Verse of the Day 10/26

1 Timothy 6:20-21  O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge," ²¹ for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.   English Standard Version (ESV)

Today's verses are Paul's final words of Paul's first letter to pastor Timothy, calling upon him to "guard the deposit" to hold to the things that he had been taught and had been entrusted to him, the word, the nuts and bolts of his faith.

Then as now people would come into the church with motives of "growing the church", measuring its success in numbers.  While a church should grow in number and increase the number of people being reached they must never turn away from their roots, the Word of God.  A.W. Tozer writes, "The temptation to modify the teachings of Christ with the hope that larger numbers may "accept" Him is cruelly strong in this day of speed, size, noise, and crowds. But if we know what is good for us, we'll  resist it with every power at our command." The Size of the Soul, 117-119.

Tozer spoke of "this day of speed, size, noise and crowds" back in the early 60's.  Imagine what he would think today's supersonic speed, super size, and the ever increasing decibel level of our culture which thrives on and looks for faster, bigger, and louder.  As a church and as individuals, we are not to be caught up in that.  Sure there will be some new methods, variations in music, but the root, the basic teachings of God's Word must remain true and held onto.

My daily reading in the Psalms this morning ended with the following verses from Psalm 119 which is all about God's Word.

Psalm 119:15-16I will meditate on your precepts

    and fix my eyes on your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.    English Standard Version (ESV)

Whether we are a pastor, a lay leader in our church, leading a Bible study or teaching Sunday School may we "guard the deposit" entrusted to   us and continue to "fix our eyes" and "delight" in God's Word as we study, meditate and share His Word.    --   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 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 Timothy 6:17-21The Message (MSG)

^17-19 Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.

^20-21 And oh, my dear Timothy, guard the treasure you were given! Guard it with your life. Avoid the talk-show religion and the practiced confusion of the so-called experts. People caught up in a lot of talk can miss the whole point of faith.

Overwhelming grace keep you!

Verse of the Day 10/25

Verse of the Day 10/25

James 1:12   Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.   English Standard Version (ESV)

Our men's Bible study began a study in the book of James this week.  One of the key verses was verse 2 which stated "count it all joy" or as The Message puts it below, "consider it a sheer gift" when you face various trials or "when tests and challenges come at you from all sides".  It is not an easy thing to do, we don't have an easy button to push to remove us from difficult, challenging situations.  It doesn't come naturally and it is and it is why we must "consider", change the way we would normally think, change the way that we normally look at trials.

I've heard it said and taught and taught it myself in studies that a key word in the passage is "when".  James doesn't say "if" trials come it is when.  Things may be going well, perhaps for a long stretch of time, but trials will come and when they do we should be prepared for them and how we will view them.  Why?  The same word "when" shows up again at the end of the passage and in today's verse "when" we have stood the test, remained steady, steadfast in our faith in and through the trials we will receive "the crown of life".  The victor's crown of all time for all time.  It is the picture of the victory wreath placed upon the head of an Olympic champion back in the original Olympics.

Andrew Murray shares some good advice on how we should face these "various trials" that come at us from all sides.

In time of trouble say:

First—God brought me here. It is by His will I am in this strait place. In that I will rest.

Next—He will keep me in His love and give me grace in this trial to behave as His child.

Then—He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow.

Last—In His good time He can bring me out again—how and when He knows.

I am here—by God's appointment, in His keeping, under His training, for His time."  

"When" we do this He will see us through and at the end of this race we will receive the crown, one that will never wear out.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. ²⁵ Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  English Standard Version (ESV)

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

James 1:2-12The Message (MSG)

Faith Under Pressure

^2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

^5-8 If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

^9-11 When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don't ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that's a picture of the "prosperous life." At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.

¹² Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

Verse of the Day 10/23

Psalm 139:17-18How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.  English Standard Version (ESV)

I grew up in a small church in Illinois and to this day I am thankful for the ministers of that small church that made such an impact on me and many others in those congregations.  What came through was their love of God and love of His Word.  Their hearts desire was to share what God had laid upon their hearts in the hope that it would be passed on to the next generation and shared with others who would also pass it along.  It is at the root of why I send out these "posts" day by day.  I'm hoping that His Word will do the "speaking". 

For the last year or so, several times when I've visited our plant in South Carolina I've visited a small church for their Wednesday night service with a co-worker.  We've talked about what it must be like to serve in a small church.  Listening to the prayer requests it becomes obvious that though the church may be small, the burdens and challenges may be great, sometimes, perhaps oftentimes greater than someone leading a large congregation with an exponentially larger staff.

I'll share a post I read this morning from an A.W. Tozer devotional.  It brought this home:

"No matter how insignificant he may have been before, a man becomes significant the moment he has had an encounter with the Son of God. When the Lord lays His hand upon a man, that man ceases at once to be ordinary. He immediately becomes extraordinary, and his life takes on cosmic significance. The angels in heaven take notice of him and go forth to become his ministers (Hebrews 1:14). Though the man had before been only one of the faceless multitude, a mere cipher in the universe, an invisible dust grain blown across endless wastes-now he gets a face and a name and a place in the scheme of meaningful things. Christ knows His own sheep "by name."

A young preacher introduced himself to the pastor of a great metropolitan church with the words, 'I am just the pastor of a small church upcountry.' 'Son,' replied the wise minister, "there are no small churches." And there are no unknown Christians, no insignificant sons of God. Each one signifies, each is a "sign" drawing the attention of the Triune God day and night upon him. The faceless man has a face, the nameless man a name, when Jesus picks him out of the multitude and calls him to Himself. We Travel an Appointed Way, 19."

