What God Has Been Teaching Me Lately LIV (54)…
Greetings My Friends~
As a simple pilgrim following Jesus through the rainforests and deserts of this earthly life, I would like to humbly share some of what God has been bubbling up in my mind/heart lately.
I pray that these thoughts are cushions in your shoes, balm to your burns, umbrellas for the rain, and shade to the scorching heat as you too follow the Lord Jesus each day.
(please click on the Bible books/chapters/verses below to read the actual Scripture passages)
(June 1st–15th, 2016)
.
Receiving, Not Earning
Job 17:3-powerful. Even for someone as faithful as Job,
Job understands the only hope for him
is for God to give Job the perfection that God demands.
The imputed righteousness of Jesus!
.
God’s Word, The Bible
A. Very interesting–Jesus points out (Matthew 13:20-21) that persecution comes to His people
because of the Word of God–our belief in all of the Bible.
.
B. What was Job’s “joy in unrelenting pain”?
Not denying/turning away from any of God’s Word, no matter his suffering.
Wow. Humbling. Job 6:10
.
C. Tea is a slow beverage—brewing, steeping, sipping.
Same with the Bible–dont microwave it, dip in it quickly, or chug it fast.
Holy Spirit—please brew the Bible in us & steep it in us so we sip slow
and are warmed & changed from the inside out!
.
D. You dont get tea by quickly dipping the bag & removing it from the mug.
That leaves the water unchanged.
Many do this with the Bible—
we dip quick & dont steep in it, so we stay the same.
Holy Spirit-may God’s Word steep deep in our minds & hearts
so Your grace & Truth changes our flavor, appearance & identity!
.
E. If we don’t deeply & consistently read Scripture (& wear it as a down coat),
it isnt surprising that we stay away from the cold places God would lead us
& stay inside the ways of the world offering us temporary & artificial warmth
so we can stay dressed in our t-shirts instead of the down coat of the LORD.
We want a climate-controlled Christianity
instead of following Christ Who controls the climate!
.
F. Rebellion against God starts with turning our backs on His Word,
then ignoring those who teach His Word
& ends with us doing awful sins.
.
G. If we struggle to understand HOW something in the Bible is true,
may God help us believe THAT it’s true instead of creating alternatives.
.
H. 2 Timothy 3:16-17: The Bible equips us to do works that are truly good
According to God’s definition of the word “good.”
If we aren’t being trained by the details of the Bible
we aren’t doing Biblically good works.
.
I. Peter & John got in trouble
not for their act of love (healing)
but for their words of Truth (telling)
(though both are acts of Biblical love,
only one is an act of cultural love).
We must speak Truth but it will cost us.
.
J. Verses before & after Nehemiah 8:10—”the joy of the Lord is your strength”—
show that joy is sandwiched between
extended reading of the Bible, confession of sins, telling others about the LORD & worship.
.
K. Truly understanding God’s Word
can lead to holy celebration & great joy in the Lord! (Nehemiah 8:8,12)
Don’t run from doctrine in the Bible!
.
L. Humbly going deep in God’s Word
often leads to repentance/confession (sorrow)
& then to worshiping God (joy!)
for His mercy & grace!
Biblical Parenting
A. 3 John1:4—Parenting’s highest joy:
not kids going to Harvard, making money, or achieving fame—
but receiving Jesus as Savior & following Him as King.
.
B. Dont teach kids about sin by letting them sin-
dont teach about drugs by giving samples!
God’s wisdom is better than “street-smarts.”
.
C. Include children in ministry, prayer, serving Christians/missionaries.
Dont give them t.v./electronics to keep quiet; include them!
.
What Should We Do When We Sin?
Run toward the Lord Jesus, not away from Him!
“Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us;
he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.
[The Lord] will revive us…he will restore us, that we may live in his presence…
let us press on to acknowledge [the Lord].” Hosea 6:1-3
.
In Awe of God
Vitamin “A” levels low, Christians?
Are we Amazed at & in Awe of the LORD?
If not, we’ll slide quickly into sin (Jeremiah 2:18-19).
Cry out to Him to “restore to you the joy of His salvation” (Psalm 51:12)!