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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. Peter had faced many discouraging things in his life, and he wanted to be a blessing to others. Peter not only wants to inform other believers, but he has a Scriptural view and he wants to inspire them as well. Peter understands 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, and 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 to 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. The blood 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 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 God’s 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, 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; 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
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Divine Washing Machine (Revelation 1:5)
Revelation 1:5, And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, He “loved us”. This shows continual action. His love resulted in action. He washed us from our sins in his own blood. What a price He paid for our redemption! The price was blood. There is only one ransom, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Concerning sin, the Bible declares, without shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22). Blood is the Divine requirement to pay for sin. The word “wash” means to “cleanse; to be loosed, set free, and released from sin! Jesus shed His blood on the cross and when we trust Him; His blood washes us whiter than snow and cleanses us from every stain of sin (I John 1:7). The text says, …”washed us from our sins in his own blood.” Notice: “our sins” and “His Own blood”. All we had to contribute to our salvation was sin. He contributed His blood. And, His blood washes away all of our sins (Ephesians 1:7). The only Source of the cleansing our sins is by and through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our good works and own righteousness are as filthy rags in God's sight! He has washed us from our sins in His own blood! Jesus shed His own blood on the cross of Calvary in fulfilling that Divine requirement so that He might wash us from our sins in his own blood. He loved us before we were washed. He “loved us” all the way through; backward in time and eternity or forward as far as is possible. Before God created the Heavens and the earth, He loved us. We were stained in sins. Being washed means the stain has been taken away. Nobody can de-stain us like the Lord. The blood of Jesus is so powerful that it can get the stain out. As a matter of fact, the Lord used what you might call a divine washing machine. He takes that washing machine and once He places you in the divine washing machine, when you come out, you're whiter than snow. You are washed and free of stains. He has “washed us from our sins in his own blood.” The cleansing property of the blood of Christ is made clear. It is not the “washing” but what’s in the “water” that cleanses. Detergent has a synthetic substance that wipes away and cleanses any dirty or foul matter. The blood of Christ is a “detergent” in that it separates us, frees us, loosens us “from our sins.” He is our surfactant for the guilt of sin. A surfactant is a surface-active agent or solution used for purging or cleansing. The detergent has agents that dissolve the dirt from the fabric and attaches the dirt to itself and is then flushed away. This fact can be read on the back of any detergent product. How did the blood of Jesus Christ set us free from sin? He had lived a sinless and perfect life as a Man upon earth. He was able to take our sins upon Himself and bear the punishment for them. He took our sins off of us, removed them, and died for them. Therefore, we are free and loosed from sin. Sin has been removed from us. We stand before God free of sin and acceptable to Him. But remember how: by the shed blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross. It is the shed blood of Christ upon the cross, His dying for our sins that frees us from sin (Galatians 1:4, Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; I Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 5:9). John 8:36, If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. God alone can remove sin. This means that, for God, every sin you have ever committed, every evil thing you have ever done, you are still doing, and will continue to do forever, apart from God’s forgiveness. Only the omnipotent, eternal God, who controls all the factors of time, space and matter, could ever remove sin. He gives us freedom from the stain of sin. Guilt is the stain of sin. For many people, a visual stain on their clothes leads one to become embarrassed or ashamed. Christ’s cleansing power frees us from any and all guilt before God. PRAYER: Lord, thank You for the blood Jesus shed on the cross for my sins. I stand justified before You because of Christ’s sacrifice. 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 New Man with New Plans (II Corinthians 5:17)
II Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. We are truly a new person in Christ. The grip of a great God molds us into new creations in Christ. The transformation that is brought about by the new birth is not only an instantaneous miracle, but also a lifelong process of sanctification. Everything changes. The old things have passed away. All things "become" new. This carries the idea on continual results. God is continually working in our lives. When we become new in Christ, old values, ideas, plans, loves, desires, and beliefs vanish, replaced by the new things that accompany salvation. Jack Eckerd, the founder of the Eckerd Drug Stores, the second largest drug store chain in America years ago, trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior after reading about the resurrection of Christ in Chuck Colson's book, Loving God. Eckerd wondered why he did not feel anything, but Colson assured him he was saved because he was trusting in Christ. The Spirit of God immediately began to work in Jack's life. One of the first things he did after he was saved was to walk into one of his drugstores. When he walked down through the book shelves, he saw Playboy and Penthouse pornographic magazines. He had seen them there many times before, but it never bothered him. Now he saw them with new eyes. He had become a Christian. Jack Eckerd went back to his office and called in his president. He said, "Take Playboy and Penthouse out of my stores." The president said, "You can't mean that, Mr. Eckerd. We make three million dollars a year on those magazines." He said, "Take 'em out of my stores." And in his 1,700 stores across America at that time, by one man's decision, those magazines and smut were removed from the shelves of Eckerd Drug Stores because a man had given his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Colson called Mr. Eckerd and asked, "Did you do that because of your commitment to Christ?" He said, "Why else would I give away three million dollars? The Lord wouldn't let me off the hook." Mr. Eckerd was submitting to the lordship of Christ in his own life. He did not stop with his own stores. Jack Eckerd wrote a letter to all the other drugstore operators, all the other chains, and he said, "I've taken it out of my store. Why don't you take it out of yours?" Not a one answered him. He wrote them some more letters. Meanwhile, God blessed Eckerd's decision. Eckerd's Drug Stores began to get floods of people coming in to buy things at Eckerd's because they had taken Playboy and Penthouse out of their stores. Then People's Drugs removed the magazines from their shelves and then Dart Drug removed them from their shelves and then Revco removed them from their shelves. Over a period of twelve months, while the pornography commission in Washington was debating over what to do about pornography, stores across America were removing pornography from their shelves. The chairman of 7-11 stores, who sits on Jack Eckerd's board, finally gave in and five thousand 7-11 stores removed the magazines. In a period of twelve months, 11,000 retail outlets in America removed Playboy and Penthouse, not because somebody passed a law, but because God wouldn't let one of his men off the hook. God used a changed man to bring a change in society. God is passionate about the total transformation of people. Let Him change you. God is willing to do whatever it takes to make you more like Jesus. PRAYER: Lord, today I am dedicating myself as a living sacrifice to be used in whatever way You choose. With all my heart I vow to give You my soul, my emotions, my spirit, my body, and everything else that I am and that I possess. I consecrate myself to You. I want to live a life that is pleasing to 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 One Touch (Luke 8:40-48)
Luke 8:40-48, And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him. 41And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: 42For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him. 43And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. Imagine the grief and despair that she felt. Most would grow impatient and give up in twelve days. Each day was more of the same. She has been suffering twelve humiliating years with an issue of blood. She was labeled unclean by the Rabbis. According to the law of God she was considered ceremonially unclean. This affected her life both socially and spiritually. She was not allowed to fellowship with the public, nor to worship at the Temple. She lived a life of solitude and physical suffering. She was untouchable and not able to touch others. Lonely, heartbroken, and humiliated at this point even a hug would have ministered to her, but it was prohibited. She was ostracized from the Synagogue. She was an outcast from society. She thought she was orphaned from God. She had an opportunity or official visit with the Son of God. Daily as she was avoided by others, she saw their faces and their eyes. They must have been cold, cringing, and some calloused. For twelve years she has been carrying the weight and burden of this humiliation. With appointments with numerous doctors filling her head with dreams ad hopes of healing her with remedies, in the end the only filling that came was the pockets of the doctors. She was destitute after a dozen years of steady blood loss. She was pale, anemic, and tired. She was done with the stigma, shamers, and shysters. She heard of another physician. One Who was compassionate, no charges or fees, a gentle healer. She had heard of His success among the incurable. Briefly following the crowd, she desperately extends her empty hand through the crowd and touched the hem of His garment. When she realized she could not hide from the Lord, she came before Jesus trembling. She was terrified and fell down before the Lord. She told the people what was wrong with her and then told them that when she touched Jesus she was healed immediately. Jesus was moved by her faith. This is the only time that Jesus called a woman daughter in all of Scripture. Don't forget, she was scared of the people for being unclean and she was afraid of Jesus because she touched Him. She was wondering, I'm sure, "What is going to happen to me now?" With gentleness, tenderness, and assurance, Jesus told her everything was going to be all right, "Be of good comfort." Jesus was telling her to have courage and to be cheerful. This is the meaning of this word "comfort." He continued and said, "Go in peace. Your faith has made you whole." This word "whole" means "continually whole." Jesus assured her