Preach on the Housetops

Good day! As a believer in Jesus Christ, what is your calling or assignment in life? Well, I’m sure it’s multi-faceted.

You’re called by God to be a loving and faithful spouse (if married); you’re called to be a loving and responsible parent (if you have kids); you’re to be a good steward of all that God has given to you; you’re to bring glory to God by being a good, diligent worker; AND you’re called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As you can see, we all have multiple responsibilities to fulfill in life. Not the least of these responsibilities, as a servant of Christ, is to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God with everyone as we have opportunity. We need to stir up our resolve from time to time to actually fulfill this crucial responsibility.

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. (Mt 10:27) When the Holy Spirit teaches us something through the Scriptures, He would like us to meditate upon it and pray over it; and then share it with others. In other words, “broadcast” it to the neighborhood.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Mt 28:18-20)

We are given the assignment to preach and to make disciples of all nations! Of course, the Lord will honor our support of our church ministry both in working as a volunteer and in our financial giving. The Lord also considers us as taking part in preaching the gospel when we financially support ministers, evangelists, and missionaries who travel throughout the world sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It’s also a good idea to set a goal of some sort—known only to ourselves and God—of how many people we would like to share a testimony with in a given period of time (i.e., a month or a year).

Any testimony that we share with someone gives them a glimpse of the love and faithfulness of God to us. Our testimony also demonstrates that we have a strong, personal relationship with Jesus, our Savior; so it is clearly a powerful tool to use.

We’re called to preach on the housetops! Be blessed!

Loving God’s Law

Should we really love “God’s law” (synonymous with “God’s Word”)? Yes, we should be devoted to God’s Word and regard it as precious to us. This also means that we choose to live according to and in obedience to God’s Word.

Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. (Ps 119:165) In this verse, the word stumble means to be offended. Studying God’s Word and obeying it will mature us spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. What a beautiful blessing.

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. (Isa 26:3) As we focus on the Lord and His love and goodness, He allows His peace to flow into us and to fill us with assurance.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. (Pro 3:17) This verse is referring to Wisdom, and 1 Corinthians 1:24 reminds us that Christ is the wisdom of God! The ways of Christ are peace-filled and pleasant. Praise His Holy Name!

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 Joh 5:3) This verse reminds us that when we love God, we obey His Word—and do not consider His Word difficult or oppressive.

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; ⁹the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. ¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (Ps 19:8-10) This passage from the Bible points out that God’s Word blesses us in many ways. It:

Gives us joy,
Illuminates concepts of faith for us, and
Is better than gold and sweeter than honey for us.

The entire 119^th Psalm is all about God’s Word and how it is a blessing to all who love it and obey it. Study this Psalm and seriously meditate upon its riches. God bless you!

Benefits of Our Salvation

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Ps 23:6)

We determine that we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and that goodness and mercy shall follow us by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. With that one decision, we also decide to accept all of the benefits and blessings of our salvation—which are unlimited!

Of course, the Bible also informs us that there will be persecution for our faith for which we must be prepared. (Mt 5:44; 10:23; Lk 21:12) But we can and should expect both, especially God’s blessings.

The blessings of salvation are many, varied, and unlimited. You truly need to study the Bible to locate all of the promised blessings, but I love to list at least some of them for people to meditate upon and to rejoice over!

God is our shield and surpassingly great reward (Gen 15:1)
The Lord is our healer (Ex 15:26)
His joy is our strength (Neh 8:10)
Jesus is our Open Heaven (Joh 1:51)
All of God’s promises to us are answered “Yes” and “So be it” through Jesus, our Lord (2 Cor. 1:20)
The Lord gives us a long life (Ps 91:16)
God gives us good things to eat and renews our youth (Ps 103:5)
God gives us an incorruptible inheritance (1 Pet 1:3-4)
God give us eternal life. (Joh 3:15)

These are just a small handful of the benefits of trusting in God and accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Meditate on how much God loves you, and how very much He wants to bless you every single day of your life! Hallelujah!

Extreme Mercy & Forgiveness

And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Ac 7:59-60)

Focus on the extreme mercy and forgiveness that Stephen displayed! Here are people in the process of killing him, and he forgives them and asks the Lord to forgive them. Then he dies. What mercy! What forgiveness! Stephen went to heaven as a martyr for the gospel.

According to Daniel 9:9, mercy and forgiveness belong to God. The Bible says (see below) that mercy and unlimited forgiveness belong to God.

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, because with the Lord there is mercy and with Him there is unlimited forgiveness. (Ps 130:7 GW)

In the church of Jerusalem, Stephen was chosen along with six other men to serve as deacons. As deacons, they would take charge of the gifts of the people, and give assistance to those who were in need, including widows. The criteria for choosing these men was that they had to have the Spirit of God and to have wisdom.

Stephen not only cared for the poor, but he began to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone—Jews and Gentiles both. This conduct enraged some of Jews, who plotted against him.

Clearly, as Stephen shared the Good News, the Holy Spirit used Stephen as an instrument for the Kingdom of God. History records that Stephen, as he ministered to the people, performed signs, wonders, and miracles among them. Glory to God!

Stephen clearly loved and obeyed Jesus Christ, his Savior and example in all things. Stephen emulated the Lord Jesus Christ in his life, work, and even in death.

