|
Trusting Through Trials (I Peter 5:10)
I Peter 5:10, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” We will all face trials. Trials and difficult times in the life of a Christian are an opportunity to see how big the Lord is. Remember that God has your trial under control. God often uses the same frost that kills peaches to grow people. A young Christian was trying to get into the peach-growing business. He worked hard and invested all that he had into his beautiful, blossoming peach orchard. Then the frost came, and it destroyed his entire crop. Mad and frustrated at God, he refused to go to church for the next month. The man’s pastor visited his house and introduced himself after knocking on the door. Without opening the door, the young man yelled, “Pastor, I’m not going to church anymore. Do you think I can worship a God who doesn’t care enough to keep my peaches from being destroyed?” The pastor answered, “God loves you more than those peaches. He knows that while peaches can grow without frost, Christians cannot grow without trials. You see, God is not in the business of growing peaches but in the business of growing Christians.” These words changed the young Christian’s entire perspective. 1.Look to the Scripture. Peter is instructing believers through a difficult area of life. He is encouraging them to listen to what the Bible has to say about trials. Facing trials and dealing with them in a spiritual way goes against the flesh and we need help in that area (READ Galatians 5:17). We must trust in the Lord and realize He has all things under control. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” God will help us through tough times and we must never forget that truth. The Bible does teach us that there will be difficult times we face as believers and we are never left alone when we’re dealing with the difficult trials in our life (READ Psalm 23:4).
3.Listen to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is vital us and we must be sensitive to Him as He works in our heart (READ Revelation 2:7). The Holy Spirit is the best teacher in the world and we need to listen to what he has to say. John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” He is our personal helper who is available for us 24 hours a day. Points to Ponder:
Questions to Consider:
PRAYER: Father, thank You for being with me during my trials. You are always faithful, especially during my trials. May I continue to learn from You during my trials, and may I never lose hope in 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
0 Comments
Keeping Our Prayer Lines Open (Isaiah 59:1-2)
Isaiah 59:1-2, “Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” God pleaded with Judah to repent of their sinful living. With those conditions still in place, the prophet cried out, Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. The problem of unanswered prayer is not on God’s end. There is no weakness or shortcoming on His part. Sin dishonors God and makes Him look imperfect when it is not God being inadequate at all, but our sin that is the problem. Our sin sometimes makes God look weak when He is not weak at all. But our sin hinders God from working on our behalf. Rather, “…your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Sin separates us from God. When sin remains unconfessed and unrepented of in our hearts, God will not hear. Sin is the chief obstacle to answered prayer. They may be sins of commission, but for born-again Christians, often the sin is that of omission—failing to do as we ought. In either event, sin in our lives causes God to turn away His ear from our prayer. Psalm 66:18; Zechariah 7:11-13; Proverbs 28:9. Prayer is a powerful privilege the Lord offers to us. Knowing this should encourage us to draw closer to Him. Prayer is a relationship with Him, not a list, a board meeting, or a method. Prayer causes the devil to tremble and he will do all that he can to convince you that prayer is pointless and powerless. Satan cannot keep God from answering your prayers, so he will attempt to keep you from praying. Doubt will infect your prayer life. Satan loves to blame God for our problems when we are the blame ourselves. Unanswered prayer does not mean God is incapable of hearing or answering our prayers. It may be that our sin has blocked God from helping us. Let us not blame God for our troubles, but ourselves. God is all-powerful and all-loving. He desires to demonstrate His power and love in and through your life. Unfortunately, many people often live life on their own terms, as if they expect God to do what they told Him to, when they told Him to do it. Too often God is treated like a genie in a bottle, or a spare tire, and even an ATM machine. May we grow in our relationship with the Lord and in confidence knowing that God is eager to answer our prayers. In fact, He does some of His greatest miracles in our lives in times when we are doubting or discouraged. PRAYER: Lord, I know there are times when You are not able to hear my prayers due to unconfessed sin. Show me and convict me when there is sin in my life so that my prayers can be heard and answered. 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 Passionately Pursuing the LORD (Psalm 119:1-2)