that she would not have a relapse. Her problem was not coming back. Christ's message is the same for us today. Just as this poor woman was immediately healed of her plague when she touched the Lord Jesus, so sinners are healed of the plague of their hearts, freed from the curse of the law and the guilt of sin as soon as they touch the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. Like this woman with the hemorrhage, we all have been defiled by sin. We must be cleansed of sin or we can never spend eternity in the presence of a holy God. Only Jesus can cleanse us through His death on the cross. Following the crowd who is following Jesus will not bring a person into a personal relationship with Him. We must lay hold of Him by faith as she did that day. You will never possess what you need in life apart from Christ! Religion without Christ is of no value to lost sinners. PRAYER: Father in Heaven, thank You for saving me by Your amazing grace. I know that when I called out to Your Son for salvation, He was already reaching to me. Help me to reach others who need 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 God’s Got This! (Psalm 34:17-19)
Psalm 34:17–19, “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Have you ever felt like nothing in your world was going right? You may have recently experienced the absolute worst day of your life. We all have experienced troubles and know the feeling of having a "crushed spirit." When circumstances are difficult, all too often this affects our attitude towards God and can also inhibit our worship. After all, why should we worship when it seems like life is falling apart at the seams? The Psalmist gives us 3 profound reasons why we can worship the LORD even in the midst of the deepest valleys. 1. We can worship because He hears us. This does not mean He merely hears our cry, but this word implies action. God is so unlike us; when He hears, He acts. And He acts immediately! He does not sit idly by, but intervenes in even the most desperate situation. 2. We can worship in the midst of trials because we know the Lord promises to deliver us. Keep in mind, this word deliver does not mean that He will remove us from our difficulty. Isn’t it true that at times we cry out to the Lord but it seems as though our situation doesn’t change? Do not mistake unchanging circumstances for God’s lack of deliverance. His promise to deliver us is made evident in the way He sustains believers even through the hardest times. 3. Finally, when everything goes wrong, we can worship Him because the Lord is close to us. He is not a distant, uninvolved, uninterested God, but a loving Saviour whose arms reach out to us in the midst of our brokenness. Maybe you are in the midst of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, month, or even year. Maybe you feel that in the midst of a valley, it’s too hard to worship. Take some time today to thank God that He hears our cries, He promises to deliver us, and we can rest assured that He remains close to us even in our darkest moments. “What we do in the crisis always depends on whether we see the difficulties in the light of God, or God in the shadow of the difficulties” G. Campbell Morgan Have you ever experienced a difficulty that inhibits your worship? Which of these three promises do you need to be reminded of; God hears your cry, God promises to deliver you, or God is near to you? PRAYER: Father, thank You for being a personal God who is involved in my life. Thank You for hearing my cries. I want to worship You in the midst of this difficult time. Help me to see that Your promise to deliver me from trouble is Your promise to see me through till the end. Thank You for being near to me, especially when I am hurting the most. 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 Unstoppable Gospel (Acts 12:24)
Acts 12:24, But the word of God grew and multiplied. In the book of Acts, we read that the Word of God continued to grow and be multiplied, and then it mentions the return of Saul, Barnabas, and John Mark to Antioch. This sets the stage for the expansion of the Gospel among the Gentiles that comprises the rest of Acts. Herod and the Jews opposed God’s Saviour and came under His judgment. The apostles and early church suffered much, and many died violent deaths, but the Word of God continued to grow and be multiplied. God rewarded them abundantly and eternally in heaven. According to II Timothy 2:8-9, the Word of God is not bound. Regardless of the opposition, the Gospel is being spread across the world. We can always quit and give up when things get hard, or we can choose to persevere and accomplish what needs to be done. Successful disciples follow the example that Jesus set and carry on even in the face of criticism, opposition, and great difficulty. Jesus endured the hardships He faced, and if we trust Him, He will empower us to do the same. Jesus has overcome everything. Bring to mind all He has done for you. He saved you from sin and its eternal consequences, lived the greatest life worth imitating, and He guides and guards you. Remember Jesus is not limited or bound. He and His Word will accomplish all God intends for them to accomplish in you and through you. The Audaciousness of the Church (Acts 12:24-25) In spite of the killing of Stephen and James, plus a host of other persecutions of the church, the church did not die. The church continued to display its courage and compassion as it kept on glowing, growing, and going much to the dismay of evil. The words "grew and multiplied" mean that the church kept on growing and multiplying. The progress of God's Word could not be stopped. Men and governments might try to stop it, persecute, imprison, and kill those who proclaim God's Word, but their efforts to silence the Word will always be to no avail. God overrules all and always will. God has ordained His Word to be proclaimed, bear fruit, to grow and multiply and it shall be by all those who are truly His. 1. The Additions to the Church (Acts 12:24) In spite of the attacks on the church, it kept growing. 