The Importance of Practicing the Scriptures - PART 1 (James 1:23-25)
James 1:23-25, For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. Sam was covered in mud. “What happened?” his mother asked. “We played tackle football in the mud.” As Sam headed up to shower and clean up, he looked into the mirror. The mirror didn’t help him get cleaner, but it showed him how dirty he really was. When he got into the shower, he picked up a bar of soap. Standing in the shower and holding the bar of soap wouldn’t help him get clean, either. Just because he has the tools to do the job doesn’t mean the job will get done. It isn’t until Sam uses the soap and water that he can be clean. Psalm 119:10, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. How can you clean up your life? It’s not by looking at yourself to see what is wrong. It’s not by taking the Word of God and seeing what you should do. It’s by taking the Word of God and applying it to your life. Knowing right from wrong doesn’t get rid of the dirt in your life. It’s not until you take heed to what God has said that your life will change. James tells us to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only.” James gives the example of someone who looks into a mirror and sees himself but does nothing about it. Looking in the mirror is useless unless he does something about what he sees. We all have things in our lives that we need to change. Recognize what God has said in His Word, and then listen and obey, don’t just hear. What happens when we refuse to read the Bible? 1. Your View of Sin Becomes Distorted (Psalm 119:1-3). When we do not spend time with God’s Word, our comprehension of the scope of Jesus’s work is stunted. We are not given daily, fresh insight into how much we owe Him, how great His gift is. Our love for Him grows slowly and pitifully apart from daily nourishment at His Scriptures, which remind us of our state without Jesus and with Him. When we begin to neglect the Scriptures we will notice that our love for the Lord begins to fade, our comprehension of His grace becomes insufficient, our guilt for sin becomes nonexistent. This was PART 1, visit the website tomorrow for PART 2. Prayer, Heavenly Father, it amazes me how Your Word sheds light on my deepest sin issues. It is true I have many sins that I would rather deal with tomorrow. I know that is wrong, Lord, and many of my sins don’t just harm me, but harm those I love as well. Help me have the courage, strength, and desire to deal with my sins and take them to Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
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God Will Turn It Around (Romans 8:28)
Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Some are devastated by rejection, but others respond with fortitude and determination to succeed. G. Campbell Morgan was one of 150 young men who sought entrance to the Wesleyan ministry in 1888 at the age of 25. He passed the doctrinal examinations, but then faced the trial sermon. In a spacious auditorium that could seat more than 1,000 people sat three ministers and 75 others who came to listen. When Morgan stepped into the pulpit that day, the enormous room and the searching, critical eyes caught him off guard even though he had been preaching since he was 13. Two weeks later, Morgan's name appeared among the 105 rejected applicants for the ministry that year. Jill Morgan, his daughter-in-law, wrote in her book, A Man of the Word, "He wired to his father the one word, 'Rejected,' and sat down to write in his diary: 'Very dark everything seems. Still, He knoweth best.' Quickly came the reply: 'Rejected on earth. Accepted in Heaven.... Dad.'" Remember, God can use the rejection of others for your good. In later years, Morgan spoke about his rejection and said, "God said to me, in the weeks of loneliness and darkness that followed, 'I want you to cease making plans for yourself, and let Me plan your life.'" Rejection is rarely permanent, as Morgan went on to prove. Even though Morgan had no formal training for the ministry, his devotion to studying of the Bible made him one of the leading Bible teachers in his day. What you do with the Bible determines what God will do with you. His reputation as preacher and Bible expositor grew throughout England and spread to the United States. In 1896, D. L. Moody invited him to lecture to the students at the Moody Bible Institute. This was the first of his 54 crossings of the Atlantic Ocean to preach and teach. After the death of Moody in 1899, Morgan assumed the position of director of the Northfield Bible Conference. After five successful years in this capacity, he returned to England (in 1904) and became pastor of Westminster Chapel of London. His preaching and weekly Friday night Bible classes were attended by thousands of people to hear the preaching of the Word of God. Not bad for a guy who supposedly could not preach. God used him greatly. He was faithful in preaching the Word of God until his death in 1945 at the age of 81. He was rejected by men, but approved by God. Prayer: Father in Heaven I know the thoughts and plans You have for me are for Your glory and for my good. Whatever I may face today, I can expect that You are working for good in all of it. So I’m going to step forward in faith, trusting You in all things and seeking to cooperate fully with Your plans for me. I know I can’t imagine all the good You have planned for my life, but I also know it’s all coming in Jesus’ name, so I can say, amen! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Morning Meditations (Psalm 5:1-3)
Psalm 5:1-3, Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. For most, unless we have a scheduled prayer time with God, we will fail in our plans to meet with Him each morning. This is not because we don’t have a desire, but due mostly to the busyness of our day. Don’t desert your daily prayer time, but work to cultivate a constant running conversation with God throughout your day. To ensure our prayers are answered, we must seek to get beyond the five or ten minutes in the morning and make our conversation with God unceasingly. 1. Pleading Prayer - This psalm was in a dark hour in the life of David. This psalm was probably written in the days prior to Absalom’s rebellion. David begins by pleading for God to hear his prayer. David’s prayer was passionate, an earnest cry to God. His prayer was not in the manner of a manicured Sunday morning prayer, but He was crying out to God passionately in his pain. God knows everything about us, so it’s absurd to try to hide our feelings from Him. 2. Personal Prayer - David was Israel’s king. However, he knew the King of kings. David was in a close personal relationship with God. He was not a stranger in God’s presence. It was God Himself. David would pray to no other god. Only “unto thee will I pray.” As long as he lived, he would direct his prayer to the God of heaven. Prayer should be a personal, intimate relationship between you and God. You must come before Him as your Lord and King. You cannot pray rightly unless you are submissive to do His will. You must know Him as your Lord and Saviour who invites you to come into His presence through the blood of Jesus. 3. Persistent Prayer - David mentions twice, “in the morning”, concerning prayer. The idea is that David knew the importance of prayer. It is crucial that we begin our day in prayer. John Wesley accredited his long life and health to his consistent practice of beginning each morning with prayer, that began at 4 AM. Spurgeon said, “Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night.” As each day began, David persistently prayer to God. That lesson remains to this day. We ought to begin the day with the Lord and that involves spending time with Him in prayer in the morning. PRAYER: Father in heaven, thank You for the precious times I have with You each morning. Thank You for letting me come as a child and place my needs before You in absolute trust that You listen even though You already know, and You answer according to Your perfect will. Continue to guide me into boldly trusting You in new ways in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Honor God…and He Will Honor You (I Samuel 2:30)
I Samuel 2:30, Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. A profound principle which extends to this day remains: those that honor the Lord, will be honored. Those who have little regard for Him and His precepts will receive little esteem from Him. God blesses those who honor Him and at the least withholds His blessing from those who ignore Him. Leaving his young son in boarding school in Great Britain was the hardest thing Rev. James Dunlop Liddell, Scottish missionary to China, had ever done. But Eric thrived like a hare in the highlands. He studied hard. He loved sports, particularly rugby. He joined a Bible study, faithfully attended church regularly, and became a member of the Crusader Christian Union. He also began his lifelong habit of early morning Bible reading and prayer. Eric advanced to the university, joined the track team, and won races like a thoroughbred. Every week he brought home more prizes and trophies until he soon ran out of storage space. His legs became a Scottish national treasure, and all the world followed him to the 1924 Olympics. All the while, Eric’s Christian life continued on the fast track as well, and his newly-found fame gave plenty of opportunities for preaching and witnessing. At the Paris Olympics, his faith was put to the test when his chosen venue, the 100-meter race, was scheduled for Sunday. Eric, who didn’t believe in competing on the Lord’s Day, opted out. In spite of pressure and criticism, he instead entered the 400-meter run that was on a different day, as the world watched and wondered at this unusual young man. In his dressing room just before the race, Eric unfolded a small bit of paper that had been given to him by the team masseur. It read: “In the old book it says ‘He that honors me I will honor.’ Wishing you the best of success always.” Eric knew the verse very well. It was I Samuel 2:30. He smiled and made up his mind that, win or lose, he would honor God and that he did. I Samuel 2:30, played an important role in the life of Eric Liddell. He and the Lord had honored each other. He won the gold medal. His time that day was 47.6 seconds. He set a new world record. The Lord who had blessed him with speed like a stallion. Points to Ponder: God places great merit on faithfulness. He is looking for men and women faithful to Him (Proverbs 20:6; I Corinthians 4:2). Honor God and He will honor you and your faithfulness to Him. Questions to Consider: Are you faithful or a failure in obedience to the Lord? Are you honoring the Lord with your life? How will you choose to honor the Lord today? PRAYER: Lord, I want You to know how important You are in my life, so I come to You now, giving You the first portion of my day. Help me to honor You in attitude and actions today. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Overcoming Fear (Psalm 27:1)
Psalm 27:1, The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? We need to remember that he was a mighty warrior. As a teenager he had gone one-on-one with the fearful giant, Goliath, and won. Before that he had defended his father’s flock by killing a bear and a lion. The Lord was the strength of David’s life. Therefore, he needed fear no one. And, certainly, David had many enemies who wanted to take his life. Since the the Lord was his light, salvation, and strength; he knew he had no cause for fear. The Lord is never limited by our weaknesses. There are times when God makes the situation seem worse in order to show His mighty power. Why does it seem like God likes to use an underdog? Just think God used…… David, a shepherd boy, with a stone and sling to kill a giant covered in armor and trained in warfare (I Samuel 17). The Israelites, walking around to topple a walled city (Joshua 6). Samson, with donkey's jawbone to kill 1,000 men (Judges 15). God shows His might when the odds are against us. With God on our side, we can confidently face the challenge ahead with courage. The devil tells us that the things God wants us to do are impossible. He tries to defeat us before the battle even begins by using fear and discouragement to weaken our hearts and undermine our faith. We all fail, but does God put us on a shelf, or bench us from His team for the rest of our lives while we watch others do what we should be doing? The answer can be found in Hebrews 11, God’s hall of faith. These are people who overcame their failures and the fear of failing. God tests the strength of a believer’s faith. God can use you, way beyond your obvious capabilities and in spite of your fear. God can turn our weaknesses and fear into strengths so there is no way we could ever claim credit. There are times when the Lord will lead you in directions you never imagined. The Lord expects us to walk in obedience to His will, but He never asks for a blind leap in the dark. He always asks us to respond to His plans by them taking a clear step of faith. The bottom line is this; God will always direct your feet plainly! He will not leave you in doubt. Never doubt in the darkest of circumstances; what God has already revealed to you in the light of the Scriptures. It always seems that God has a strange way of fighting battles. God wants us to trust in Him even when life is hard and it seems all odds are stacked up against us. Maybe He wants to use you to show that He is still mighty. Trust God to provide what you need, and see His promises work. When God takes our impossible situations and works them out, He receives the glory He deserves. Trust Him with your impossible situations today. PRAYER: Lord, too often through the eyes of the flesh, I see my battles bigger than You. Help me to trust in You and see them as You see them. There is never a problem I encounter that is greater than You. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com What To Do With Our Worry (Matthew 6:31-34)
