Verse of the Day 9/30

Through the Bible - Isaiah 21-23, Ephesians 5

 

Good morning,

For the last few days we've been going through the book of Ephesians while considering portions of the Lord's prayer.  Yesterday we considered "our daily bread".

 

We need to eat the right food.  Continual intake of "fast food" wont nurish us properly.  The same is true spiritually, we need the nourishment of God's Word, we wont grow as we should if all that we take in is Christian TV, read Christian magazines, and listen to Christian music.  The food that nourishes our soul is reading the Bible.

 

Reading through a book like Ephesians or just about any other book of the Bible while considering the Lord's Prayer reveals the importance of prayer, this prayer in particular, and how it is reinforced by what we read in the pages of scripture.

In concluding the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6 we read:

Matt 6:12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.

Matt 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.   NIV

Today's verses from Ephesians 4 expound this thought:

 

Eph 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.  NLT

 

Praying for forgiveness should make us mindful that we are to forgive others.

 

As we look at our society today there is little forgiveness; instead there is the desire to get revenge, for retribution, for putting others down so that you may be elevated.  This is not the biblical way to live, all it will lead to is pain.

Have you ever had a toothache?  It's hard to be happy, when the pain is constant, and you can't find relief.  Seeking revenge can have the same effect on us.  It can literally eat us up, take away our joy.  It needs to be removed like a bad tooth.

 

Helmut Thielicke writes, "The painful abscesses which today are breaking out over the whole body of mankind cannot be cured by physicking and lancing them from the outside, but only by the cleansing blood from the inside and renewing the heart; the animating and regulating center of the body.  To this heart and center of the world Jesus directs our attention when he teaches us to pray: "forgive us our debts".  Thielicke says that forgiveness means "This shall not separate us.  The bond of love is stronger than the separating power that would come between."

Have bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander crept into your relationships?  They bring with them "separating power" that lead to broken relationships and the divorce that we see so often around us.  The Lord's Prayer and this passage in Ephesians 4 teach us that instead we should be "kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving".

 

Are you struggling in a relationship?  Why not try putting these words and principals into practice.  Let it also be a reminder that you need "your daily bread", that is, time in His Word and time in prayer.

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
: http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Eph 4:25-5:1

 

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

 

25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.    NKJV

Verse of the Day 9/29

Through the Bible - Isaiah 18-20, Ephesians 4

 

Good morning,

For today's verse we'll go to Ephesians 2 to some of the great verses in scripture that tell us where our faith comes from and why it is that we have it.

 

I've been reading Thielickes observations and teaching on the Lord's prayer, which starts out with "our Father".  He states that "the Father must always come before the things, but once this is understood, then bring Him whatever there is to bring.  Because He has given you the greatest thing, you can come with the smallest thing."

 

Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.   NKJV

or from the NLT

Eph 2:8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

As we consider these verses in Ephesians we should realize that God has given us a great gift in salvation and it is one that should be shared.  One of the ways that we can "walk in good works" is to take our marching orders from His Word, it should be the daily bread that sustains us, guides us, and leads us.

 

Regarding the Lord's prayer and in particular "give us this day our daily bread" Thielicke writes, "And He regards our spiritual bread in exactly the same way that He does our physical bread; His Word, which in parabolical language is called spiritual food, is not something that gives us complete directions for the rest of our life and a blanket consolation for every possible difficulty that may occur.  No, we need His Word every day.  His word is "a lamp to our feet and a light to our path: Ps. 119:105.  You see what is meant; it lights each individual step, each step we take now.  Only the next few yards are lighted by this lamp- no more than this, no less either.  This Word is not a search light that will bathe in light the coming months or years or even the course of this war and the years of peace to follow, so that we may see a straight road ahead of us.  No, it is only a lamp to our feet and we walk like children in the dark because we hold fast to His hand.  So in the spiritual sense too, we receive only our daily bread."

 

As we do this, as we live by faith with His Word as the light for our path,  we will learn to depend more and more upon His Word.

 

How important is God's Word in your life, in guiding you to "do the good works, which God has prepared beforehand" for us to do?

 

Read the passage below.  Instead of following the "course of the world" , follow the course of the Word.  After all, we have been "made alive" (v.1), if we are in Him we are born again.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
 http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Eph 2:1-11

 

By Grace Through Faith

 

2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

 

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

 

NKJV

Verse of the Day 9/28

Through the Bible - Isaiah 15-17, Ephesians 3

 

Good morning,

Over the weekend, the New Testament readiing plan moved into Ephesians, it is where we'll go for today's verse.

