Knowing Who He Is...

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (ESV)

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Devotional:

I remember as a kid drilling math cards to remember my multiplication tables.  I was never really good in school and like most kids did not want to go.  At the time I couldn’t stand it.  I had to go over the cards over and over until I could remember three times three is eight, oh wait that is nine.  I had to drill until I knew six times six was thirty-six.  Well you get the idea.  It seemed to me like hours and hours a day going over those stupid little cards.  The funny thing is that to this day I still have a majority of those little facts stuck in my head.

God knew the best way for His people to know Him and remember His laws was to have it continuously in front of them.  To this day I still have trouble with memorizing things.  But there are several Bible verses I do have memorized.  Why, it is because I read them, and then reread them.  It isn’t something I sit down and go over continuously until I have it memorized.  I read the Bible on a regular basis.  I go over different scriptures, some more than others.  Eventually they were committed to memory. 

Why is it important to know the Scripture?  Why did God tell us in the Bible to put His words on our hearts, to teach them to our children, to eat and sleep with His word?  Because without it we would stray.  OK, we stray anyways but it is a lot easier without it.  There is also another reason.  God’s word is part of the armor of God.  God’s word is the sword of truth.  It is how we defend ourselves against the enemy.  It is how we attack the enemy.  Jesus Himself used the word of God against Satan.  Matthew 4:1-11 (ESV):

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,

‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, 

“All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
    and him only shall you serve.’”

Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

So again, why is it important to study the Word of God?  So, we are prepared for what Satan and this world throws at us.  So, we can stand firm in faith.  So, that we do not wander.  So, that we know who God is.  Reading His words helps us to know who God and Jesus are.  It will help us grow stronger in our relationship with Him.  Know God’s word, the Bible, and you will know Him.  The better you know Him the better your relationship with Him will be…

Grace and Kindess Is For All

Scripture:

Ephesians 4:1-7 (ESV)

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

Devotional:

Reading verse two I thought of my kids.  It seems I am always saying to them to show kindness or grace to each other.  Something is said, and another will snap back at them.  Most of the time it seems that what I am saying falls on deaf ears.  As I think about it I wonder if that is how God feels?  He tells us in His word to be kind and gentle.  We are to show love and compassion.  However, we still snap, fight, hold grudges, and hate.  The reasons vary but the results are the same.

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine this.  What if ALL Christians everywhere started doing this?  What if we all showed kindness, gentleness, love, and most of all GRACE to everyone? It doesn’t matter what they do or who they are.  Reread verse seven again.  “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.”  That is right, the grace Christ gives is for everyone not just those we think it should go to, thank God for that…  Back to my thought though, can you imagine the effects and changes we would have on the world if we as Christians showed unconditional love to everyone no matter who they are, no matter what they do, no matter their chosen life style, or path?  Families would change, neighborhoods would be different, and communities would be effected.  Most of all Countries would be become better places to live, regardless of the country or where it is located.

Jesus did not die on the cross just for you.  He did not die on the cross just for me.  He died for that person we cannot stand.  He died for that person we choose to hate.  He also died for that other person…

If Christ loves them, just as much as He loves you and me.  Therefore we should we try to do the same?  No, it is not easy.  In fact it can be very hard.  The good news is we do not have to do it alone.  We have each other but most importantly, we have the Holy Spirit…  You want others to love you, me too.  You, me too, want to be shown kindness and grace.  Therefore, WE NEED to do the same to others no matter how we feel…

Blessing God...

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-2 (ESV)

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,

Devotional:

Bless the Lord…  We often asked to be blessed, we also ask for blessings for others.  But what does it mean to bless the Lord? 

Let us start by translating Bless from Hebrew.  According to the site Ancient-Hebrew.org the verb barak means to neal.  When it is written in the piel form it means to show respect.  Berakhah means a gift or present. (http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/vocabulary_definitions_bless.html)  Looking up bless the Lord on Google retrieves dozens of sites to give us the answer. 

Pause a moment to think about what you think bless the Lord means…  Before looking anything up I thought it simply meant to praise and honor God.  After looking it up, I realized I needed to add a few more words to my definition.

What does it mean to bless the Lord?  To honor Him, to praise and worship Him.  Adding to this we honor God not only with words but also with the attitude of our hearts.  Just to say it is just lip service and has no meaning.  It is what is in our hearts and attitude is what matters.  DesiringGod.org says this.  “It means to speak well of his greatness and goodness — and really mean it from the depths of your soul.” (https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-it-means-to-bless-the-lord)

Bless God with the attitude of your heart, with our words, by praising and worshiping Him.  Join me in raising the level in which we “Bless the Lord…”

It's Time to Let Jesus In...

Scripture:

Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel

Devotional:

This morning I went to www.biblegateway.com and the verse of the day was Isaiah 7:14.  The first thought that came to my mind after reading that simple verse was God’s love.  God loves each one of us individually so much that He gave of Himself.  Jesus, who is God, came to earth as a little baby.  He lived as a child.  He grew up into a man who shaped and changed the world.

Jesus’s love for just you is so great that He would still be born to ultimately suffer and die so that you can be saved.  It amazes me that even for one person, no matter who they are or what they did, or do, Jesus would still be born, live, die, and rise up from the grave.

Let me ask you a question or two.  Whom do you love?  Who is it that you would do it all over again just for that one person?  What group of people would you do still do it?  It is true that our love is not as great as God’s, but if you take your love for that person or group and multiply it tenfold you still would not match God’s love.  His love is not just for one or two people.  God loves each person that much.

This Christmas think about how your love compares to God’s love.  We certainly fall short.  However, through the Holy Spirit we can love others who in our eyes are unlovable.  We can care for those around us.  Is the spirit of Christmas in you this year?  Are you full of love and compassion?  This Christmas what is in your heart?  Maybe it’s time we all let Jesus in…