Psalm 119:1-2, Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. 2Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. One evening a woman was driving home when she noticed a huge truck behind her that was driving uncomfortably close. She stepped on the gas to gain some distance from the truck, but when she sped up, the truck did too. The faster she drove, the faster the truck did. Now scared, she exited the freeway. But the truck stayed with her. The woman then turned up a main street, hoping to lose her pursuer in traffic. But the truck ran a red light and continued the chase. Reaching the point of panic, the woman whipped her car into a service station and bolted out of her auto screaming for help. The truck driver sprang from his truck and ran toward her car. Yanking the back door open, the driver of the truck pulled out a man hidden in the backseat. The woman was running from the wrong person. From his high vantage point, the truck driver had spotted a would-be rapist in the woman's car. The chase was not his effort to harm her but to save her even at the cost of his own safety. Likewise, many people run from God, fearing what He might do to them. But His plans are for good not evil—to rescue us from the hidden sins that endanger our lives. If you want to find your purpose in life, then find the LORD. When you find the LORD, His purpose will find you. God’s purpose for your life will be experienced out of your relationship with Him. If there is no relationship, you will not come to know what your purpose is all about. When we read the Scriptures, we find a reoccurring event throughout the 66 books of the Bible. God is trying to get our attention. God wants your attention. He wants to have the Preeminence in our lives. One thing that is refreshing to know is that we can have a relationship with the LORD and have constant fellowship with Him. Seek Him with your whole heart. Point to Ponder:
Question to Consider:
PRAYER: Father, thank You for seeking me. Help me to be committed to seeking You with all my heart. I realize that my delight for You could diminish over time and that indifference and apathy for Your truth can grow. May I never stray in my walk in Your Word. Help me to stay pure and to remain passionate in my fellowship and relationship with 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 Willing To Give It All To God (Nehemiah 10:1-27)
Nehemiah 10:1, “Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah…” Read Nehemiah 10:1-27 for the list of those who made the commitment to follow the Lord. Adoniram Judson sweated out Burma's heat for 18 years without a furlough, six years without a convert. Enduring torture and imprisonment, he admitted that he never saw a ship sail without wanting to jump on board and go home. When his wife's health broke and he put her on a homebound vessel in the knowledge he would not see her for two full years, he confided to his diary: "If we could find some quiet resting place on earth where we could spend the rest of our days in peace.” But he steadied himself with this remarkable postscript: "Life is short. Millions of Burmese are perishing. I am almost the only person on earth who has attained their language to communicate salvation. . ." When the Lord was leading David Livingstone to serve Him in Africa, David left England and never looked back. It was this type of courage and determination that got the attention of believers back in England. Soon after, a missionary society wrote to David Livingstone and asked, "Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you." Livingstone wrote back, "If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all." Be determined to get to where God wants you to be! Nehemiah, as he had been doing since he came to Jerusalem, set the right example for the people (Nehemiah 10:1). Nehemiah wanted it to be clear where he stood, and he was willing to set the example and to unashamedly take his stand for what he believed in. No great victories can be won unless people are willing to take a stand for what is right. Just like the men who signed the declaration of independence in 1776 they knew that they would have to take their stand and depend upon God if their hopes and dreams were to become reality. We live in a world today that seems to lack commitment and the work ethic of the average America is far less than what it used to be. Sadly, this lack of commitment has found its way into the hearts of many church members. May we continue to be on the mission to serve God with all their heart and inspire others in their local church to follow their example. His commitment. Nehemiah could have been content in his great position in the king's palace and just thought that it was too bad about their situation and offered up a little prayer and then went on about his life. Nehemiah was about to have his life greatly changed because of his commitment to God and he had no idea of what the future would be for him. When I trusted Christ as my Saviour on the 20th June 1995, I had no idea what to expect. God knew what he was doing and led me each step of the way. His confidence. Nehemiah believed that God was going to do great things and he encouraged the people in this great work. They did not just follow but they embraced the vision that God had given Nehemiah and made it their own. It is important that children embrace the spiritual vision of parents and that people embrace the vision of godly spiritual leadership in their lives. His courage. Nehemiah was bold in asking the king for a leave of absence and some material provisions to help with this project. This bold request could have cost