Eph 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession — to the praise of his glory.    NIV

or from the NLT

Eph 1:13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Verse 13 tells us that the gospel that is revealed to us must be heard (Romans 10:17), and believed (John 1:12) in order to bring salvation.

The guarantee or "seal" mentioned in verse 14 gives us security, tells us that we are authentic, our faith is the "real deal", and gives us ownership, the sense that we belong and are a part of the family, the kingdom of God.

 

Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes, "This is eternal life, our Lord prayed, 'that they might know the the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent' (John 17:3).  And it is only the Holy Spirit who can enable us to know that.  The baptism of the Holy Spirit, then, is the difference between believing these things, acccepting the teaching, excercising faith - that is something we all know, and without the Holy Spirit we cannot even do that, as we have seen."

 

These early Christians were not just formal church members, they had a living Spirit within them.  This Spirit impacted, directed their life and was evident from day to day, throughout the day.

He did this and does this, as verse 14 says "so that we would praise and glorify Him."

 

As you start out the work week today, read the passage below, consider what we have "in Him" - redemption and forgiveness according to the riches of God's grace.  Because of this, may His light shine through in your life and may we praise and glorify Him in our lives.

 

Gal 3:2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.   NLT

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
More tools available at: http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Eph 1:3-15

 

Redemption in Christ

 

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

 

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth — in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

 

13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.   NKJV

Verse of the Day - weekend 9/26

Through the Bible - Isaiah 10 - 14, Ephesians 1-2   Good morning,  I'm sure that you've read some books that you felt like you couldn't put it down.  I have recently been reading a book that I've referenced, "Our Heavenly Father" that I had to put down.  I couldn't keep reading, I had to stop often to consider again, sometimes for extended periods, what I had just read. Thielicke tells of how God is always there first when we pray, He is prompting us to pray. He writes, "God is always there first, and therefore is always only an answer to this simple given fact.  Take Bethlehem and Golgotha out of the world, and the cry of God will be silenced and praying becomes meaningless.  Then every one of us and our children and children's children are doomed all our lives to be lonely sentries in the lonely night, listening to furtive, disquieting footsteps, and never finding out who it is, and therefore obliged  to cry out desparately "Who's there? but never receiving an answer, finally to grow weary, return to our little sentry boxes to sleep the rest of our lives the sleep of the hopeless, and drop the whole business of listening and calling."   Isa 53:12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.   NKJV Thankfully we have Bethlehem and Golgotha, and an empty tomb.  And because Jesus lives,  whave someone who speaks on our behalf, interceeding for us.   Heb 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.   NKJV The theme this year for our Jr. High and High School youth group is WE..  The point is stressed that "we" are not meant to be alone.  All of us are encouraged to reach out, to make sure that no one is or feels alone.  The most important point is to make it known that we are never alone if we are in Christ.  He is always there and we should communicate with Him.   When we feel alone, we should call upon the the Father, because your Father knows what we need.   Thielicke continues, "The main thing in prayer is really not that we present particular petitions but that we enter into communion, into a personal relationship with the Father.  If I do nothing else but say from the bottom of my heart, "Dear heavenly Father," the main thing has already happened. This weekend's verse begins the Lord's Prayer. Matt 6:9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. NKJV  May He hear our prayers this weekend.   In Chirst, Mike Matt 6:5-16 The Model Prayer (Luke 11:2-4) 5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.   7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.  9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.  14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. NKJV

Verse of the Day 9/25

Through the Bible - Isaiah 7-9, Galatians 6   Good morning, Today's "Daily Bread" devotional (www.rbc.org) told of Socrates teaching method of asking "probing questions to help them arrive at their own conclusions".  It is not a new method, it has been God's way of teaching through the ages, starting with God's question to Adam and Eve in the garden, "where are you"? In Galations 4:18  Paul said that he "labored in birth" until Christ was formed in his listeners.  Looking through the NT you can see how Paul used questions in this way. Paul was also questioned by God from the time he was approached by God on the road to Damascus.  Paul also came to question God to learn more of Him. In our lives we will face trials, storms, illness and persecution and we will question God.  We will learn from and about God during these times and will grow through them if we are His and have faith.  As we go from trial to trial our questions will change and our view of the trials and storms will change. Helmut Thielicke in "Our Heavenly Father writes, "It is as if God intercepts these originally evil and disastrous missiles of fate, catches them in His fatherly arms, and sends them in the direction He wants them to go for the benefit of His children." By faith our questions can change, Thielicke continues, "We don't have to ask why fate permitted our dearest to be taken away from us.  Now we are freee; free to ask another, more confident, question.  And that question is:  What is God's purpose in all of this?  What are His goals for us?  We learn to look up, because God is a God of purpose, a God with great fatherly plans for our lives, for the life of His people, and the life of all mankind." Following this way, living by faith, asking questions by faith, will produce fruit.  Which leads us to today's verse from Galatians 5. Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.   NKJV This fruit is not just evidenced in "good times" but in all times and season's of the Christians life when lived "by faith". My sons have been a great influence on me in this regard.  When I was helping move my son Jason to school in New York a few years ago I asked him how he looked back on the circumstances of his being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.  He replied, "if it hadn't been for the tumor, I would never have met Kristen (his wife)".  He wouldn't be where he is today. Something else happens when you come to realizations like that.  You realize that every day is a gift, that every time you see or talk to your son or daugher (or grandchild) it is a gift that brings joy and peace. What questions has God been asking you?  What have you been asking God? In Christ, Mike Gal 5:16-6:1 Walking in the Spirit 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. NKJV

