Words of Encouragement and Thoughts (6)

[Moriah Ruth 777]

REASONS FOR TAKING RISKS

Joshua 1:6-9

In the first chapter of Joshua, God delivers the greatest pep talk in all of Scripture. Moses had just died, and now his successor was called upon to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land—a military action that would surely involve significant risk. Joshua was no doubt unsettled by the prospects of facing a strong hostile army. Therefore, the Lord spoke words of encouragement to him that still ring true for us today.

What would have happened if Joshua had refused this daunting assignment? Most likely, the nation of Israel would have languished in the desert indefinitely. Fortunately, this leader was a man of great faith and courage, and he boldly took up the cause of God.

Like Joshua, we face daily obstacles that seem to push our faith to the breaking point. And yet, it is in the throes of adversity that God hones our faith (James 1:2-4). When we refuse to follow Him into risky situations, the results can be devastating to our spiritual growth. Consider the consequences of disobedience on your life:

1. You will never become the person that God wants you to be.
2. You limit your usefulness to the Lord.
3. You are willing to live a life of rationalized disobedience.
4. You’ll be governed by fear rather than faith.
5. You risk losing not only rewards in heaven but also blessings on earth.

Are you in some way refusing God’s call? The Lord is trustworthy. Whatever His plan of action for you, be assured He will see you safely through the ordeal.

InTouch Daily devotional

 

[Moriah Ruth 777]

“Will You Lay Down Your Life?”

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends….I have called you friends… —John 15:13, 15

Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. Peter said to the Lord, “I will lay down my life for Your sake,” and he meant it (John 13:37). He had a magnificent sense of the heroic. For us to be incapable of making this same statement Peter made would be a bad thing— our sense of duty is only fully realized through our sense of heroism. Has the Lord ever asked you, “Will you lay down your life for My sake?” (John 13:38). It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, and then came down into the demon-possessed valley (seeMark 9:1-29). For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life to do the will of His Father. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Yet it is contrary to our human nature to do so.

If I am a friend of Jesus, I must deliberately and carefully lay down my life for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation is easy for us, because it cost God so much. But the exhibiting of salvation in my life is difficult. God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, “Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.” And Jesus says to us, “…I have called you friends….” Remain faithful to your Friend, and remember that His honor is at stake in your bodily life.

Utmost For His Highest

 

[Moriah Ruth 777]

In me you live and move and have your being for you are my offspring.

Acts 17:28
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. (NIV Bible)

In this scripture passage, the Apostle Paul is debating with the men of Athens about their altar dedicated to the UNKNOWN GOD. Speaking to a crowd of pagan people, Paul makes a connection to their own Greek poets by agreeing that everyone is indeed Gods offspring. Being Gods offspring does not mean that every person is automatically in relationship with God as His child, for we know that becoming a child of God is a decision that we all need to make of our own free will (John 1:12-13). But whether we decide to be His child or not, God is still Father, for Father is more than just His name, but also expresses His very nature.

If we are to begin to comprehend Father's heart for the lost ones who are yet to come home, we will need to understand this truth. Every person, ever conceived, came from God and was fashioned in His image. He loves each person intimately and is not willing that one of His offspring should perish.

In Christian circles, we can easily fall into an us and them mentality where we think that we are in, and those who are not Christians, are out. In God's eyes, His heart breaks for ALL of His offspring. The next time you meet a person who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, remember the heart of your Father. In His eyes, He sees them as His estranged offspring who He desperately wants to come home.

This is the good news that the world needs to hear! God loves you and He is the Father that you have been looking for all your life! He made a way for you to come back into relationship with Him through the precious sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus.

Sharing the gospel is simply calling each one of God's offspring back to their original purpose...to be re-united with the One who knit them together in their mother's womb. If you don't identify with Father's passion for ALL His offspring, ask Him to reveal it to you. You may be surprised at what you begin to feel.

PRAYER
Father I know that You are not willing that one of Your offspring should perish. Help me to see people through Your eyes. Help me to feel Your pain for all of the lost children who still haven't found their way home. Please give me Your heart for Your wayward offspring, and help me to be an ambassador of Your love, not judging people, but simply calling them home to their original purpose. In the name of your beloved Son Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Father's Love Letter devotional

 

[Moriah Ruth 777]

Spiritual Trees

Read: Psalm 1
He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season. — Psalm 1:3
Godly men and women are compared in Scripture to sturdy, healthy trees, planted by the rivers of water, laden with fruit, and full of leaves (Ps. 1:3; 104:16). In order for us to be fruitful trees, we must:

1. Stand straight for God. Lives that reveal Christlike character are lovely to behold, for they are not gnarled by sin or rotted by hypocrisy.

2. Be strong. Those who are well-rooted in God’s Word will be unmovable in times of trial and temptation.

3. Keep growing. As healthy trees add a new ring of growth each year, we too should constantly grow in grace (2 Pet. 3:18).