"Lord, I pray this morning for that discouraged pastor of the 'small church upcountry.' Let him see how much You care for him, and how significant You see his ministry to be. Amen."

If you have roots in a small church or perhaps attend one today, say a prayer of thanks for your pastor and if you have the opportunity share a word of encouragement.  Let them know that what they do is significant for you and seen that way by the Lord.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Psalm 139:13-18New Living Translation (NLT)

¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
¹⁵ You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

¹⁷ How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
¹⁸ I can't even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    you are still with me!

Verse of the Day 10/20

 

 

Colossians 1:16-17 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. English Standard Version (ESV)

 

As I read this passage in my devotions I notices that within the span of four verses that  Paul had stated the words "all things".   The first thought  that then came  to mind was that in Romans 8:28 to 39 Paul had stated that "all things  work together for  good" for those who love  God and are called according  to  His purpose, and that He gives us "all  things" that we need in life to face life and that He is with us in and  through "all things" in this  life.  Nothing  can separate us from His love.

 

In today's passage we are reminded that by Christ "all things" were created; that He was before all things as the triune God everlasting; that  He holds everything  together, He keeps  this  world  from  spinning  out of control; and will  reconcile, He will change and exchange, He will restore man to a right relationship to Him.  It  is  a  lot to  take hold  of  and  to grasp, but it is there for us and we can count and  depend on Him in all things.

 

I like the  heading that The Message uses for the passage below.  Christ  Holds it All Together.  When our  lives  seem to be spinning out of control we need to be reminded that God is  in control, He is with us in and through  all things and will hold it  all together for us, "all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross."

May Christ "hold it  all together" for  you  today.

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Colossians 1:16-20The Message (MSG)

Christ Holds It All Together

^15-18 We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

^18-20 He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.

 

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Verse of the Day 10/19

 1 Corinthians 4:1-2    This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ² Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

As I read this passage this  morning in my devotions the word and concept that jumped out at me was the  word "steward".  Whether we admit it  or not all of  us are stewards of what  God  has  given us.  We are all accountable to God with what we've been  given, how we use it is  important.  For the Christian, we are entrusted with  the message of the gospel.  Our lives are  to  be a testimony of what  He has  done for  us and the faith that we have in Him, in all  situations.  Chuck Colson  writes "circumstances  don't create character, they reveal character. Arm yourself today with the integrity of Christ…..The three most  important ingredients in Christian  work are integrity, integrity, integrity."

 

In reading the Bible you can't  help but apply it  to life and  apply it to what is going on in the  world.  In this political  season it is easy and troublesome  to  apply  what  we  read to political  candidates.  But  at the  same  time when  we hold  them to a  standard we should always be applying that standard to ourselves to see  where we stand, all the while realizing that  not only is  the world looking at us, but so is  Christ.

 

Attached to the word "steward" in my eBible notes  I  had  the  following  quote:

 

The key to unlocking a heart of gratitude and overcoming bitterness and ugliness and disrespect and violence is a strong belief in God, the Creator and Sustainer and Provider and Hope-giver. If we do not believe we are deeply indebted to God for all we have or hope to have, then the very spring of gratitude has gone dry.  – (source unknown)

 

If  we  hope to overcome the  bitterness, ugliness,  disrespect and violence that is  going  in the world it starts  with all of  us as Christians, being  good  stewards of  what  God  has  blessed  us.  Read the  passage below from  The Message.  We shouldn't  make  any attempt to "rank  ourselves" as  masters but rather  servants, revealing the character of Christ in us, a character based on the  key ingredients  of  integrity,  integrity, and  integrity.

 

Blessings,

Mike

 

1 Corinthians 4:1-4The Message (MSG)

4 ^1-4 Don't imagine us leaders to be something we aren't. We are servants of Christ, not his masters. We are guides into God's most sublime secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. The requirements for a good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge. It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don't even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. I'm not aware of anything that would disqualify me from being a good guide for you, but that doesn't mean much. The Mastermakes that judgment.

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Verse of the Day 10/18

 

 

1 John 4:19   We love because He first loved us.   Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

 

Yesterday  we  considered how  Paul  prayed for  the  Colossian  church  and  for  us that we would have the  strength to "stick it  out".  A big  part of that is learning, being able  to  deal with  others, even, perhaps especially in combative situations.  Pastor  Ben in  his  message  Sunday reminded us of James and Johns reaction to opposition when they asked Jesus  "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?"  (Luke 9:54)

 

Early on in their ministry of  serving  Jesus they were perhaps the first "fire and brimstone evangelists".   They wanted to call  down God's  judgement.  Jesus  had another way of  doing things in mind.  Today's verse from  later in John's life, shows us  what  he had  learned from  serving with Jesus.  We are to love. 

 

Augustine  wrote "trust Him with  all things, all  the  time".  You've probably heard  it  said "God is good, all  the  time, all the time  God is good."  That  trusting "all the time" will allow  for His  timing  to work things out.  Paul is probably the greatest example  for that.  I sure  that  some of Christ's  followers  would have loved  to bring down judgement  on  Paul for his persecution  of the  church, but God had other plans  for  him.

 

What trying relationship are you  dealing  with today, possibly where  you'd  like to call  for  God's judgment to come  down?  We could easily have had God's  judgment called down  on us, but He  chose to love us.  What today's passage challenges us to do  is  to love, act in love first and let God  deal  with the  rest of  it.  Let love "take  up  permanent residence in us".

 

"When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us."  …..19 We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first."  The  Message

 

The Message

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

1 John 4:17-19The Message (MSG)

 

To Love, to Be Loved

17-18 God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we're free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ's. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.

 

19 We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.

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