Verse of the Day 9/24

Through the Bible - Isaiah 4-6, Galatians 5   Good morning, A friend of mine recently recommended that I read a book by 20th century pastor and theologian Helmut Thielicke, "Our Heavenly Father".  It is a series of sermons on the Lord's prayer.   In the introduction to the book I read the following statement from him, "The Word of God with it's law and gospel is "like a starshell that lights up my life and shows it to be the valley of the shadow of death and also reveals the contours of "the hills from which cometh my help (Psalm 121)."  It is a thought provoking statement and one that can help open our eyes and bring us to (or back to) reality.   Today's Old Testament reading in Isaiah brings us to Isaiah 6 one of my favorite chapters in the O.T.  In it the prophet describes the feeling in the kingdom and in his own heart. The kingdom of Judah had gone through 52 years under Uzziah, a time of growth and prosperity.  With his death, many feared what was happen.  It is here that God revealed Himself and His glory to the prophet.   Isa 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.   NKJV In Isaiah 5, the prophet gave us a view of the spiritual condition of the nation with the 7 "woe is me statements".   The vision that he saw in chapter six was his "starshell" that revealed the condition of his own heart as well.    Isa 6:5-"Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts."    NKJV Instead of despair, it led him to dedicate himself to follow God, and be His messenger to a nation, a world that" would hear but not understand and see but not perceive". Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."    NKJV What has the Word of God been revealing to you as it shines on your life?  How will he respond if He calls you to service or ministry? In Christ, Mike Isa 6:1-11 Isaiah Called to Be a Prophet(cf. Ezek 1:4-28) 6 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;The whole earth is full of His glory!" 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone!Because I am a man of unclean lips,And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;For my eyes have seen the King,The Lord of hosts." 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips;Your iniquity is taken away,And your sin purged." 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send,And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." 9 And He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand;Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' 10 "Make the heart of this people dull,And their ears heavy,And shut their eyes;Lest they see with their eyes,And hear with their ears,And understand with their heart,And return and be healed." NKJV

Verse of the Day 9/23

Through the Bible - Isaiah 2-3, Galations 4   Good morning, We/ve been reading/studying how Paul has called those on the right (the legalists) and the left (the over-tolerant)  if you will,  to follow the true gospel of Christ that he had taught them.   As I mentioned at the close of yesterday's devotional, this was nothing new.  The people in Isaiah's time were caught up in the same things.   In Isaiah 1 the prophet said the it had come to the point where God "hated" their religious feasts and worship, because they were doing so without following God with their hearts. They were lifting up hands in worship, but they were hands that were covered with blood. He called them to make a binding, legal decision in verse 18 as to who they would follow: Isa 1:18-20  "Come. Sit down. Let's argue this out." This is God's Message: "If your sins are blood-red, they'll be snow-white. If they're red like crimson, they'll be like wool. If you'll willingly obey, you'll feast like kings. But if you're willful and stubborn, you'll die like dogs." That's right. God says so. (from THE MESSAGE:) Paul's call to the Galation believers was the same call that he had given in the book of Romans chapter one which had first been given by the prophet Habakkuk, to live by faith. Today's verse gives us these words from Galations 3.   Gal 3:11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."   12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."    NKJV John Piper has said that this could very well be translated "the just, by faith shall live". Jesus, quoting from the prophet Isaiah gives us an example of what this would look like in Luke chapter 4:   Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."    NKJV If we are living by faith, we will follow Christ's lead and have more concern for these "weightier matters".  If it is the cry of our heart to follow Jesus this way, our worship and sacrifice will be pleasing in his sight.  But it stems from faith not works of duty.   How are we ministering to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the oppressed or blind (physically or spiritually) today?   In Christ, Mike   Gal 3:10-15 10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law." 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life." 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, "It is through obeying the law that a person has life." 13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.  NLT