4. Bring blessing to others. Some trees provide food, others give shade, and others are made into lumber. So too, Christians should provide spiritual food and comfort to their neighbors, as well as use their time and talents to build people up in the Lord.

5. Be ready to be transplanted when God so wills. Christians are not here to stay; they are waiting to be transplanted in the garden of heaven where their fruit will never wither and their leaf will never fade.

How good a tree are you? Is there any fruit, any beauty, any growth worth talking about? Or are you wilted and unproductive? Get growing! —Henry G. Bosch (ODB Editor 1956-1981)

The just are nourished like a tree
Set by the riverside;
Their leaf is green, their fruit is sure,
And thus their works abide.—Anon.

When growth stops, decay begins.

Our Daily Bread devotional

 

[Shalico2007]

http://odb.org/2015/06/16/our-anchor/

 

[Shalico2007]

 

[Moriah Ruth 777]

JESUS, THE SON OF GOD

Luke 22:66-71

Jesus called Himself both the Son of Man and the Son of God. The first title emphasized His humanity; the second, His deity. He is the only person in history who was both God and man. Leaving heaven, He laid aside His divine glory and took upon Himself the robe of humanness (Philippians 2:6-7).

Who recognized His divine nature?

• Angels. At Christ’s birth, the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would bear a child and His name would be the Son of God (Luke 1:26-35).

• God the Father. When Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, the heavenly Father declared, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Later, God affirmed this same truth and instructed those present listen to Jesus (Matthew 17:5).

• Satan and the demons. Knowing that Jesus was God’s Son, Satan challenged Him to use His supernatural powers to bypass God’s plan. Later in the same chapter, the demons saw Jesus and shrieked that He was the Son of God (Luke 4:1-41).

• Disciples. When these men saw Jesus walk on water in the midst of the storm, they worshiped Him and concluded He was the Son of God (Matthew 14:25-33). Peter later declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

• Martha. When Jesus brought Lazarus back to life, his sister Martha said, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world” (John 11:27 NIV).

The world needs to understand who Jesus is. Whom can you tell about His deity?

InTouch Daily Devotional

 

[Moriah Ruth 777]

Beware of Criticizing Others

Judge not, that you be not judged. —Matthew 7:1

Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person.

There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. If I see the little speck in your eye, it means that I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-24). Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us. I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.

My Utmost For His Highest devotional

 

[Moriah Ruth 777]

I knew you even before you were conceived.

Jeremiah 1:4-5
4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; (NIV Bible)

When Jeremiah was called to be a prophet to Israel, God declared that even before he was conceived, he was known by God and set apart for His divine purposes. The road that Jeremiah would walk in his ministry life would not be an easy one, for he suffered much abuse at the hands of his fellow Israelites. I wonder if he ever reflected on these words when he was going through his darkest times? When he was alone in that cold, damp prison cell, did he ever go back to the beginning of his ministry and meditate on God's words to him? I believe the revelation that he was known by God, and set apart for His purposes, gave Jeremiah the strength to continue to walk out his destiny, even in the darkest of times.

Knowing that it was God who knew us, and formed us, and called us into life, is the bedrock of our existence. When everything else around us is not making sense, this truth can give us the grounding that we desperately need to go on. We are all looking for a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives. Many people have not received this affirmation from their parents, but it was not their parents who knew them before they were conceived, but God. It was God who formed each one of us in our mother's womb and called us to life. It was God who set us apart for His divine purposes and plans.

Before an architect constructs a building, he meticulously puts every detail on paper, every component needed to make his dream into a reality. The idea is first conceived in his mind, then is transferred on paper, and then when everything is just perfect, he starts the process of building his creation. In my own limited understanding of God's creation process, this is how I imagine it to be. He first conceived us in His mind, and with great thoughts of love, He began to chart every detail of our DNA in preparation for the time when he would form us in our mother's womb. What a wonderful thought, to know that the God of the universe knew us intimately and set us apart for His purposes even before we were conceived!

PRAYER
Father, Your love for me existed even before you formed me in my mother's womb. You knew me and set me apart for Your special purpose long before I was born. Help me to receive a deeper revelation of this truth, so that I might continue to walk out my destiny in the shadow of Your love. In the name of your beloved Son Jesus, I pray, AMEN.

Father's Love Letter devotional

 

[Shalico2007]

http://odb.org/2015/06/17/wise-words-2/

 

[Shalico2007]

 

[Shalico2007]

 

[Moriah Ruth 777]

3 Ways to Handle False Teaching and False Teachers
by Matthew Harmon
All one has to do is walk into most Christian bookstores or tune into so-called Christian radio/TV to realize that false teaching is alive and well. So how should a gospel-centered church respond?

Titus 1:10-16 shows us how. But before noting what that passage tells us, it is important to note that Titus 1:5-9 provides us with qualifications for elders. Within the context of Titus, then, the necessity of biblically qualified elders is in part rooted in the need to deal with false teaching.