Matthew 6:31-34, Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. We spend more time worrying about the things were unsure of and less time worrying about the things we’re sure of. Worry is a part of our lives whether we want to admit it or not. It seems like worry is programmed into our brains. If we don't have something to worry about, we worry about that. Remember, you can't change things when they are outside of your control. It doesn't help you to worry about something you can't change. Keep in mind, God has a solution for every worry that comes into your life. God never intended for us to stress and worry. Here in Matthew 6, Jesus tells us how to put an end to worry and stress. Jesus gives us specifics on how to turn our burdens over to the Lord and stop the worry in our lives. Notice: The phrase “take no thought” means “fretting, anxious, worry, burdened with cares, to divide, to cut into pieces, to be pulled in different directions, or be split into factions.” This is what worry does to a person. Our goals and desires pull us in one direction and our worries and fears pull us in another. Worry distracts us and cuts us into emotional pieces. "Take no thought " carries the idea of stopping what has already been done. The LORD is telling us to stop worrying. In other words, we are to stop worrying and never start worrying again. Captain Eddie Rickenbacker and seven crew members ditched their plane in the Pacific on October 21, 1942, and found themselves stranded on three rafts with no water and only four oranges. Tying their boats together, they drifted day after day without food or water, sometimes delirious, tortured by the relentless sun, and constantly encircled by the triangular dorsal fins of sharks. What followed is one of the most incredible stories of our times. “If it weren’t for the fact that I had seven witnesses,” Rickenbacker later said, “I wouldn’t dare tell this story because it seems so fantastic.” The men credited their amazing survival to something in the pocket of Private Johnny Bartek— a New Testament: pocket-sized, khaki-bound, with a zipper arrangement that made it waterproof. From the beginning, Bartek, a devoted Bible student, maintained his morning and evening devotions. All the men began joining him. They began reading from Matthew, they read until they came to Matthew 6:31-34. It immediately became their hope, inspiration, and prayer: What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. As the men read those verses day after day, provisions arrived in the nick of time and in bizarre ways. Just when they were near starvation, for example, a bird would inexplicably land on Rickenbacker’s head and they would grab it, carve it up for food, and use its innards for fishing bait. Just when they were near death by thirst, a cloud would drift over and fill their raft with water. Later one of the men, Lieutenant James Whittaker, wrote a best-selling account of the ordeal entitled We Thought We Heard the Angels Sing, in which he described finding the Lord during those 21, never-to-be-forgotten, days. “I don’t think there was a man of us who didn’t thank God for that little khaki-covered book,” he said. “It led us to prayer and prayer led us to safety.” Living totally without worry sounds, to many people, as impossible as living totally without breathing. Some people are so hooked on worry that if they haven't got anything to worry about they worry that they've forgotten something. Here, at the heart of the Sermon on the Mount, is an invitation that surprisingly few people even try to take up. Why not learn how to share the happiness of Jesus himself? PRAYER: Lord, I know that You don’t want me to live in the clutches of anxiety; You want me to live life, guarded by Your peace. Please flood and guard my heart with it. Remind me, Father, that peace is not the absence of problems in my life but the calm assurance that what You’re doing is best. You have never failed me, and You will never fail me—my confidence is in You. I pray this in Jesus’ name! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Recipe for Revival (II Chronicles 7:14)
II Chronicles 7:14, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Whenever you see the number 40 in the Bible, it indicates there is a period of probation, a period of testing, or a period of trials. This verse contains 40 words. The number 40 is scattered throughout the Old and New Testaments. Samuel, Solomon, and David each had a 40 year reign. Moses spent 40 years in Egypt, 40 years in Midian, and 40 years in the wilderness. Jacob waited until he was 40 years old before he took a bride. Jonah went to Nineveh and gave the Ninevites a 40-day probation period to repent of their sins. Ezekiel lay on his right side 40 days as protest against Judah. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness and afterward He was tempted by the devil. He died, rose, and spent another 40 days on planet Earth before He caught the cloud to go back home. The recipe for godly blessing is here pronounced. The focus is of God’s people, specifically Israel. However, the principles surely apply by extension to any people or church of this age. Seven elements are noted.