Verse of the Day 9/22

Through the Bible - Isaiah 2-4, Galations 3          Good  morning, In yesterday's devotional we saw Paul's concern for the churches in Galatia, that they had turned from the true gospel to a different gospel.  We also recalled some of the words from his letter  to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 15:3,4 " that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures," A gospel that tells us that Jesus died for our sins is not a complete gospel and not a gospel at all without the resurrection.  Without the resurrection  there is no "eternal life".   Tony Evan's  in his book "The King of Glory" writes, "eternal life refers to more than length of life.  It has to do with the quality of our existence here on earth.  Eternal life begins the moment we receive Christ as our Saviour, and He intends that we experience a quality of life now whereby we grow in Him,  find His purpose, and produce a full harvest of spiritual fruit." Today's verse builds upon that thought.  Producing that spiritual fruit involves dying in to ourselves. Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.   NKJV In receiving Christ and dying to ourselves, the Holy Spirit can live the life of Christ through us.  But to do so we must "die to self:   What does it mean to "die to self"?   Evan's continues, "Paul died to his own identity, - his rights, plans, goals, desires and dreams.  They were subjected to Christ so completely it was as if Paul were dead.  His life was so immersed in sacrificial  service to the Lord that he could say "Christ lives in me".   There is a popular book out now with a title something like 'Your Best Life Now".  While it is true that our best life may start now, but our best life will be beyond life in this world.  It will be a life where the accumulated things in a" name it and claim it" culture will mean nothing.   The best picture is that of abiding, the picture of the vine in John 15: John 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.  NLT The word "remain" is also translated as "abide and carries these additional traits - "NT:3306  KJV - abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), The Old Testament reading outlined above is moving into Isaiah.  If you have some time, follow along and see if you notice some of the paralells between Isaiah's time, Paul's time, and ours In Christ, Mike   Gal 2:14-3:1   14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, "Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?   15 "You and I are Jews by birth, not 'sinners' like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law."   17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. 19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.  NLT

Verse of the Day 9/21

Through the Bible - Song of Solomon 4-6, Galations 2

 

Good morning,

You may have heard the saying or motto regarding the church, "In essentials unity, in non essentials liberty, in all things charity".    Dr. Mark Ross writes, "Often attributed to great theologians such as Augustine, it comes from an otherwise undistinguished German LLutheran theologian of the early 17th century, Rupertus Meldenius.  The phrase occurs in a tract on Christian unity written (circa 1627) during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648), a bloody time in European history in which religious tensions played a significant role."

 

The New Testament reading plan, above, has brought us into the book of Galations where Paul is dealing with a church that is having it's own struggles and controversies including a form of legalism.

Today's verse comes from Galations 1 where Paul expresses his surprise at how the "gospel" was being "perverted" to something that it is not supposed to be.

 

Gal 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.   NKJV
or from the NLT

Gal 1:6 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

The same kind of thing has gone on through the centuries and is sure to continue.  There is the prospertity gospel being preached, that God wants you to be healthy and wealthy, where He is your cosmic vending machine, there to give you what you want.  But what happens when unemployment, health issues or the death of a loved one come along?  On the other side we have the legalists where Christianity, from the outside, is seen as a strict set of rules, regulations, and traditions to live by, where there is little grace, mercy or compassion.

From Barnes notes, " It is remarked by Luther (his commentary at the place) that Paul uses as mild a word as possible here. He does not employ the language of severe reproof, but he expresses his astonishment that the thing should have occurred. He was deeply affected and amazed, that such a thing could have happened. They had cordially embraced the gospel; they had manifested the tenderest attachment for him; they had given themselves to God, and yet in a very short time they had been led wholly astray, and had embraced opinions which tended wholly to pervert and destroy the gospel. They had shown an instability and inconstancy of character, which was to him perfectly surprising."

 

The challenge and call from Paul is similar to that which was expressed to the Corinthian church.

 

1 Cor 15:1 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.

 

Perhaps the phrase that we started with might serve as a good motto for every church and denomination today.  The key to it is to know what the "essentials" are, which involves knowing your Bible, holding fast to in, but doing so while loving others, even those that may disagree with you without turning away from God in doing so.  Let us be consistant and constant in the essentials.

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
 http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Gal 1:1-11

 

1 Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me,

 

To the churches of Galatia:

 

3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

 

Only One Gospel

 

6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

 

10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.   NKJV

Verse of the Day - weekend 9/19

Through the Bible - Ecclesiastes 10 - Song of Solomon 3, 2 Corinthians 13 - Galations 1

 

Good morning,

Today's New Testament reading plan brings us to the end of 2 Corinthians.  In these two letters we've learned a lot about the gospel and what love truly is.  We've learned about being comforted so that we will comfort others and we've learned what it means to give, sacrificially. 