Having established that, in Titus 1:10-16 Paul identifies three ways that gospel-centered churches handle false teaching:

1. Gospel-Centered Churches Recognize False Teaching/Teachers (Titus 1:10-13)

When doctors are in medical school, part of their training involves diagnosing illnesses by the symptoms that present themselves. In the same way, Paul provides us with some diagnostic tools to recognize false teaching. He instructs us to observe their character(insubordinate, empty talkers, deceivers, etc.), their tactics(upsetting whole families, playing to the culture), and theirmotivation (shameful gain).

2. Gospel-Centered Churches Rebuke False Teaching/Teachers (Titus 1:13-14)

When Paul says “Rebuke them sharply” he uses a play on words with the false teachers’ promotion of circumcision. In effect Paul says something like, “Use the sharp knife of correction with those who wield the dull blade of circumcision.” Paul is not advocating legal action, nor is he promoting a witch hunt. But false teaching is so dangerous that it requires corrective action. The goal of that corrective action is “so that they may be sound in the faith” (1:13). The word translated “sound” can also mean healthy. True spiritual health comes from the gospel, not false teaching.

3. Gospel-Centered Churches Resist False Teaching/Teachers (Titus 1:15-16)

Knowledge of what the gospel teaches about various subjects is the preventative vaccine that enables the believer to resist false teaching. Truly embracing this vaccine produces not merely head knowledge of the gospel, but good works that flow out genuine saving faith.

Regardless of whether you are an elder or not, every believer is responsible for being so familiar with the true gospel that false teaching is immediately obvious. The gospel is the only way that we can be made pure, because it points us to the only one who is truly pure-Jesus Christ. And everyone who has their hope set on him purifies himself in anticipation of his return (1 John 3:1-3).

 

[Moriah Ruth 777]

KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE

1 Peter 3:13-16

Yesterday, we learned about Jesus’ divinity and those who recognized it while He walked the earth. Though sharing our faith with others is important, doing so isn’t always easy. Some people claim that it doesn’t make a bit of difference what they believe. In fact, some go so far as to deny the existence of truth. Yet our belief system actually matters tremendously, because it is the foundation for our character, conduct, and decisions.

For instance, a person who concludes that there is no God and no eternity will live for the moment. On the other hand, someone who trusts in the Lord and His promise of heaven will have a completely different lifestyle and purpose. Obedience, faith, and responsibility will characterize him as he lives to please his heavenly Father.

Knowing what we believe is critical—first of all, because our salvation depends on it. InJohn 8:24, Jesus made a powerful and unequivocal statement about this subject: “Unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” The Bible is very clear that all people have sinned and in their natural state are separated from God (Romans 3:23). The punishment for sin is death, which is eternal separation from the Lord. But the Father, in His love and mercy, sent His own Son to die in our place. As a result, everyone who believes in Jesus is forgiven and receives His free gift of salvation.

Believers are to share the good news of salvation, but the world’s hostility can make us afraid. Today’s passage encourages us not to fear. Telling others about Jesus doesn’t require lofty words or long quotations of memorized Scripture. Simply be ready with an answer if you’re asked about “the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

InTouch Daily Devotional

 

[Moriah Ruth 777]

I chose you when I planned creation.

Ephesians 1:11-12
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. (NIV Bible)

When I was a little boy, I used to hang around my big brother a lot. My parents would sometimes make him take me with him despite his protests. While he was not always thrilled to have me tag along, he was always there to protect me from his much older friends when things got rough. But one of things I remember was the fear that I felt when we would go to a local park to play a game of baseball or football. Being extremely small for my age and 4 years younger than most of the other guys, I was not usually considered as a first round draft pick by the captains who were choosing the teams.

Nobody wants to be the last one on the field the player nobody wanted. Most times I ended up on my brother's team by default and was considered a liability rather than an asset. While I survived those trying years with minimal scars, I realize that the fear of being rejected by the team is not just limited to our childhood years.

Many of us, grow up living with the fear that were not good enough to make the team even in our adult years. Some of us experience this kind of rejection from our parents while others from a spouse or family member. Rejection can happen anytime and any where, from the workplace to the church. While we will always have to deal with one form of rejection or another, I am so glad that this is not how God treats us! There are no rejects on God's team, for He has a wonderful plan for everybody. He is not a respecter of persons, so the water boy gets as much love as the star player.

God wants and needs every player on His team. He is the captain that chose you when He planned creation. He is the master planner and He has not left anything to chance. You are wanted and have a wonderful destiny as a child on your Father's team!

PRAYER
Father, I thank You for choosing me to be part of Your family. I thank You that I am accepted and predestined to be Your child, a co-heir with Jesus according to Your wonderful plan. Help me to fulfill the special purpose that was determined especially for me on Your glorious team! In the name of Your beloved Son Jesus, I pray, AMEN.

Father's Love Letter Devotional

 

[Moriah Ruth 777]

 

[Moriah Ruth 777]

 

[Shalico2007]

http://odb.org/2015/06/18/failure-is-not-fatal/

 

[Shalico2007]

 

[Shalico2007]

http://odb.org/2015/06/19/look-at-the-tassels/