2. The Accomplishments of the Church (Acts 12:25) In spite of the opposition to the church, the church still accomplished this special mission. The church will always accomplish the objective for which God has set out for it regardless of the opposition. 3. The Advancing of the Church (Acts 12:25) In spite of the persecution of the church, it did not stop the providential preparation for the advancing of the church. Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. I want thank you for your faithfulness and continued support on this ministry as we endeavor to take the Gospel of Christ to the uttermost parts of the world. I’m truly grateful for your prayers, sharing our websites articles with others, and the financial support. My wife and I are blessed to be part of such a sweet church family. We sure miss our snowbirds. Can’t wait to have you all back with us. Pastor Torey Blackman. PRAYER: LORD, thank You for Your great love and the Gospel. Help me to do my part in Your Great Commission. I desire to reach others for You, help pave the way for those I will encounter. Continue to open doors at work, school, etc. Help me to never lose sight of the potential and the opportunities that You have given to 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 What To Do When You’re Sinking? (Matthew 14:30-31)
Matthew 14:30-31, But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? The mighty disciple had just done the impossible. He challenged the Lord to let him walk upon the sea, the Lord bid him to come, and so the disciple leaped onto the waters and started walking. He had experienced what only one other man had ever experienced, that other man was the Lord. As Peter took one step after another, he realized what was happening. The impossible was happening, but his fleshly nature got the best of him. Peter took his eyes off the Lord and began to look around. Instead of seeing Jesus, he saw the raging storm, he saw the waves, he felt the mighty wind, he became afraid and started to sink. Often times we enter into the place of wonderful experiences, things seem to be going so wonderful, so great. Then like Peter, we take our eyes off of the Lord, we look at the circumstances of life and we began to sink. It is a fact that if you take your eyes off of the Lord you will go under. It is a fact, not a probability, that if you stop looking at the Lord, trouble is heading your way. In his moment of despair, Peter did something that was so right, he cried out to his Lord, “Lord, Save Me”!!! In our moment of distress we must learn to find Jesus. Cry out to Him. He is available, He is able, and He wants to help. When the storms of life rage, God wants us to keep our eyes on Jesus, the Lord of the wind and waves. No matter what is happening or will come your way, God is in complete control working for your good and His glory. Wait in faith. Let Him guide and sustain you even in the storms of life. Questions to Consider:
Points to Ponder:
PRAYER, God, I confess I’ve allowed myself to be distracted and I don’t want to be anymore. Please forgive me. I want to trust You. Give me the strength and self-control I need to fix my eyes on You. Help me keep my attention on my Saviour, so I can learn what You want me to learn and be who You want me to be. You are worthy of my full attention. I want to hear Your voice. 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 Adversity (Proverbs 24:10)
Proverbs 24:10, "If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small." From time to time, all of us face adversity, hardship, disappointment, defeat, setback, and loss. Adversity does not mean that we are doing things wrong—often it is evidence that we are doing things right. Discouragement always pays periodic visits to everyone of us. No one is exempt! Whenever we face trouble God is always faithfully standing by to give us grace to sustain us. Whatever the trial we face, God’s grace is always sufficient and sustaining (II Corinthians 12:9). G. Campbell Morgan grew up in the home of a Baptist preacher and delivered his first sermon at age thirteen. But because he had no formal religious instruction, when he first applied for ordination he was refused. The disappointed young man sent a one word telegram to his father: “Rejected.” His father responded: “Rejected on Earth, accepted in Heaven.” Morgan refused to be discouraged and continued his studies and preaching. He became one of the most noted Bible teachers and conference speakers of his generation and pastored large churches on both sides of the Atlantic. If he had allowed a temporary setback to stop him, the world would have lost a great influence for good. Things often do not go well when we set out to serve God. The devil places obstacles in front of us to attempt to keep us from being effective in the work. He knows that if he can get us to be discouraged because of problems, we are on our way to defeat. Adversity is often a sign that we are on the right track and keep going till we succeed. If you allow adversity to stop you, you will never accomplish anything of lasting value in God’s work. If we allow ourselves to be discouraged from doing anything unless we have complete approval, it is certain that we will never accomplish anything of value. Rather than being discouraged by adversity, we should take comfort in God’s faithfulness and keep on doing what is right. Be strong in the Lord; no great work for God has ever been done without adversity from the enemy. Often, it is through the trials of life that we are able to appropriate God’s grace and develop Christlikeness. Missionary Hudson Taylor once said, “It doesn’t matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies. Be sure that it doesn’t come between you and the Saviour.” Even the painful pressure of trials can push us closer to our Saviour. There are some who feel they never need trials. But God loves us too much to allow us not to grow. John Newton, author of the hymn “Amazing Grace,” put it this way, “Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise Physician prescribes because we need them; and He proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires. Let us trust in His skill and thank Him for His prescription.”