 

For today's verse we'll go to 2 Corinthians 13 where Paul gives a benediction where he challenges them to grow, to encourage, to get along and have God's peace.

.

2 Cor 13:11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

12 Greet each other with Christian love.  NLT

All this is to be centered around Christ, "tied" to the gospel, and to spreading the gospel.  Another old hym comes to mind.

Blest Be The Tie That Binds

 

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like that to that above.

 

Before our Father's throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one
Our comforts and our cares.

 

We share each other's woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

 

When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

 

This glorious hope revives
Our courage by the way;
While each in expectation lives,
And longs to see the day.

 

From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

I'll close with a few words from William Dyer.  Consider them as preparation for worship this weekend.

 

Now, beloved, let . . .
  your hearts be upright,
  your judgments sound,
  and your lives holy!

Love the truth, and
obey the truth, and
hold fast the truth!

Keep yourselves . . .
  from false teachers,
  from false doctrines,
  from false worship,
  from false opinions!

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

2 Cor 13:11-14

 

Greetings and Benediction

 

11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

 

12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.

 

13 All the saints greet you.

 

14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.    NKJV

Verse of the Day 9/18

Through the Bible - Ecclesiastes 7-9, 2 Corinthians 12

 

Good morning,

The other day I came home from work to see 5" x 8" signs all over my living room.  Each sign named a sin, from gossip, to pride, to angry words, lying and lust.  Was my wife trying to tell me something?

Actually they  were props for her Tuesday morning Bible study group. The message was sobering.

 

We all tend to think fairly (I could probably drop that adjective) highly of ourselves.  But looking across the room, and being honest I realized that many of these things were in my heart.  They may be "below the surface" where others don't see but they eventually come out at some point.

 

The focus for the study group was to pick out three that you struggled with, share them, pray for and ask for victory over them.

In today's New Testament reading above, Paul is writing to the Corinthian church.  He was concerned about there spiritual condition and what he might find if he were to drop in on them.

 

2 Cor 12:20 For I am afraid that when I come I won't like what I find, and you won't like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior. 21 Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.  NLT

What would Jesus find if he were to drop in on us at our meetings, in our home, or in our work places, or among friends?  Would he be "grieved" that we had not given up our "old sins"?

 

What are we to do?

 

Eph 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
NLT

Sometimes we need to see those signs, whether they be 5"x 8" in a group, or billboard signs revealed to us one at a time.  The goal being for Christ to eradicate, remove them from our hearts and lives.  To press on day by day by His grace and in the power of the Holy Spirit.  I was reminded of another "old" hymn, "I'm Pressing On":

I'm pressing on the upward way,
new heights I'm gaining everyday.
Still praying as I onward bound,

 

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
by faith on heaven's table land;
no higher plane than I have found,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

 

May that be our prayer today.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

2 Cor 12:14-13:1

 

Love for the Church

 

19 Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your edification. 20 For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish; lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults; 21 lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.    NKJV

Verse of the Day 9/17

Through the Bible - Ecclesiastes 5-6, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

 

Good morning,

I'm sure that all of us have received e-mails that have contained attachments that we could not open up.  They may be photos, maps, or other type of additional information about or in reference to the e-mail.  Without the attachment, the message may be incomplete, unclear, and not convey the overall purpose of the e-mail.

 

As Christians, if we don't show or should I say, if Christ doesn't show through in our lives and actions we are not giving those around us the complete message of who, or whose we are.  Why don't we "let it shine"?  The Bible is God's Word, his principles are applicable in our everyday lives, from the workplace to school and socially.

 

Consider today's verse from 2 Corinthians 5.

2 Cor 10:4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.    NIV
or from The Message

2 Cor 10:3-6  The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way — never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.   The Message

In his book, "Who is this King of Glory" , Tony Ev ans writes, "I'm afraid for most Christians, Christ is an attachment.  A nice, attachment, an important attachment, but an attachment nonetheless.  But the mind God wants us to have is the way of thinking that makes Christ the sum total of our lives.

In other words, Jesus must be the reason you wake up in the morning and the reason you go to bed at night.  He must be everything in between, the whole show.  You must define your life by Jesus Christ, "taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ".

 

We need to realize that there is a spiritual battle going on out there.  Why wont we use the "divine power ' that can demolish strongholds?  What are some of the strongholds in your life?

 

God's Word, His principles are just as powerful in the boardroom, in business meetings, in sales calls as they are in life in our homes or at church.  His presence should be evident in our lives through the "whole show" and not just in scenes played on the weekend.  Dennis Fisher writes, "In the war of ideas, God's truth contends with the evil one's deceit.  Rather than retreat from active engagement with the world, we are to interact with the weapons God has supplied.  His Word and His Spirit are competely sufficient for this."

