Take Time Today to Rejoice in Your Relationship with Jesus (Psalm 68:19)
Psalm 68:19, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation." David wanted to praise the Lord with all that was within him. That was true in David’s day. How much more is it true today? God is the source of all these blessings. The blessings are not sporadic but daily. Everyday God blesses us. God is not tightfisted with His blessings. He piles blessings on top of blessings. He loads us to overflowing with blessings. Truly, He has daily loaded us with blessings. Daily we need to be reminding ourselves and giving thanks for the Lord’s benefits. Therefore, we have a duty to bless the God of our salvation. If that was true then, how much more so now! “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2). To bless the Lord means to show admiration for the Lord as we thank and praise Him. The benefits of the Lord are, indeed, great and marvelous and it would be an act of ingratitude not to remember and appreciate them. When considering His benefits, we have the great gift of eternal life through faith in Christ and His finished work of redemption. We have it every day of the year and are daily ready to meet the Lord, whenever He calls. Each day we have the indwelling presence of His Spirit, the illuminating guidance of His Word, the daily provision of all real needs and the assurance of His love. He has surely loaded us with benefits! Thank the Lord for the blessings of salvation you can enjoy right now. What a wonderful privilege to know Jesus Christ personally! Because of salvation we will someday enjoy a home in Heaven, a sinless body and eternity with Christ. We all look forward to our future with Jesus Christ, but it's easy to forget about the benefits of salvation for today. Since God is the source of all our blessings, He deserves the full measure of our praise. If we honestly assess all that the Lord has done for us, it will not take long for us to begin rejoicing that He daily loads us with benefits. Let's take a moment to remember a few of the many blessings we can enjoy every day as Christians. · Alongside counting all of those blessings, let's make it a goal this year to make those blessings count. · Go reach the lost at your workplace or in your neighborhood. · Make it a point to help fellow Christians who need encouragement. · Lift up those who are hurting in prayer. · How will you bless the Lord today? Prayer, Father in Heaven, forgive me for complaining of the things I don’t have and create in my heart a spirit of contentment for the things I do have. I never again want to fail to thank You and praise You for Your daily blessings. I understand that many of the blessings You have blessed me with are for the purpose of blessing others. Help me to make these blessings count. 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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Elijah-Man of Prayer (James 5:16-18)
James 5:16-18, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. Elijah truly was a prayer warrior. A man who believed in the power of prayer. Elijah’s prayers brought a widow’s son back to life (I Kings 17:22), caused it not to rain for three and a half years (James 5:17), and brought fire down from heaven (I Kings 18:36-38). Prayer should be as natural to the child of God as breathing is to the human body, because prayer is the believer’s spiritual breath. The reason so many believers are always spiritually tired and weary is they have been holding their spiritual breath. The Christian who says, "I simply can't find time for prayer," is like the person who says, "I just can't find time to breathe." If we refuse to pray regularly, we will spiritually suffocate. When God said to pray without ceasing, the word “ceasing” means uninterrupted. The Word “effectual” means to be active. It has the sense of being ‘energized.’ What James is driving at is that effective prayer is fervent and from the heart. When a man will pour out his heart in prayer, God tends to hear the same. Prayer cannot be once a week, or even once a day. It means to have a mind of prayer or an attitude of prayer. To “avail” means to have force or to be of strength. In other words, prayer that is so strong that it accomplishes what was intended. There are things we cannot do that only God can do such as provide, protect, and so on. Without salvation there are no prayers answered. We have access to God because of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2). One of the great tragedies of modern-day Christianity is that we simply do not pray as we should. The Lord has placed all of the power and resources of Heaven at our disposal to do His work, yet we “have not, because [we] ask not” (James 4:2). Prayer is not an empty ritual, nor is it a religious exercise. It’s how a child of God goes to the throne of grace based on the relationship He has freely given us to seek His help which He has promised to give. According to the Scriptures, God commands us to pray in the following verses: Luke 18:1; 21:36; Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; I Thessalonians 5:17; I Timothy 2:1. The success of a father is dependent upon prayer. Prayer changes marriages, families, ministries, etc. What could the Lord do in and through our families and churches if men would pray? PRAYER: Father, I praise You that I can at anytime, anywhere, and under any circumstance come to You in prayer. My desire is to keep walking continually with You so that my prayer may be the natural expression of my life 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 His Life For Mine (Romans 5:8)
Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The following are a few of the numerous Scriptures regarding Christ giving His life for us (John 3:16; 11:50; Matthew 20:28; Romans 5:17-19). The deepest, most profound, and most edifying subject in all the Word of God is found in II Corinthians 5:21, ‘He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him! ’ He died in our place, so that when we die, we will never spend eternity in Hell separated from the LORD. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). For the believer, there is no possibility of condemnation! The most marvelous thing that ever took place upon the earth was Jesus Christ, God the eternal Son, was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him! Jesus Christ not only died in our place. But He also has taken our punishment and our charges (Romans 3:21-26), and there is no sin in Him (II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:14; I Peter 2:22; I John 3:5). Substitution is the core doctrine of Christianity. This is the rock upon which our hopes are built. This is the only hope of the sinner and the only true joy of all saints. These two things, Christ being made sin and us being made righteousness, could only be accomplished by substitution. There was no possible way for the Lord of glory to be made sin, except by imputation. And there is no way by which any man can be made righteousness, except by imputation. It is a legal matter. At Calvary, Christ became sin for us and we became righteousness in Him. As surely as Christ was made sin, all of those for whom He died are made righteous. Impute means to put on someone's account; To charge something to another’s account. We had a debt we owed that we could never pay (Romans 5:12). Jesus is the payer of our sin debt. It means that Jesus places His righteousness upon our record when we trust upon Him for salvation. Imputation is the act of God whereby our sins are put on Christ’s account and His righteousness is put on our account. It means that Jesus took our sins upon His record and then placed His righteousness upon our record. What a wonderful truth! To think that Jesus would bare our sins upon His own body and suffer the crucifixion for us. Jesus would place all His righteousness upon our record so that we might be viewed upon by God as having the righteousness of Christ. Now that is a loving God! If we take it for what it means it can affect our lives in understanding how much the Lord Jesus Christ loves us. We can never understand the depths of wisdom and grace revealed in the substitutionary death of Christ. But we who have seen Him dying in our stead should never cease to worship, adore, love, and trust our merciful Redeemer. Jesus earnestly wants to impute your sin to His record and impute His righteousness to your record. If you will receive Christ’s righteousness He will impute His righteousness to your account, that when you stand before God, you will stand before Him as though you have never sinned; not because you’re sinless, but because your account has been settled. If you would like to accept Him as your Lord and Saviour, it all begins when you say yes to Jesus and let Him become your Saviour. All you must do to be saved is admit your guilty condition before God for violating His holy Law (Romans 3:19), and then trust Jesus to wash away your sins with His shed blood. PRAYER: Father I thank You for Jesus who paid the sin debt that I owed and could never repay. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post has blessed you in any way, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Use Your Gifts (I Timothy 4:14)
I Timothy 4:14, Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Many years ago an Italian recluse was found dead in his house. He had lived frugally all his life, but when friends were going through his house to sort out the few possessions he had accumulated, they discovered 246 expensive violins crammed into his attic. Some even more valuable ones were in a bureau drawer in his bedroom. Virtually all of his money had been spent buying violins. Yet, his misdirected devotion to the instruments had robbed the world of their beautiful sounds. Because he selfishly treasured those violins, the world never heard the music they were meant to play. It is even reported that the first violin the great Stradivarius ever made was not played until it was 147 years old! Many Christians treat their faith like this man treated his violins. They hide their light, their knowledge of salvation, their knowledge of Jesus Christ, and bury their treasure and gifts that God has given to them. By not sharing what God has given to them, many to whom they could have witnessed, are left in spiritual darkness and poverty. The joy of knowing Jesus Christ has been kept from others that need Him. If you have made this mistake in your life, then change your attitude, follow the Lord, and do what His word commands. Tell the Lord, "I will obey because you say so." Many Christians either hide or are unaware of their spiritual gifts. Matthew 25:25, And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. We can encourage them to get involved in areas where their gifts will shine the brightest and build others up. As each Christian is made to realize their spiritual gifts, the entire local church and the Body of Christ will profit. Among the everyday tasks God has enabled us to perform, there are special talents each individual possesses. Unfortunately, those unique gifts from God often get lost in the shuffle of life. As a result of business, stress and self-doubt, they are often thrown away, never to be used to their full potential. Some researchers estimate that half of all Christians have never shared their faith in Jesus Christ to another person. If that is true, ninety-five percent of the world’s spiritual violins have never been played! True love of our riches in Christ leads us to shine and share, not to hide and hoard. Do you recognize another Christian’s spiritual gifts which are not being put to use? They may not even be aware they possess any gifts at all. II Timothy 1:6, Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. Encourage them by telling them what a blessing they are to others when they do the things God has gifted them to do: singing, managing, teaching, ushering, greeting, keeping peace between people in conflict, encouraging, or helping others. Tell them about opportunities in which they can use their God-given abilities to serve others. You may be the one