--John Newton Build your life on the Rock that can never be shaken. Trust in the LORD. Always. When facing adversity, don’t quit. Don’t hit the panic button. Hit the prayer button. Take it to the LORD. There are several more, but here are five Scriptures to encourage the disheartened when facing adversity: Deuteronomy 4:30-31; II Samuel 22:7; James 1:2-3; I John 5:4; Galatians 6:9. Prayer, Father You are my strength and my sustainer. Regardless of the troubles I face You faithfully give me the grace to sustain them. Help me never to forget to turn to You. Whatever circumstances I may confront, may I trust Your plan, Your wisdom, and Your will. Praise and glory to 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 Coals of Fire (Proverbs 25:21-22)
Proverbs 25:21-22, If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee. Solomon unveils an important principle in controlling your anger in these verses. Displaying compassion and kindness to an enemy is like heaping coals of fire on his head. Heaping coals of fire on the head was an indication of caring for your enemy. The principle involves investing in the life of your enemy or offender. The flesh says, “No way! There is no way I’m going to do anything for my enemy! They are not getting a thing from me!” Yet, Solomon says to give to and do good to your offender and the Lord will reward you. What is the meaning behind the “coals of fire?” In Egypt, a man showed repentance by carrying a pan of burning coals on his head. It was a symbol of shame, conviction, guilt, and the changing of the mind. Fire was precious, especially when you traveled from one place to another. To give someone your coals was to provide them with warmth. The result is our kindness will overcome evil. The natural reaction is to retaliate against our enemies, but godly wisdom tells us to respond in kindness. Give in secret and anger will be smothered, muffled, or appeased. A gift in secret pacifieth anger (Proverbs 21:14). The best way to defeat an enemy is to smother him with kindness. If he has a need, meet his need. Give him food when he is hungry and water when he is thirsty. It can calm anger in your enemy and in you. It’s hard to give to someone and remain angry with them. This is what the Lord did for us when He gave His life for us and continues to bless us, even though we do things that are offensive to Him. Doing good to an enemy is a difficult and unnatural response. God doesn’t want you getting bitter, hard-hearted, or to ever hold a grudge. If you’re not careful in resolving conflicting matters, you may hold a grudge against someone, and take pleasure in their misfortunes, thinking of the individual only in connection with our injuries. The spark may be confined for years until least expected and then bursts out into an out-of-control flame. When you’re kind to your enemies it shames. Don’t offer them a cold shoulder; offer them a kind hand. That will shame them more than any retaliation we might put up. Honor godly wisdom and the Lord will recompense us (Romans 12:20-21). Paul spoke about investing in your enemy also. This will cause the heart and mind of the enemy to burn with conviction and possibly change. Romans 12:19-21, Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Most people return good for good and evil for evil. We have a higher standard that the Lord has set for us. We are to return good for evil. This requires love and faith that God will work His will in our lives and in theirs. We are to obey the Lord in this matter. I Peter 3:9, Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For all the railing or criticizing you have received from your enemies you return blessings; knowing you will receive the greater reward. Our generosity and kindness would bring about conviction and a change in attitude toward us. Watchman Nee tells about a Chinese Christian who owned a rice paddy next to one owned by a communist man. The Christian irrigated his paddy by pumping water out of a canal, using one of those leg- operated pumps that make the user appear to be seated on a bicycle. Every day, after the Christian had pumped enough water to fill his field, the communist would come out, remove some boards that kept the water in the Christian’s field and let all the water flow down into his own field. That way, he didn’t have to pump. This continued day after day. Finally, the Christian prayed, “Lord, if this keeps up, I’m going to lose all my rice, maybe even my field. I’ve got a family to care for. What can I do?” In answer to his request, the Lord put a thought in his mind. So, the next morning he arose much earlier, in the predawn hours of darkness, and started pumping water into the field of his communist neighbor. Then he replaced the boards and pumped water into his own rice paddy. In a few weeks both fields of rice were doing well—and the communist was converted. This perhaps is something that everybody admires, but very few are willing to imitate. Matthew 5:44, But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; It is difficult to hate and be angry with those who you are praying for. This is one of Jesus’ most