 

It's a lesson that I realize needs to be taken to heart in my life.  How about yours?

 

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,  neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   NIV

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

2 Cor 10:1-9

 

Tearing Down Barriers

 

10 And now a personal but most urgent matter; I write in the gentle but firm spirit of Christ. I hear that I'm being painted as cringing and wishy-washy when I'm with you, but harsh and demanding when at a safe distance writing letters. Please don't force me to take a hard line when I'm present with you. Don't think that I'll hesitate a single minute to stand up to those who say I'm an unprincipled opportunist. Then they'll have to eat their words.

 

The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way — never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

 

You stare and stare at the obvious, but you can't see the forest for the trees. If you're looking for a clear example of someone on Christ's side, why do you so quickly cut me out? Believe me, I am quite sure of my standing with Christ. You may think I overstate the authority he gave me, but I'm not backing off. Every bit of my commitment is for the purpose of building you up, after all, not tearing you down.   The Message

Verse of the Day 9/16

Through the Bible - Ecclesiastes 3-4, 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

 

Good morning,

For the last couple of days we've considered giving with 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 as our reference.

 

There is more to giving than just our finances.  We are to give, sacrificially, of our talents and our time as well  For today's verses we'll go back to Romans 12 which is probably more known for the "do not be conformed but be transformed" of verses 1 and 2.  The passage as a whole is about sacrificial living.

The Amplified Bible will get us started with verse 6

 

Romans 12:6 Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them:

Continuing from the NLT

Romans12: 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.  NLT

We have all been given gifts, we need to be aware, sometimes learn what they are.  To use them effectively we must realize: 1) that these gifts and abilities came from God, 2) realize that not everyone has the same gift(s); 3)  realize who we are and know how we can serve best; 4) realize that we are to dedicate ourselves to God in using our gifts for Him and not for personal recognition/success; 5) realize that we are not to hold anything back, we are to use our talents, spend them generously.  We are to "live out loud".  Read some of the words from the Steven Curtis Chapman song:

 

Live Out Loud

 

Think about this…try to keep a bird from singing
After it's soared up in the sky
Give the sun a cloudless day and tell it not to shine
Now think about this…if we really have been given
The gift of a life that will never end
And if we have been filled with living hope we're gonna overflow
And if God's love is burning in our hearts we're gonna glow
There's just no way to keep it in

Everybody, come on
La la la…la la la la
La la la live out loud

Have you been "keeping it in"?  If we've been filled with living hope, let it out, let it overflow.  Follow the advice from Romans 12:9 which follows today's verses:

 

Rom 12:9 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. NLT

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Rom 12:1-14

 

Living Sacrifices to God

 

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

 

Serve God with Spiritual Gifts

 

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

 

Behave Like a Christian

 

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.   NKJV

Verse of the Day 9/15

Through the Bible - Proverbs 31 - Ecclesiastes 2, 2 Corinthians 10

 

Good morning,

Today's verses come from yesterday's New Testament reading and continue with the theme of giving.

 

The passage gives us three descriptions of how not to give and three descriptions of how we are to give.

 

John Piper writes that we are to give, "Not as an exaction or covetously (give with the intent of receiving more) v.5; Not sparinglly (v.7); and Not reluctantly or begrudgingly.  But, we are to give as a willing gift (v.5); give bountifully (v.6); and cheerfully (v.7).

 

2 Cor 9:6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.   NKJV
Or from the Amplified Bible

 ⁶[Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [^[a]that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings.

    ⁷Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He ^[b]takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving].^(A)

What does giving "reluctantly or sorrowfully, or under compulsion" look like?  It's giving while feeling (sorrowing) that it could have been used for something else.  Grudgingly or under compulsion is that everyone else is giving and I'd better do it too, or what would others think if I don't give.

 

The Amplified Version in verse 7 mentions "prompt to give", it has to do with being ready to give, giving you the ability to act when the opportunity arises.

 

Piper writes, "Let's think for a moment about bad giving. In each of these three descriptions the essence of what's wrong is the desire to hold back. There is giving! But it's coming from a heart that wants to hold back.

 

So giving bountifully means giving from a heart that wants to share things. Something has happened in the heart so that the basic desire is now to give and share as much as possible instead of keep as much as possible. It's as though there was a magnet in the soul that used to be turned so that it pulled possessions into itself; and now something has happened to turn it around to the other pole so that it pushes things out toward others."

As we sit back and consider our own giving, what is that attitude in our hearts towards giving?  What is the motivation?  Is there joy?  Is the desire to bless others?  May it be as we see below.