When these are met, then God promised to …
If you want to be a candidate for revival, then this is the invitation. You can experience true revival and true power in your church. PRAYER: Father, I know revival is real and it is possible. If there is ever a time I have needed to repent that time is now. You would rather pardon than judge, therefore, I set my heart to seek You. Forgive me, have mercy on me. In Jesus name, Amen! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com God’s Power is Greater than Our Problems (Revelation 19:6)
Revelation 19:6, And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the LORD God omnipotent reigneth. The problems that seem so overwhelming to you are not overwhelming to God. This is because God is omnipotent. The word "omni" means "all." The word "potent" means powerful and mighty. God has all power. According to Revelation 19:6, nothing that is taking place on the earth, no matter how difficult it may seem, is a challenge to God's mighty power. God is always in complete control, whether it appears that way or not. When you face problems that seem to have no solution, you should turn to the One Who can solve every problem, no matter how difficult it seems. God is so great that your limited human understanding cannot even begin to comprehend the magnitude of His majesty and power. Sometimes the problems we face are created by our wrong choices. Although we created them, we cannot control the outcome. But God can! God is not in Heaven wringing His hands, pacing back and forth before His throne, wondering how He can solve the seemingly difficult problems that you face. Psalm 147:5, Great is our LORD, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. God knows exactly what to do when you do not. The word "infinite" means without limits. There is no limit to the power and understanding of God. Job 23:13, But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. Nothing can stop God from doing what He wants to do. Your Father instructs you to constantly turn to Him with deep, strong and unwavering faith. He wants you to turn to His Word with absolute faith, knowing that He will do exactly what He says He will do. The same God Whose mighty power created everyone and everything in Heaven and on Earth is never overwhelmed by anything that takes place on the earth that He created. Jeremiah 32:17, Ah LORD God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: Absolutely nothing is too difficult for God. Refuse to focus on the seemingly unsolvable problems you face. Focus continually on God Who can solve problems that seem to have no solution. God is so mighty and powerful that He was able to raise Jesus Christ from the dead and sit Jesus next to Him in Heaven. If God was able to do this, He certainly can solve whatever problems you face. When you face difficult problems that seem to have no solution, you must have absolute faith that your Father knows exactly what to do to solve these problems. Refuse to give up. When you cannot see any way out of the problems you face, your Father can see the way out. He will guide you out of these seemingly impossible problems if you trust Him completely. He will lead you down paths that you know nothing of. He will turn darkness into light. He will never forsake you or leave you. Meditate on these truths pertaining to God's mighty power. Refuse to allow any problems you face to seem greater than God. Nothing is greater than Almighty God. Place all of your trust in Him. PRAYER: Lord, I thank You that You are the God of the impossible. I have nothing to fear with You on my side. I want to trust in Your ability and not my own. Help me to focus on You and Your power. Help me to be strong and courageous even in the difficult times. I choose to have faith in Your ability to break through every obstacle in my life. In Jesus name, Amen! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com 2 Priorities for a Powerful Prayer Life
(Matthew 14:22-23) Matthew 14:22–23, And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. Jesus was very popular. The crowds sought Him out! Everyone wanted to be with Him! Masses of people followed Him for various reasons. They either wanted to hear Him, ask Him a question, or get Him to heal a loved one. From daylight to dusk Jesus was sought. When the crowd knew He was in town, they found Him. Jesus never had a moment alone to be with the Father unless He made it happen. It is very important that we spend time alone with God. Perhaps everyone of us struggle at times when it comes to making time for prayer. The subject of prayer has been has written about thousands of time to make one more confident and consistent in time spent with the Lord. A Quiet Place. The first priority is establishing a quiet place that is free from distractions. When you want to pray, where do you go? Do you have a special place where you enjoy some quiet time? The Scottish pastor Thomas Brooks said, “The power of religion and godliness lives, thrives, or dies, as closet [private] prayer lives, thrives, or dies. Godliness never rises to a higher pitch than when men keep closest to their closets.” Your prayer closet is one of the most important places you’ll go to every day. Since, we all have busy lives we have to adjust to what works best. Personally, I feel the best time and place would be early in the mornings in a quiet secluded place at home. However, for some it may be at a restaurant, coffee shop, or office cubicle. A Quiet Period. The second priority is having a specific time. Having found a quiet place, we also need a quiet, committed period of time. Despite our best plans, there are times when life gets chaotic. This may mean scheduling a specific time of day in which you talk with the Lord. Although we can take our cares and burdens to the Lord at any time, if we are committed to a consistent prayer life and scheduled time, it will help. For some it will be harder than others to find a quiet hour. This means we may have to sacrifice things that maybe pleasant and profitable. The most important appointment you make every day is the one you make with God. Find a quiet place and a quiet time where you can spend time alone before God. These are priorities to a powerful prayer life along with an effective personal devotion. Jesus always found time to spend with the Father. Since prayer was such an important part in the life of Jesus how much more important is it to us who are broken and sinful? Time alone with the Lord will be the most comforting time in your day. Prayer, Lord, I humbly ask You to graciously grant me a heart that desires to pray. Forgive me, I’ve been struggling with fear and doubt that has troubled the peace I have from You. I commit myself to prayer and I am casting these things Your way right now. I’m choosing not to worry about them anymore because You will deal with them under the authority of Jesus’ name, Amen If this post has blessed you in any way Please share this website and its articles with others www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com |
AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
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