him his job and potentially his life. Nehemiah was a deeply spiritual man who had the courage to step out by faith. His completion. Nehemiah finished the work that he set out to do. The people had a mind to work and they finished building the wall in 52 days. Then Nehemiah began in an all-important work of building lives and restoring the city which took years. As we labor for the Lord, we seek to reach new people and build up those that we have in the Word of God. Are you on the course for your life that God would have for you? If not, time is short. Get busy for God today! If we are willing to pay the price, it can be a reality. Today, as Christians, we must seek to reach people with the Gospel, build people up in the Word of God, have strong homes, and keep our churches strong in Scripture. We see several great qualities about Nehemiah that made him this type of example that we need to emulate today. PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I commit my life to serving You. Open doors for me to witness and to testify to others of Your mercy and Your grace. Fill me and lead me by Your Spirit as I serve 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 A Perfect & Pure Word (II Peter 1:16-21)
II Peter 1:16-21, “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” It is said that when the famous missionary, Dr. David Livingstone, started his trek across Africa he had 73 books in 3 packs, weighing 180 pounds. After he traveled 300 miles, Livingstone was obliged to throw away some of the books because of the fatigue of those carrying his baggage. As he continued on his journey his library grew less and less, until he had but one book left—his Bible. There is no book like the Bible as it is far above every other book because they are all the work of men. The Scripture is the divine work of God that gives us all we need in this life to live holy and please God. The quality of our Christian service will depend on how deep we go in the Word of God. There is no substitute for Scripture. There is Pure Wealth. Many times in the Bible when you see the word pure it will be directly linked to gold. The phrase “pure gold” occurs often in Scripture (Exodus 25:17). We see that God uses gold for many wonderful purposes on earth, where as mankind is often corrupted by riches (Revelation 21:21). In heaven we will walk on gold and on earth many people worship gold. The priorities of heaven are spotless because there will be no sin in heaven. There is Pure Water. We see that there is pure water in heaven and, like all things that are pure, it comes from God (Revelation 22:1). Water is essential for life and pure water is a blessing from God. We see that the Bible is at times referred to as water because it acts as a cleansing agent (Ephesians 5:26-27). There is Pure Worship. What a blessing that in heaven will be pure worship of God that is not tainted in any way (Revelation 4:10). We should seek to have a pure heart on this earth and walk close with Jesus as anything less will be lacking (Matthew 5:8). Sadly, I believe very few Christians have a close, intimate relationship with Jesus. Most people think they are okay the way they are, but they are deceived (Proverbs 30:12). There is the Pure Word. The Scripture has always been in heaven as it is eternal like God is (Psalm 119:89). The Bible is pure and we should love it greatly (Psalm 119:140). Each word in Scripture is pure and error free (Psalm 12:6). It is the pure Word of God that helps us grow and will bring true joy into our heart (Psalm 19:8). The Word of God is far more precious than gold or any earthly treasure. We should delight in Scripture more than any material wealth (Psalm 119:162). Job thought more of the spiritual food of the Word of God than physical food (Job 32:12). A fable is a myth, something that can be designed to look like truth in order to deceive. The world will put a lot of effort into crafting their lie as their goal is to get people away from the truth of the Word of God. We see that the great trend today in our culture is that people want to have confidence in mankind and not Jesus. The Bible is completely pure and it is important that we put our faith in it and not the fables of men. Proverbs 30:5, “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” God is pure and holy and we should always focus on those things that are pure in heaven. The Bible is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's character. Here, paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity. Prayer, Lord, thank You for breathing out Your Word and using faithful servants to record it for the rest of us. Thank You that I can hold it in my hands, open it at will, and anticipate that the words my eyes fall on are for my benefit; to teach, rebuke, correct, and train me. I desire that every time I read the book You wrote I would delight myself in it. I thank You today, for the precious gift of Your Word. 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 Missing the Mark (Romans 3:23)