    ⁷Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He ^[b]takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving].^(A)

 

Giving bountifully leads to a bumper crop.  The seeds that are planted, sown, grow exponentially. for the glory of God.

 

 

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
2 Cor 9:1-10:1

 

Administering the Gift

 

9 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. 3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 4 lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting.  5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

 

The Cheerful Giver

 

6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:

 

"He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever."

 

10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,  14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!   NKJV

Verse of the Day 9/14

Through the Bible - Proverbs 29-30, 2 Corinthians 9

 

Good morning,

If I were to ask you which state had the highest per capita (average per person) percentage of charitable giving what would be your first response?  Would it be a state with a lot of big business, big financial districts, large manufacturing centers?  Studies have shown that the state with the highest giving as a percentage of income was Mississippi which also had the lowest average income.  The lowest was Massachusetts which was near the top on the average income list.

 

Why the disparity?  Money and riches have a tendency to take hold of us.

 

The Bible is full of examples who gave out of their poverty from the widow giving her last two copper coins to the widow in the Old Testament that was willing to share of the last of her oil and flour to make bread for Elijah.  (1 Kings 17).

 

Last week, in looking at 2 Corinthians 1, we considered the "God of all comfort" who comforts us so that we may be able to comfort those who are in trouble.  There is a correlation betweeen this and chapters 8 and 9 where we will go for our verses for today and tomorrow.

 

In 2 Corinthians 8 Paul challenges the church in Corinth, a wealthy city, to be more like the people in the church in Macedonia a poor  a poor church that gave bountifully.

2 Cor 8:2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,   NIV

Or from the NLT

2 Cor 8:2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.

 

3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.  

 

John MacArthur writes, "Paul highlighted 3 elements of the Macedonian's giving which summed up the concept of free will giving.  1) "according to their ability" - God is proportionate - God sets no fixed amount or percentage and expects His people to give based on what they have (Luke 6:38). 2) "beyond their ability" - Giving is sacrificial.  God's people are to give according to what they have, yet it must be in proportions that are sacrificial (Matt.6:25-34), 3) "freely willing" - literally one who chooses his own course of action.  Giving is voluntary - God's people are not to give out of compulsion, manipulation, or intimidation.  Freewill giving has always been God's plan."

 

Our giving is to be similar.  As with other acts of worship and service, they are to be done out of love, out of a heart for God, and not out of duty or requirement or in a way to be be "broadcast" in a way to be seen by others.

Take some time today to consider your giving, whether it be in money, time or service.

 

May we give the best to our Master. Here are a few lines from the hymn, "Give of Your Best to the Master":

 

Give of your best to the Master;
Give Him first place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service;
Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you will be given;
God His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him,
Give Him the best that you have.

 

In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
 http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

2 Cor 8:1-8

 

Excel in Giving

 

8 Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: 2 that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. 3 For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 4 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. 6 So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. 7 But as you abound in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us — see that you abound in this grace also.   NKJV

Verse of the Day 9/12

Through the Bible - Proverbs 23-28, 2 Corinthians 7:2 - 8:24

 

Good morning,

I'll start today's devotional with a test, who do you think made the following statement?

" May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that he gave our ancestors. "
Some of you may have thought Abraham Lincoln, it wasn't, but it was the leader of the greatest, richest nation of it's time.  It was Solomon in a speach given to the nation.

The "Today in the Word" devotional (www.todayintheword.com) from Moody Bible Institute this month is going through the book of 1 Kings.  Yesterday's reading was from 1 Kings 8 where this statement came from.  We'll expand it for today's verse.

1 Kings 8:57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. 58 May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words that I have prayed in the presence of the Lord be before him constantly, day and night, so that the Lord our God may give justice to me and to his people Israel, according to each day's needs.   NLT

 

In this day of political correctness I don't think that we'd hear these kind of words from any modern day president of our country.  However, that doesn't mean that it can't be the prayer of our hearts, that we might stand tall, proclaim what and Who we believe in, and live accordingly.  In doing so we can have an impact and hope to turn this nation's heart back to God.

 

Yesterday I'm sure that we all remembered the events of 9/11.  Looking back, we can remember how it turned the hearts of many, at least temporarily, towards God.

 

Here is a paragraph from yesterday's today in the word, making reference to 1 Kings 8:22-66:

"Today's reading brings us to another assembly of people pleading to God for their country, but it was a celebratory rather than mournful occasion. And although no one should equate America with "God's nation," we can learn lessons about praying for a nation. Notice the kinds of things Solomon raised in his prayer for the people."