who helps them see their spiritual gift. Use whatever talents and opportunities God has entrusted you with to the fullest extent you can. Every church is made up of different people, each with unique, God-given abilities. Some people have the gift of preaching or teaching. Others are gifted in different aspects of ministry such as administration or music. All have an important part to play, and yet none is great in himself. These people must be willing to work together and use their combined gifts and abilities, or else the church will not properly function. PRAYER: LORD, I want to discover my gift, find my place in kingdom work, and use my gift for Your glory. Renew my desire to serve You, God. Help me to let go of past disappointments, and forgive me for envying others’ gifts. I believe I am Your workmanship, uniquely gifted for the good works You prepared in advance for me to do. I seek not mine own glory, but Yours alone, Lord. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen. If this post has blessed you in any way please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com God Is Our Refuge & Strength (Psalms 46:1)
Psalm 46:1, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Regardless of the circumstances we face in life, no dilemma is too big for our God. God is our refuge and strength. If we will learn to take refuge in Him and lean on Him alone for strength, then with the psalmist we can face the most challenging crises with confidence, because God is with us and He is sufficient. But we would be in error if we thought that God insulates us from problems. David well knew that God was his refuge and strength. He had experienced God’s providential deliverance on numerous occasions. The idea of a “very present help” is that of one being near at hand. When trouble comes, God’s help is right beside us for He said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). He is readily available to help if you will take refuge in Him and trust in His strength. It’s not like God is just hanging out on the sideline when we’re in trouble. When we find ourselves facing trouble, God is already on the scene. When trouble strikes, God is sufficient to get you through. The fact that God is our refuge and strength does not mean that we are exempt from predicaments and difficulties. The abundant life is not an uncomplicated life. We need to be clear on this because many false teachers today claim that it is God’s will for every person to enjoy prosperity and perfect health. They teach that since Jesus has promised to answer the prayer of faith, all that stands between you and material prosperity and physical health is your lack of faith. Confess it as yours by faith, and it’s yours, according to this heresy. God does not exempt Christians from these circumstances. Troubles come into the lives of the saved and the lost. The question is, when trouble strikes, do you want to face it with God as your refuge and strength, or do you want to find help elsewhere? Psalm 46 shows that when trouble strikes, He is present to help us in every way we need it. God is sufficient to get you through any trial you encounter. He is the one who keeps us and sustains us. Whatever personal catastrophe you face; a major health problem, the death of a loved one, the loss of your job, emotional problems, relational conflicts, or whatever the issue may be, God is bigger than your problems. When circumstances are out of our control, we can run to God and find refuge and rest in Him. Our most challenging struggles are easy for God to handle. The Lord is our refuge, our strength, and always near when trouble emerges. God is sovereign over all things. We can hide in Him, knowing that every struggle and challenge we encounter is easy for Him to handle. PRAYER: Father, thank You for being my refuge and strength. Strengthen me that I may stand fast in the evil day and to trust in Your Word, in Jesus name I pray, AMEN. If this post has blessed you in any way please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com The Finished Work (John 17:1-4)
John 17:1-4, These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. A preacher closed a sermon with these words, "Virtue is so attractive that, if she were to become incarnate, and walk the world in human form, men would fall down and worship her." The pulpit of that church was occupied the same evening by another preacher, a humble evangelical man, who loved the gospel of a crucified Redeemer. He preached Christ crucified, and at the close of his sermon reminded the congregation of the statement made in the morning by the previous preacher, and then added, "I am sorry to say that Virtue did once walk the world in human form, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and men, instead of falling down and worshipping Him, crucified and nailed Him to a tree." John 17 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible, and certainly one of the most treasured. Some have referred to it as the "Holy of Holies of Sacred Scripture." This is Christ’s final public prayer to the Father before He went to the cross. In this prayer, Christ gives an account of His performance. Despite the opposition on earth, Jesus’ will was to glorify God. Jesus set His glory aside when He came to earth as man (Philippians 2:7). On the cross, Jesus glorified God by revealing how much God loves us. Without the cross, we could never understand how much God loves us (John 3:16). The reason Jesus was now ready to be glorified is simply stated: He had finished the work God had given Him to do. In doing the work God had given Him to do, He had glorified God on earth. "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4). This is the prayer we all should want to be able to pray when it comes our time to die. Jesus prayed to His Father and said that He had glorified Him during His earthly presence. His example remains for us today. He finished the work God gave Him to accomplish. He spoke to His disciples three years earlier and stated that His very ‘meat’ was to do “the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34). He now had. Again, He has left an example for us. He finished His work. So should we. The only way a person can glorify God on earth is to do what God says. If a man is interested in glorifying God, he will obey Him. Now the most important thing that you could do, that I could do, that anyone else could do would be to do what God wants us to do. Just as God had a purpose for His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; He has a purpose for you as well. PRAYER: Father in Heaven, though I often struggle, help me to never lose sight of doing Your will. Your Son loved me enough to die for me, the only reasonable thing that I can do is present myself a living sacrifice. Your will is good, perfect and acceptable. And Lord, we know through prayer, we'll find it. May You have Your own way. 