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” During the 2004 Olympics, archer Matt Emmons was one shot away from a gold medal. He was competing in the 50-meter three position rifle event and he was in perfect position to claim victory. He didn’t even need a bulls-eye; all he needed to do to win was to hit the target to win the gold. However, standing in lane two, Emmons took a shot and nailed it, however, he hit the target in the third lane. He hit the wrong target. He missed his mark. As a result, he received zero points and landed in eighth place. You see, like Emmons, we all have “fallen short of the glory of God”. We have all missed the mark from time to time. We were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Yet, from the entrance of sin and its darkness (Genesis 3), we have fallen far short of our Creator’s glory. Doing good works is honorable, but not good enough when God expects and demands perfection. The righteousness of God is demonstrated throughout the Scripture. Yet, because of the corrupting presence of sin, we have fallen far short of His righteousness and His glory. Every person born into the human race since the fall has been under a death sentence. No matter how good or moral a person may be, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We needed deliverance from death, but our righteousness could never be equal to the task. The best person, no matter how hard he or she tries, will still come short of the glory of God. Someone may say, "I'm as good as any person who goes to your church." That may be true, but God doesn't grade "on the curve"; He demands 100% righteousness. True, some come closer than others, but all will come short. But in the midst of our imperfections, weaknesses, and fatal mistakes stands a Saviour who reminds us of His righteousness. We do not have to be perfect because He is perfect. Our standing is in Christ; therefore, we must stand in Him. Through Him we become the righteousness of God. I do not have to always be “on target” because through Him I have already won the gold. Jesus, being perfect and sinless, had nothing for which to atone, so His perfect righteousness was available to be our deliverance. He did not just cover our sins but He removed them and replaced them with His righteousness so that we could be delivered from death. What a wonderful truth! That Jesus would actually bare your sins upon His own body and suffer the crucifixion for you. You will stand before God as though you have never sinned, not because your sinless, but because of your account. We had a debt that we owed to God that we could not pay (Romans 5:12). He who knew no sin became as sin that we who knew no righteousness could be made the righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:21). He would place all of His righteousness upon my record so that I might be viewed upon by God as having the righteousness of Christ. Now that’s a loving God! Do you realize all that you will miss if you reject Christ as your Saviour? PRAYER, Father, I thank You for Jesus who paid the sin debt that I owed and could never repay. Although I strive to live righteously, I still fall short of perfection; I thank You that my standing is “in Christ” and His shed blood has washed my sins away. 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 Let Me Tell You About Jesus (Mark 5:17-20)
Mark 5:17-20, “And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. 18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.” If I were to take the time to share with you all the times I have had to tell others about Jesus, it would take all day. Although I cannot know how many parts this series of the devotion with cover, each day I will attempt to write about the times I have had the opportunity to share my faith in Christ with others. The Lord has been so good to me and has allowed me countless opportunities to share with others of His goodness and grace. Today, I would like share with you this encounter… I ministered on the streets of downtown Memphis for 13 years. It was during this same time that I pastored in north Mississippi. On Friday and Saturday evenings I would fill my backpack full of Gospel tracts and New Testaments and set off for downtown. I would spend many hours there handing out the Gospel tracts and New Testaments until the backpack was empty. I would walk through the parks, the shelter’s, historic Beale Street, and many other areas. There are a few times a year when downtown Memphis hosts a large crowd. One is Elvis week and the other is Memphis in May International Festival celebration. It typically hosts over 100,000 people during the weekend. These two festivities bring crowds of people, not just from all over these United States, but also from all over the world. Talk about world-wide missions endeavors. Jesus has commanded us to tell others about Him. This event gave me the opportunity to reach the world with the Gospel of Christ. Imagine, people from different parts of the world coming into your own backyard and all you have to do is get up go and tell them about Jesus. Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” I received a call one day in my church office. My phones caller ID verified this call was an incoming call from British Columbia, Canada. It was not to my surprise when the caller on the other end asked to speak to me. What had surprised me was why he was calling. He had explained to me that our paths had crossed several weeks earlier on Beale Street in Memphis, TN. Furthermore, he went on to say that he did not remember me at all, but it’s what I had told him that he held on to. He went on to tell me that I didn’t say much to Him other than I told him “Jesus loves Him and that He died for Him. I told him to not throw it away but to keep it and to put it in his pocket, and later, when you have a chance, to read it.” He went on to tell me that he was giving me a call to tell me about a decision he had made the next day. He told me that he had read the Gospel tract that I had handed him the following day and he had trusted Christ as his Saviour. We continued to converse for the next half an hour. I was able to share Scriptures with him regarding spiritual growth and what he can do to share his faith in Christ with others. You never know when the opportunity to tell others about Jesus will occur. John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John the Baptist saw Jesus and spoke up right away telling others that Christ was the solution to the world’s sin problem. He was the One who would be the sacrifice, the Lamb of God, for mankind’s sins. That is our message to this lost and dying world. That is our blessing and responsibility, to tell others and point them to Christ. PRAYER: Father, thank You for bringing me to a saving faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ. That is the best thing that has ever happened in my life. Forgive me for not sharing this Good News with others on a regular basis. Bring people into my life that I can tell about Your amazing love. 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 don’t. 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! AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Precious Things (I & II Peter)
Peter had ups and downs spiritually. There were mountain tops and valleys. Peter had lived long enough to know the importance of helping to encourage believers at various times in their life. He had faced many discouraging things in his life and wanted to be a blessing to others. Peter not only wanted to inform other believers, but he had a Scriptural view and he wanted to inspire them as well. He understood that we all need encouragement, and, at times, motivation to do what is right. Peter had a mature godly perspective and he was seeking other believers to move forward in their life. God allowed him to pen down the Scriptures concerning “Precious Things”. Because of Jesus, God loves us, cares for us, accepts us, takes pleasure in us, and views us as precious to Him. God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ. The word "precious" means of great honor and price; of great value and privilege. We must take notice of some things in the Scriptures that are said to be “precious” in the passages. When the Lord spoke of something being “precious”, we should realize it is important to seriously consider it. Below are five of “the precious things of heaven’” revealed to us. 1. Our Precious Saviour (I Peter 2:7). I Peter 2:7, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner…” Christ is the treasure hid in a field, the pearl of great price, for which every believer has gladly sold all that he has to obtain that treasure and have that pearl. 2. His Precious Blood (I Peter 1:18-19). I Peter 1:18-19, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…” The blood of Christ is precious because it is His blood, the blood of the God-man. The blood was foreordained of God as the atonement for our sins. It reveals our Saviour’s love. The blood satisfies divine justice of a holy God and removes our sin. The blood secures our forgiveness, pardon, justification and eternal glory. The blood was shed for us. All of these things make the blood of Christ precious. 3. The Precious Promises of our God (II Peter 1:4). II Peter 1:4, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” The promises of God are precious because they are His promises. There are mega promises hidden for us in His Word as we become familiar with it. The Bible is full of promises which give us insight and help in the issues of life. They speak of exceedingly great and precious things: pardon, peace, protection, provision, preservation, providence, and perfection. 4. Our Precious Faith (II Peter 1:1). II Peter 1:1, “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ…” The doctrine of faith, the Gospel, is precious. And the grace of faith is precious. It’s precious because it is rare. Faith in the Lord honors God and it saves the soul. The faith of Jesus Christ is precious because it makes us acceptable to God. It ushers us into the very presence of God Himself. 5. Our Precious Trials (I Peter 1:7). I Peter 1:7, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ…” Your faith is genuine and reveals your Father’s love. The trial of faith is precious because it causes your love, faith, and joy in Christ to grow. It causes you to enjoy and anticipate your inheritance in heaven and will give you great cause to praise and honor God in heaven. We may find it difficult to fathom God’s incredible love for us. In and of ourselves, there would be nothing to attract Him, nothing for Him to delight in. But He has made us new creations in Christ, created in the likeness of Jesus, in whom is all His delight. Points to Ponder: Jesus loves you and rejoices in your faithful service. As we learn more about Jesus and draw closer to Him, it will help us greatly in our life. Questions to Consider: What five precious things of God can you write down right now? How did each of them become memorable to you? PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I thank You already for what You are going to do for me. For Your Son’s promise to always be with me. Thank You for the confidence to face the uncertainties ahead because I can have confidence in You. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com The Problem with Pride (Proverbs 16:18)
Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride is the worst of all sins. It is also the original sin. Pride is not self-esteem, although we need self-esteem and should have it. Pride is arrogance or having an exaggerated opinion of oneself. Pride carries with it a must-be-seen attitude. A turtle, who wanted to spend the winter in Florida but he knew he could never travel that far, convinced a couple of geese to help him, each taking one end of a piece of rope while he clamped his vise-like jaws in the center. The flight went fine until someone on the ground looked up in admiration and asked, "Who in the world thought of that?" Unable to resist the chance to take credit, the turtle opened his mouth to shout, "I ahhhhhh............." Pride is the predecessor to destruction and is the forerunner of trouble. Arrogance, or a bighead, always precedes a fall. Pride and arrogance are balloons that are soon popped. In Muhammad Ali’s heyday as the heavy weight champion in boxing, he had taken his seat on a 747 which was starting to taxi down the runway for take off. The flight attendant walked by and noticed Ali did not have his seatbelt on and said, “Please fasten your seatbelt, sir.” He looked up proudly and snapped, “Superman don’t need no seatbelt.” Without hesitation she stared at him and said, “Superman don’t need no plane.” Pride leads to falling, failure, and destruction. This word "destruction" is from the word sheber. It was used to describe something that was smashed or shattered to pieces. The Bible is filled with examples of proud people that fell. * King Nebuchadnezzar fell because of the pride of accomplishment (Daniel 4). * Abasalom and Pharaoh fell because of the pride of authority (II Samuel 13-15). * Herod Agrippa fell because of the pride from accolaides and applause (Acts 12). * Goliath fell because of the pride from his abilities (I Samuel 17). * Jezebel and Lucifer fell because of the pride of appearance (II Kings 9; Ezekiel 28). * Belshazzar fell because of the pride from audacity or rebellion (Daniel 5). * Haman fell because of the pride from his assumptions and associations with the king (Esther 3-7). * Benhadad fell because of the pride from armaments or strength (I Kings 20). Pride leads to a fall and destruction. It shatters a person's life. Why? Proud people refuse to listen to caution or warnings because they don't feel they need to listen. Proud people are not approachable or teachable. Because they behave this way, they miss out on important information that can help them make wise decisions and avoid costly mistakes. When those warnings go unheeded, then sudden destruction may come. Pride also makes us feel invincible. We may think, "Nothing can hurt me or I can handle anything that comes my way." Then something does come along that does hurt us and we cannot handle it. If you don't get a grip on your pride, it will destroy you. Solomon warned us extensively about pride and its destructiveness. He addressed the issue of pride 13 times in Proverbs. Proud people also are concerned about their image or trying to impress others. Someone put it this way when they said, "People are funny. They spend money they don't have to buy things they don't need to impress people they don't like and really don't care what they have." I like what Mark Twain did. He spent a large sum of money to trace his family tree and then spent twice as much trying to keep his ancestry a secret. Don't go through life feeling you have to try to impress everyone. Just be yourself and let the chips fall where they fall. Don't be a slave to the opinions or expectations of others. Don't let your pride keep you from reconciling with loved ones when there is an argument or disagreement. Everything you and I have comes from God. A man once said to one of his customers, "I built and earned everything I have with these two hands." The customer responded asking him, "Where did you get those hands?” Who gave you your mind, your talents, and your abilities? There is only one cause for not being close to God, and that is pride. Have you noticed the middle letter in the words "pride" and "sin?" When we have an "I" problem, it pushes us away from God. Another word for pride is "ego," which someone has said stands for "edging God out." Only one thing can destroy pride in our lives, and that is humility. Humility is the opposite of pride. Humility can push pride out of our hearts. The ultimate example of humility is Jesus Christ. That's why “He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). Prayer, Father in Heaven, too often I have knowingly, and also ignorantly, come against Your will and Your ways. Open my eyes to the blessings of humility. Let me view it in its beauty and fullness of joy not as the world sees it. While I desire a life of godly humility, pride pulls hard to overpower me. In my warfare against pride, help me to fight against ego and the flesh as I pursue humility. Your Son left the pleasures of heaven for a life of service on earth. He gave His life for ungodly, ungrateful and undeserving people. Help me have His attitude, remembering that You resist the proud and give grace to the humble. 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 |
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
September 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed