Thursday, June 21, 2007
NWVBC Mission Trip to Mexico
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Judgment: A Good Thing? - Amos 5:24
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
The book of Amos might not be one of those places where you would expect to get much out of devotions, but there is a lot there if you are looking for it. The context of the verse we are looking at is God telling His people how He refuses to accept their worship when their lives are so rotten. And it is against this backdrop that the subject of judgment is brought to the surface.
The layout of this verse is in synonymous parallelism (Hebrew poetry is in use here), meaning that the two phrases in this verse mean basically the same thing. For example, the word waters is parallel to the phrase a mighty stream. Likewise, the word judgment is parallel to righteousness. Does that seem strange to you? Most of the time, we think of a judgment as something that is negative, because that is the way the term is often used in our culture. But this passage obviously sees judgment as a positive thing because it is connected with righteousness. However, this is not strange at all, if you remember that a judgment can be either positive or negative. If a person goes to court, the judge or jury may rule for or against their case. If the individual did that which was unacceptable by the laws of the land, the judgment will be unfavorable. But, if someone is in the right, then the judgment will work to his advantage.
We should be thankful that God is a righteous judge. He always judges perfectly. He never lets us bury ourselves in sin without his chastening judgment. But He is also faithful to uphold us when we obey Him in righteousness. And best of all, we are positionally righteous in Him because Jesus Christ offers justification through His righteous life and death on the cross.
So, when you are praising God and meditating upon Him, do not forget that among all of the wonderful things about Him, His judgment is remarkable as well. By the way, if you want to see another place where the word judgment is used positively, check out Psalm 119, where that word is one of many synonyms for God’s Word.
A Short Testimony - Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strenght; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
I know this is a widely used verse, but it has always been special to me. In fact, I think it was the first verse (other than John 3:16) that I memorized. Having patience has always been a struggle for me; I always want to get up and go. If God doesn't answer my prayers right away, He doesn't care! Coming to this verse I realize that isn't true. God does care for me; He will renew my strength. If I "keep on keepin' on"--with God's help--through my life as a Christian I will neither faint nor be weary.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Promise Fulfilled – Matthew 1:22-23
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
As you turn from the Old Testament to the New, a wonderful thing happens: things that were promised begin to come true. Here, we see a promise specifically mentioned in Isaiah 7:14 come to life in this first story of the New Testament. The coming of the Messiah was often looked for by the Jewish people. They waited...and waited...and waited some more. It probably looked bleak to many who had already given up all hope. But there was a promise. And finally, the promise was fulfilled.
I have to admit that it is easy to look at the way things are going in the world and get discouraged about the wickedness that abounds, even in churches. So much is said and done that does not honor the Lord. I wonder if persecution of believers in this country is right around the corner. At times, the prospect of God’s intervention might seem like something that is not likely to happen. But the promises of the Old Testament are not finished. Even the end of the New Testament, the book of Revelation, promises the final triumph of Jesus Christ. I as a Christian am on the winning side. The question is this: will I trust Him? Will I be patient?
I can imagine that it must have been difficult for year after year to pass without the Jews seeing their Messiah come. They wanted the Messiah to come earlier, and in a different way. But God knows best and always acts accordingly. He exists outside of time. He does what He wants, when He wants. And it is always best for His children to wait on Him.
Times will come when we will face discouragement. We will be tempted to give up on doing what is right, thinking that it will not really matter. We will have thoughts that God is not acting in the world on behalf of His people. At times like these, God’s people must rest...and wait...and rejoice in His promises. And we should also rejoice that He will accomplish His purpose in His time. So whenever you think about Jesus Christ as the baby in the manger, remember the promise behind that gift, and then cherish God’s promises to you.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Pettit Meetings
Please pray that those who professed salvation Thursday night would continue to come back and grow. Also pray that those of us who made decisions during the week would keep them up. This is a critical time and we need your prayers.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Special in the Eyes of God - Psalm 139:13-14
Psalm 139:13-14
For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
We are God's wonderful creation and he gave us all potentional and talents to fullfill his purpose.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Staying Right with God - Colossians 1:10
Colossians 1:10
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Christmas
1. When Full Divinity took on full humanity. . . in order to be able to provide a perfect blood atonement for sin. . .
2. When Full Divinity and full humanity shall return to earth to reign. . .
Even so LORD, come quickly. . .
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Praise
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Glorify God
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:55-58
That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Ephesians 1:12
That last few days I’ve been thinking about what is really important in life: brining glory to God. It’s easy to get so consumed with my own plans that I lose the big picture! In my Bible class, we just finished studying Ecclesiastes, and I was reminded of how our lives are vapors and so much of what we do is “chasing the wind.” The only way to find true satisfaction that will last is through Christ.
My roommate’s mom died a few years ago and she was saying that ever since then she’s realized how short life is. She said she wants to run the race everyday with all she has because she doesn’t know when her last lap will be. So many of us think we will have forever to live, but our lives really are short. I know when I die I want to hear “Well done,” and have crowns to lie at Jesus feet. My life is short and I can’t waste it living for myself. I must use it to bring glory to God – He is worthy!
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:11
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Always the same
Isn't that great? Jesus is always the same! He never changes and He will always keep His promises. Unlike our friends, family, or anyone else Jesus is always there for us and He will never leave. People are never perfect and they make mistakes and I think its great we can depend on God because He will always be there for us, keep His promises, and will never change.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Careful Worship
Ecclesiastes 5:1
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
In our fast-paced day and age, it is common to kind of squeeze church into our schedules. Many times, right up to when the service begins and even continuing through the service, we are thinking and talking about things completely distracting or even contrary to our God—the cares of this world.
This verse warns against such a flippant attitude. It actually calls such an attitude evil ("for they consider not that they do evil"). Wow! It is kind of humbling to imagine that we may be sinning in church more than we even realize. How often do we take the time to examine our hearts before worshipping at church? How common is it for us to ask God to direct our thoughts and to change us as a result of what we learn from His Word? Do we guard our actions in such a way? Is that our primary focus?
Unfortunately, we often "give the sacrifice of fools." That is, we go through the motions, offering lip-service to God, but with no real focus, no real desire. That kind of flippant attitude toward worship is something that God hates. It is disrespectful to Him, and it is unconcerned with the wonderful opportunity that God has given to worship Him because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross in our behalf.
We need to be very careful in the way we approach worship. And if we will obey God in this way, He will make our worship something of immense profit. He will fill our hearts with joy when we take time to commune with Him—on His terms, and in His ways. May we consider what God’s Word has to say concerning this matter, even as we prepare ourselves for this coming Sunday.
Big Prayer Request
I really really would appreciate your prayers right now. Alot of my friends at IBC seem to either be walking away from God or getting burned out and it really hurts to see that. So please pray that God would do a mighty work in the student body, I would really appreciate it. My heart is breaking for so many of my friends there.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Prayer requests
Also you can pray for Sean he broke his jaw. Just pray that it will heal fast and not be painful. It looks like it hurts really bad. thanks
Friday, September 22, 2006
A Biblical Perspective on Fear
Psalm 112:1, 7
Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
Notice that this whole psalm is speaking of a person who fears the Lord. Then, notice how v. 7 gives us one of the life results of the person who fears the Lord: he is not afraid of evil tidings or bad news.
Fear is proper when directed toward God. The point this psalm is making is that if an individual is going to receive God’s benefits, he must live with a proper reverence and awe of Him. It is important, therefore, to constantly marvel at the attributes and works of God. Praise God for them in your prayer life. Meditate upon them throughout the day. Proper fear of God can only result from proper thoughts about God and much time spent meditating upon Him as a person.
One of the benefits for the individual who fears God is that he/she is then able to stop fearing the stuff of life that could happen. Sometimes, Christians are very pessimistic, almost expecting bad news to come. It is like we are afraid that somehow, in order to experience a dynamic Christian life, something terrible has to happen like it did to many of the great men and women of the Bible. Other times, we are simply paranoid about the future. We fear a substantial loss of money, or an accident, or a family crisis, or a health issue, etc. Instead of seeking first Christ’s kingdom and letting Him concern Himself with the rest of our lives (Matthew 6:33), we seek first our kingdom.
The message I gleaned from these two verses in this psalm is that if I find myself fearing bad news, I am not properly fearing God. I am not meditating upon Him enough. I am not depending upon Him. We should ask God to help us fear Him, and then trust Him to take care of the things that we might be tempted to fear.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Establish My Works
Psalm 90:17
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
This verse warrants careful observation. It contains the words of a man who fought and fought God's will at the burning bush because, in his pride, he felt he was not able to obey (Exodus 4:10-18). Yet, God used him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt en route to the Promise Land.
On the other hand, Moses was also the one who, in pride, hit the rock when God told him to speak to the rock (Numbers 20:7-12). Because of that, Moses would never actually enter the Promise Land himself.
This psalm may have been written before Moses struck the rock. Nevertheless, his words here contrasted with his actions in the two instances noted above make an important point: man is unable to accomplish anything of any lasting value for the Lord unless God Himself "establishes" that work. In other words, the works we do for Christ mean absolutely nothing without God giving them value. Moses could try to avoid God’s will or change God’s will, but God would have none of it. Moses needed to be in God’s will and submitted to it in order to have God’s power on his life. Just as dynamite has no power until it is touched by the flame, so we have no power unless the flame of God touches upon our lives and works and makes them powerful for Him. And then, things will be as they should be, and He gets all the glory, not us. We must quit trying to live a successful Christian life by ourselves, because our flesh and judgment are often weak.
May my prayer be today, "Lord, establish my works!"
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Please pray for me
Dan
Forgive others
Just think about those verses. When someone does something to you and hurts you we are to forgive them. We are to love them and forgive them just as God forgives us everytime we do something wrong against Him. Don't stay mad at them and hold a grudge against them. You can't grow in Christ when you are bitter at someone. Also if you dont forgive others God wont forgive you.
Matthew 6: 14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Monday, August 21, 2006
College
I’d like to ask you to please pray for me this semester while I’m away at college. Please pray I’d do well in my classes and have fun, but most importantly that I’d trust God while I’m there rest and rely on Him for my strength. I know college is going to be really busy and I want to make sure I keep God first.
-Rachel :)
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Press toward the mark
We need to do what that verse says. We need to leave those things which are behind us. Even if we have fallen 7 times we need to just get right back up again and reach for the prize. Isn't it great that God is merciful and forgives us!
Psalms 26:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
Psalms 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.