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 Do Others See Christ in You? (Philippians 1:20–21)
Philippians 1:20-21, According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Paul’s earnest expectation and hope was to magnify Christ. His focus was entirely on Christ and zero upon himself. Paul’s desire was to magnify Christ in his body whether by life, or by death. He wanted to live as Christ desired him to live, and if he had to die for Christ, then so be it. Paul wanted to live so people could see Christ in his life. Paul was determined to "magnify" Jesus Christ in his body. This word "magnify" means "to exalt, to praise, glorify, to make great, or enlarge." As Christians, we are to magnify the Lord. We can magnify Him to an unbelieving world where He is so often minimized, mocked and misrepresented. We can glorify Him in the presence of those who are blind to His glory. We can demonstrate His grace to those who have never seen it, or known it. People wonder what the purpose of life is today and what they are here for. The Christian knows the answer to those questions. We have a purpose for living and that purpose is to glorify Christ and live for Him, not self, glory or fame. A group of prospectors set out from Bannock, Montana in search of gold. They went through many hardships and several of the men died. Defeated, discouraged and downhearted, the prospectors sought to make their way back to the capital city. On one occasion as they rode to a creek side, one of the men casually picked up a little stone from the creek bed. He called to his buddy for a hammer and upon cracking the rock, he said, "It looks as though there may be gold here. We have struck it!" They made their way back to Bannock and vowed not to breathe a word concerning this gold strike. They secretively set about re-equipping themselves with supplies for another prospecting trip. But when they got ready to go back, 300 men followed them. Who had told on them? No one spoke a word. Their beaming faces betrayed the secret! Can others see Jesus, is you? When you got saved, you got a greater treasure than ten thousand mountains of gold. Like those old prospectors, we should be beaming because Jesus is on the inside! If He is there, He should be visible in our lives. Prayer, Lord, as I think of the men and women You have used to speak Your truth into my life, I am overwhelmed by the weight of my heritage of faith so many have faithfully delivered to me! Forgive me for falling short in passing it on. Renew my commitment to taking advantage of opportunities to share Your Gospel with others. Thank You for the grace in Jesus that strengthens 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 Compassion…the Christian’s Duty (Jude 22)
Jude 22, And of some have compassion, making a difference. Compassion gets involved with others. People struggle today to get involved with other people. If people have any kind of relationship with one another, for many it is through their phones or I-pads instead of having eye contact with people. We are becoming more isolated from others. A few years ago, Snoopy, the beagle in the Charlie Brown cartoons, had his left leg broken. Hundreds wrote letters to Snoopy or sent sympathy cards. Perched on top of his dog house one day and staring at his huge cast, Snoopy began to philosophize about his plight. "My body blames my foot for not being able to go places. My foot says it was my head's fault, and my head blames my eyes. My eyes say my feet are clumsy, and my right foot says not to blame him for what my left foot did." Snoopy looks out at his audience and confesses, "I don't say anything because I don't want to get involved." This attitude does not belong among God's people. We are to be concerned and involved in serving Jesus Christ. The watchword of society today is "privacy." This is true even of Christians. People want to be left alone or given their space. Commitments have become short term, even in marriage. We are adopting the unwritten regulation observed in elevators, "Absolutely no eye contact, talking, smiling, or relating without the written permission from the management." Our role model is becoming the Lone Ranger, mask and all. This kind of life of isolation is not what God intended for us who know Jesus Christ as Saviour. We are not to be turtles in a shell. We are to get involved in blessing others and reaching them for Christ. You won't do this in your shell. Involvement is a word of “ministry”. Webster says, "Involvement means to draw in as a participant, relate closely, to connect or include." We are to be involved with God, family, Christians, and reaching the lost for the Lord Jesus Christ. James 1:27, Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. The word "visit" means more than going by a house and saying "Hello." This word has the idea of getting involved in the lives of others, providing for them, helping them out, and caring for them if they cannot care for themselves. It is a word of giving and sacrifice. It is important that we have a genuine concern for other people. When we do, it will lead us to have compassion on them and desire God’s best for their life. This is not a natural reaction of the flesh, but it is a quality that needs to be manifested in our life if we are going to be all that God wants us to be. A person without compassion will embrace callousness and never be close to God. We need to have compassion like Jesus and have a genuine heart of love that desires to help other people. George Washington Carver said, “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.” Prayer: Lord, I desire so much to be compassionate. Use me as a vessel of compassion to a world in need. I want to be aware of those in need. Please let me see those around me that are in need of hope. Compel me to listen to them, to hear, and be what others need, Lord. 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 Dealing with Despair (I Samuel 27:1)
