue to grow in our faith and our knowledge of God.

4. Experiences (our own and others as well)

Romans 5:3-5, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (ESV)

2 Corinthians 1:4, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (NLT)

Each of us go through our own singularly unique and various experiences, good and bad. The experiences we go through are also very great teachers, if we are willing to learn. Each experience can make us bitter or better, depending on how teachable our hearts are. Paul explains this in great detail these sufferings are what produce character, teach us patience and give us hope for the future. This hope is based on God’s love and the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Every time we come out victorious, we allow God to fulfill His purposes in our lives. These experiences are God’s way to refine us to be more like Jesus.

It is important to learn from our own experiences it is equally beneficial to learn from other’s experiences too. Someone said, ‘Smart people learn from their mistakes, wise people learn from others’ mistakes. Someone else said it this way, ‘Learn from other people’s mistakes, and then go and make new ones.” It is also a fact that God comforts us and teaches us through all the hard times, so that we can, in return, comfort those who are going through a similar path.

What should we be taught?

The way we should go…. Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;” (ESV)

• To walk in God’s truth Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth;” (ESV)

• To do God’s will Psalm 143:13, “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God!” (ESV)

Every day we are faced with numerous challenges and have to make so many decisions. God is willing to instruct and teach us the way we should go if we are willing to let Him do so. We also need to walk in the truth.

These are days where it is so easy to compromise, when challenged with conflict between the word of God and the world.

It is only when we talk and walk in the truth, (and we know that Jesus is the Truth), can we live a life of no compromise. The other important aspect we need to be taught, is the will of God. If we choose anything other than the will of God, revealed through Scripture, we will lose out on the peace and joy that should be ours. Staying within the will of God is the safest place for us as God’s children.

Psalm 119:9-16 The Message

9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?
    By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;
    don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.
I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart
    so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
    train me in your ways of wise living.
I’ll transfer to my lips
    all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
    than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
    I attentively watch how you’ve done it.
I relish everything you’ve told me of life,
    I won’t forget a word of it.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us pray,

Holy God, make me a partaker of your Holy Spirit. Enlighten me, oh, God. May I taste this heavenly gift that you reserve for your righteous people. Cleanse me of any barriers in my heart and mind that may stop me from feeling your whole presence in me. Flood any dark spots in my heart with your light. Help me to walk in your light and shine your beauty and grace on everyone I meet. Amen.

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Walking Upon God’s Well-Trodden Path (Meditation on Psalm 119:15-16)

Psalm 119:9-16 The Message

9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?
    By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;
    don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.
I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart
    so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
    train me in your ways of wise living.
I’ll transfer to my lips
    all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
    than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
    I attentively watch how you’ve done it.
I relish everything you’ve told me of life,
    I won’t forget a word of it.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

Have you ever had to walk a distance in the deep cold of winter or in the hottest hot of the summer months? It is a discipline to keep doing either one or even both depending upon the seasons where-ever you choose to call your home. I knew that if I had to discipline on learning how to do that – day in and day out – for the sake of I familiarity, I always tried to remember to take the same path.

It is easiest to walk a path that has been heavily tread, one in which the snow has already been compacted or the dried hard ground is hard, tamped down.

The Psalmist writes that he will fix his eyes on God’s ways. The word “ways” is translated from orach, referring to a well-trodden path. This is a path walked by many and clearly visible; having been taken many times before, the outcome is predictable. Author God makes His ways clearly known to us through scripture, including the quality of outcome for those who choose His well-trodden path.

Think about the flattened snow path: you don’t have to lift your legs as high to walk, and you don’t sink down into the powder with every step. Walking upon dry and compressed, well-trodden paths worn down over time, will take you to your destination, using less energy. Such is the discipline of “meditating” upon the Word of God for the Children of God. God has already done the hard work for you – He gave us His Word, fulfilled the law. His is the path you want to be on.

The phrase “fix my eyes” comes from the root word nabat, meaning to look intently at something, regarding it with pleasure, favor, or care. The Psalmist is determined to fix his eyes on the well-trodden path that God has provided for him. Just as a horse might wear blinders to keep it focused on the path ahead with no peripheral distraction, we should be looking so intently at God’s way, regarding it with so much favor and pleasure, that the cares of the world would disappear from our peripheral. Let our hearts and our souls, let our eyes be so utterly GOD fixed that no distraction could pull us off of the well-trodden path.

How can we keep our gaze affixed on God’s ways? First, the Psalmist states that he will mediate on God’s precepts. Meditate is translated from the word siyach and means to ponder or converse with oneself. Scripture calls us to meditate on the word day and night (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2). The Psalmist’s daily goal (as ours ought, should be) is to fill his thoughts with scripture, with things above (Colossians 3:2), and with all that is good (Philippians 4:8).

Second, the Psalmist determines to 100% delight in God’s statutes. Delight is translated from sha’a’, which means to be fond of, or pleased with. We must renew our minds (Romans 12:2) and not to think of scripture as only a list of rules that we must strictly adhere to and follow. Instead, we can delight in the freedom of God’s way – the freedom to sin no more and the freedom to do what is right. His commandments are not burdensome (John 8:1-11, 1 John 5:3).

Lastly, the Psalmist declares that he will not forget God’s word. Forget can also be translated as “mislay” (as in misplacing your car keys) or “obliviousness due to lack of attention.”

When it is time to act, when there is a decision to be made, and even as day to day routines are being lived out, we do not want to be blatantly oblivious to God’s ways because we have each neglected (given no attention to) His word.

We want the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17), ready at our side at all times. When it’s go-time we do not want to be searching for God’s word like misplaced car keys. We want it at the forefront of our mind and on the tip of our tongue. How can we obey the word if we do not know it?

How can we know God’s plan, intentions and purpose if we know not His Word?

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
― John Wesley

Let us be equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17).

Today I encourage you start disciplining yourself into beginning a new daily habit. That to daily examine whether you are on God’s well-trodden path or if you are trying to forge your own path through the snow or over the sunbaked ground, whether you are expending needless energy or learning stewardship of the Word of God. Either way, you can choose to follow the Psalmist’s example:

Day and night, fix your eyes on God’s way, study, mediate and pray on and over and above, through His word, delight in His word, and do not forget His word.

Why is quality meditation so important?  Joshua 1:8 tells us why: This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. (NASB)

Our Christian responsibility and duty to each other? To ponder and meditate on God’s word for by it we become obedient to Him. We cannot hope to succeed without carefully doing all that is written in the Bible.  Now this does not mean that if we do not meditate on God’s word like this that we are somehow not saved, but I cannot stress enough how much fuller our lives will be if we give ourselves quality time to ponder what God is saying to us through His word.

Psalm 119:9-16 New American Standard Bible

Beth

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
10 With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
11 I have treasured Your word in my heart,
So that I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, Lord;
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
[a]As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts
And [b]regard Your ways.
16 I shall [c]delight in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us pray,

Jesus, Giver of peace, I so easily get distracted when I’m trying to focus and hear your Holy Spirit. Help me quiet my mind in the middle of my busy life. Help me to pause and to make space to listen to the most important voice of all. God, empower me to be a more disciplined listener to the gentle whispers of your Spirit. Help me follow the example of Jesus, who would slip away in the evening or the early morning to be alone with you. Teach me to abide in you. Amen.

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