 

1 Kings 8:31-37

When someone hurts a neighbor and promises to make things right, and then comes and repeats the promise before your Altar in this Temple, listen from heaven and act accordingly: Judge your servants, making the offender pay for his offense and setting the offended free of any charges.

 

When your people Israel are beaten by an enemy because they've sinned against you, but then turn to you and acknowledge your rule in prayers desperate and devout in this Temple,

 

Listen from your home in heaven,
forgive the sin of your people Israel,
return them to the land you gave their ancestors.

 

When the skies shrivel up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, but then they pray at this place, acknowledging your rule and quitting their sins because you have scourged them,

 

Listen from your home in heaven,
forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel.

 

Then start over with them: Train them to live right and well; send rain on the land you gave your people as an inheritance.   THE MESSAGE

While people are "assembling" in Washington D.C. today, why don't we take some time to pray for our nation's heart.  If you have time this weekend, why not read through this prayer of Solomon for his nation.  May we pray, likewise, for our nation today.

 

In Christ,.

Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

1 Kings 8:54-62

 

Solomon Blesses the Assembly
(2 Chron 6:40-42)

 

54 And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 55 Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: 56 "Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, 60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. 61 Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day."   NKJV

Verse of the Day 9/11

Through the Bible - Proverbs 21-22, 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1   Good morning, Yesterday we considered what it means to be an ambassador for Christ and the goal of bringing the message to others, desiring to bring others into the kingdom.   In today's NT reading Paul gives some instructions on how we are to live in order to carry out our commision.   2 Cor 6:16-17But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: "I'll live in them, move into them; I'll be their God and they'll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. (from THE MESSAGE) Many today desire to have "celebrity status", to be with the "in crowd".   This morning I read a portion of John 1 about John the Baptist.  He drew a following, but it was not because he wore the right clothes and hung out at the popular places.  He wore drab, coarse camels hair clothing and ate locusts.  But he was living true to his calling. For today's verse we'll go to John 1.   John 1:22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" 23 He said:"I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as the prophet Isaiah said."  NKJV Rather than claiming himself to be a celebrity, someone important John the Baptist referred to himself as a "voice of one crying in the wilderness".  John MacArthur writes that "in answering the delegations questions about his identity, he shifted focus away from himself and onto Christ.  His quote of Isaiah 40:3 "Make straight the way of the Lord", was a challenge both to the nation and to his questioners to prepare their hearts for the coming of the Messiah." He continues, "The imagery is of a road being leveled and smoothed our in preparation for the visit of an Eastern king.  John and Isaiah likened the hearts of Messiah's people to a desolate wilderness, through which a smooth, level road needed to be prepared for His coming.  John was the laborer, preparing the road in advance of the king."   Isn't it the same for us today?  We are many but each of us is one voice.   As Christians, we should not be so concerned about who we are.  It is more a question of "whose" we are.  Our lives need to point to that, trying to clear the path for His second coming. In Christ, Mike   John 1:19-29 The Testimony of John the Baptist 19 This was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, "Who are you?" 20 He came right out and said, "I am not the Messiah." 21 "Well then, who are you?" they asked. "Are you Elijah?" "No," he replied. "Are you the Prophet we are expecting?" "No." 22 "Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?" 23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Clear the way for the Lord's coming!'" 24 Then the Pharisees who had been sent 25 asked him, "If you aren't the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?" 26 John told them, "I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. 27 Though his ministry follows mine, I'm not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal." 28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.  NLT

Verse of the Day 9/10

Through the Bible - Proverbs 19-20, 2 Corinthians 5:1-6:13   Good morning, A couple of weekends ago St. Marks Church held it's annual baptism ceremony at Lake Kammack.  I believe that eighty some people were baptized, making a public declaration of their faith in Jesus.   The ceremony celebrates that in Christ, they are new people, new on the inside.  This should lead to a life that shows the change on the outside.  The Holy Spirit gives new life, we are not the same any more.  The NLT Study Bible notes point out that we are not reforemed, rehabilitated, or reeducated but "new creations" in Christ.   Today's verse comes from today's NT Bible reading in 2 Corinthians 5: 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,   NKJV We are new and we are given a responsibility - the ministry of reconciliation, bringing others into a right relationship with Christ.  We are part of the great commision (Matt. 28:16-20)   A little further down in the passage we are told that we are to be "ambassadors' for Christ: 2 Cor 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.   NKJV As ambassadors we are representatives of the King of heaven, pleading for the people of the world to be reconciled to God.  An ambassador is more than a representative, he is an authorized representative, he carries authority on behalf of his king.   What are we doing towards that end if we are dead to the old life and raised up to new life in Christ?   In Christ, Mike   2 Cor 5:12-6:1 Be Reconciled to God 12 For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. NKJV