I Samuel 27:1, And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. David has reached a very low period in his life. No doubt that David is discouraged and decides to flee Israel for refuge in Philistia. David did not trust Saul and he had every reason to distrust him. Saul had shown himself unstable and emotionally imbalanced. His jealousy and hatred of David were well known. Notice: In the previous verse, I Samuel 26:25, Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do great things, and also shalt still prevail. So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place. Saul had already once broken a promise to no longer hunt him. David knew Saul was lying and as a result he became very discouraged and fled to Philistia. In I Samuel 26:24, David sought the Lord. However, in I Samuel 27:1, David is not recorded as consulting with God. It is apparent that his faith lapsed. He focused on his circumstances, not on God. How sad it is when unbelievers believe and believers do not! It is one thing to encounter disappointment. It is another thing to allow disappointment to solidify into discouragement. When one is in this state of mind, their faith often fails. Therefore, the devil uses discouragement to get the eyes of God’s children on Him in hopes that we might quit. God had faithfully intervened over and over again to deliver David from the hand of Saul. God had demonstrated His power on behalf of David over and over again and had delivered him. He delivered him out of the mouth of the lion and the paw of the bear. He delivered him out of the hand of the great giant Goliath. Did David forget how God delivered him? NOTICE: David's pessimism compared to God's power. God saved David...
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 Fact Checking (Acts 17:11-12)
Acts 17:11-12, These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few. Fact-Checking: In short, fact checking can be defined as “to investigate (an issue) in order to verify the facts”. The Scriptures give a great compliment to the believers at Berea concerning their attitude towards the Word of God. The Bereans did not reject the Word. They honored it by their reception of it. Unlike the Thessalonians, the Bereans examined, verified, and investigated what had been preached before they accepted and received it. The Bereans were interested in the Word of God. Daily they studied the Scriptures. We need to examine every message by the Word of God. This will keep us from being deceived by error. Below are Three Important Points that Set the Bereans Apart from those in Thessalonica: 1. Loved the Scriptures. They were eager for the truth. They didn't want their ears tickled with philosophies, “they received the word with all readiness of mind,”. In II Timothy, Paul was instructing Timothy to make sure he preached the Word. He warned Timothy (II Timothy 4:3) that there would be a time when some won't want to hear the truth, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” In other words, they will want people who will tell them what feels good instead of what is true. Be on guard from seeking counsel from those who will tell you what you want to hear rather than the truth. 2. Looked-Into the Scriptures. They checked out everything for themselves in the Bible. According to Acts 17:11, what did the Bereans do to make sure Paul's message was true? They “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so”. Everything Paul said, they checked out. They kept going back to the Word to be sure. We too must "examine the Scriptures," not just grab a verse and run with it. When we know God's Word, we are equipped to recognize false doctrine when it comes. We do that by learning the Word of God. We need to be sure that the doctrines we are applying to our lives line up with God's Word. The Bible tells us not to believe everything we hear but to "prove all things." (I Thessalonians 5:21). Too many Christians only know what their pastor tells them of the Bible. They never check it out for themselves. 3. Lived the Scriptures. They were willing to act on what they learned. "Many of them therefore believed." (Acts 17:12). James 1:22, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James calls for obedience to the Word. It is not enough to simply believe the Word, but we must also live the Word. A doer of the word is someone who puts to practice what he hears. God wants us to put His Word into action in our lives. It is not enough to know what truth is. We must act on that truth or it will not benefit us. It deceives us into thinking we are spiritual because of how much we know instead of how we live. David shares an important truth. In Psalm 40:8, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. In other words, not only does Scripture show us what God wants us to do, but being in the Word also creates in us a desire to obey what He says. One never out grows the need to grow in the knowledge of God’s Word. It is vital that we realize that in order to grow in the knowledge of the Word of God that we daily read and heed the Bible. PRAYER: Lord, thank You that my faith grows from hearing Your Word, and help me to live it. You’ve done so much in me already, but there’s so much more You could do and want to do in me. In 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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