difficult commands to obey. Yet, when it is obeyed, it has a powerful effect upon others. Questions to Consider: Who are the first three people who come to mind that you need to love? What are some actions the Holy Spirit has shown you to love and do good to your enemies? Will you decide to do it? Will you do it willingly and joyfully? What actions will you commit to doing today? Points to Ponder: God doesn’t expect you to trust your enemies; He does expect you to forgive them. Never has a man truly conquered his enemies’ heart by revenge; however, many times by love. It is hard for a person to be mean to someone who is being kind and tenderhearted toward them. Don’t worry or concern yourself if your enemy has not regarded all the good you’ve done for him. If you obey this command the enemy has no claim on your life. PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I realize this is a matter of obedience to You. Already some names have come to my mind. Help me to pray for my enemies, and count on You to give me guidance on the helpful ways that I can love them. Help me to treat enemies that come across my path as You commanded. 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 Good Name (Proverbs 22:1)
Proverbs 22:1, A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. Solomon places a priority on the loving favor, acceptance, or approval of men. This approval comes from having a good name and being a person of integrity and character. The Bible mentions two gems of wisdom. A good name and loving favour. A good name (reputation) is to be considered more important than riches and far greater than winning the lottery. It is far better to have a good name than riches. Loving favour refers to having acceptance. The loving favor of people is more valuable than gold and silver. The thought parallels the first. It is better to be acceptable to others than to have large sums of money. One’s reputation and being well thought of is better than wealth. There is no other possession one can have that means more or is worth more than one’s integrity. It’s been said, "If you have integrity, nothing else matters." The man of integrity does what he does because he is what he is. He is the same in public or in private, during times of relative ease or of great pressure. In 1844, Henry Heinz was born to German immigrants in Pittsburg, PA. As a teenager, he helped support his family by growing vegetables in the family garden. Following his college graduation, he married and began selling horse radish. A major financial collapse in 1875 forced his business into bankruptcy. Notwithstanding the legal freedom bankruptcy gave him, Heinz viewed each of the company’s outstanding debts as a moral obligation and personally paid back every penny. Throughout his life Heinz conducted his business and personal dealings with the same integrity that led him to pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars he technically did not have to pay back. Heinz went on to found the H.J. Heinz Company with its 57 varieties and became a leading American businessman. A devout Christian, he was known for the generous treatment of his employees and his generosity to Christian causes. He began his will with these words: “I desire to set forth at the very beginning of this will as the most important item in it a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour.” The importance of maintaining integrity is beyond any financial price. When people are tempted to cut corners, they often do so without realizing the lasting impact that it will have. Each time we do what is required to uphold and protect our testimony we are making a lasting investment in building a good name. There is no more important or permanent inheritance we can leave behind, than the legacy of a good name. Your good name is truly more valuable than great riches. Many have great riches today, but they don't have a good name to go with their wealth. Your good name helps to give you credibility when you speak to others about Jesus Christ and present the Gospel to sinners needing our Saviour. Having a good testimony for Christ should be a major issue with every Christian because our example influences other people for good or bad. We are Christ's ambassadors and are walking Bibles that others are watching or reading. When we are unconcerned about our testimony, we are going to make some sinful choices that we will regret later on in our lives. The damage that we inflict will not only affect us, but also others around us. Some of the damage can have eternal consequences if someone rejects the Lord because of something we did. As the pastor of our church, the reputation of our church is important to me. This is why I try to be careful in what I do. When we behave dishonorably, we lose credibility, especially in areas that involve teaching, preaching, or setting a moral example. It is for this reason, we should strive to have a good name. We are to do our best to have a good name which comes from having integrity, character, love, and Christlikeness. May the Lord help us all to choose a good name and be a good example to others. May they see Jesus Christ in us. Points to Ponder: May we do our best to be the best example we can be for the Lord Jesus Christ. Do your best to have a good name for Christ and for your family. A good name is established by being honest with people. Questions to Consider: How important is your testimony for Christ? Do you guard your testimony? Are you concerned about the example you are setting for others that are watching your life? PRAYER: Lord, help me to have a clean heart and clean hands that my walk in this life will be in absolute integrity. 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. Archives
May 2021
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