This is a good moment to reflect upon our own lives; and to determine whether we are allowing mercy and forgiveness to operate in our lives, our responses, and our actions.

Willing & Obedient

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, ¹⁷learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. ¹⁸“Come now, and let us reason together,”
says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. ¹⁹If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land . . . (Isa 1:16-19)

A willing, submissive heart receives blessings from the Lord. There are only two requirements, according to this passage:

Willingness – readiness, acceptance, cooperation, and
Obedience – respect, submission, agreement.

Once we have settled these two issues within ourselves, it only remains that we act in accordance with God’s will and plan for us. We do this because we are committed to trusting God to determine what is best for each one of us, and because we love Him.

Not only does God know what the “good of the land” is; but He knows the precise desires of your heart! Lo and behold! He has also promised to give them to you! (Ps 21:2; 34:4)

The good of the land refers to all of the material blessings that the land can produce. God promises to pour out these wonderful and precious blessings upon His children when He sees our willingness and obedience.

Decide now to give the Lord your heartfelt willingness and obedience, brothers and sisters!

Love in Action

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (1 Joh 3:18)

The Bible reminds us that we must put our love into action. How can we do that? Let’s see what the Bible has to say.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Joh 13:34-35)

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (Joh 14:15)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?” (Mt 5:43-47)

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. (Col 3:12-14)

All of the Bible passages that I’ve shown above talk about love being shown by actions. The Lord asks us to demonstrate our love by:

Loving one another;
Obeying His commandments;
Loving our enemies; blessing those who curse us; doing good to those who hate us; and praying for them;
Putting on tender mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; and
Bearing with one another and forgiving one another.

Love (the bond of perfection) binds all of the qualities of goodness together—which means that love is the source from which all good character traits proceed. Love motivates, sustains, and unites the presence of all good qualities of character.

Essentially, in living this way we demonstrate the concept of putting on Christ.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal 3:27)

The Lord reminded us in His Word that GOD IS LOVE. (1 Joh 4:8) The Lord acts upon His own perfect love for us by constantly surrounding us with His love, grace and blessings.

For more verses about love in action, see: Joh 15:9-10, 13; Rom 5:8; 1 Joh 2:3-6; 3:10-11; 4:7-12; 4:17-20.

A Good Name

What exactly is a “good name”? It means having a good reputation, or being known as a person with a good character. The Bible speaks most favorably about having a good name.

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (Pro 22:1 NIV)

Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. (Pro 3:4 NIV)

A good name is better than fine perfume . . . (Eccl 7:1a NIV)

Ecclesiastes asserts that a good reputation is better than fine perfume! Does that surprise you? Let’s think about this for a little time. Your good name is all about your integrity—your very character.

When people hear your name, what do they think about you? Do they associate your name with timeliness, honesty, and hard work? Or do they think several negative things instead?

Here are some valuable reasons why a good reputation can be considered better than riches.

A good name provides steadiness – A person with a good name means that there are positive character traits the person has. When you’re known for having a good character, it causes other people to trust you and to want to deal with you. Trust is a stabilizing factor in life. In business, people will want to hire you or affiliate themselves with you. In personal life, you will have many trusted friends who will remain friends. A person with a good character is easy to love.
A good name is endless – Think about the many people in history that are spoken of in our time with respect and awe. A good character stays behind when we have gone ahead into eternity. Once we have lived our lives and passed on, what kind of legacy will we have we left behind? How will our children, our family and friends remember us? If we followed Jesus’ example and lived our lives by faith, we can be assured that we will have made a positive contribution to our world.
God bestows loving favor on those who have a good name. – When a person has a good name (a good character), they receive the favor of God and man. (Ps 84:11; Pro 3:1-4; 33-35) People enjoy interactions with those who make them feel good and who interact honorably with them. People will love you for your honesty; they will appreciate your work ethic; and they will respect your sense of integrity. When a person of good character is assaulted, their friends and associates will choose to defend and protect them. People love to unite together to help a person with a good name.

It’s good to stop and take stock, occasionally, of the state of our reputation. Is it in good shape? If not, there’s still time to make changes in your life in order to repair your good name.

Humility and Wisdom

Humility and wisdom are two attributes that are praised in the Scriptures. Blessings are frequently mentioned in connection with them.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Pro 11:2 NIV) Humility and wisdom are frequent companions!

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. (Jas 3:13 NIV) This verse informs us that humility comes from wisdom. As a matter of fact, a person with humility coupled with the fear of the Lord will experience riches, honor, and life. (Pro 22:4)

Toward the scorners He is scornful, but to the humble He gives favor. The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace. (Pro 3:34-35 ESV) To people who are humble, the Lord gives favor; and the Lord bestows honor upon the wise.

Only we are capable of humbling ourselves; no one else can do it for us. When we humble ourselves, the Lord promises to exalt us. (Jas 4:10 NKJV) The Bible reminds us that if we don’t humble ourselves, the Lord will do it for us. (Mt 23:12 ESV)

James 1:5 tells us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it because He will generously answer our prayer. Scriptures state repeatedly the many blessings that God bestows upon those who are wise. See Ps 111:10; Pro 3:13-18; 4:6-7; 14:16; 16:16; 24:3-7; Lk 21:15; Jas 3:17.

Because the end of the ages is approaching, all believers must live carefully and intentionally for the Lord. Let us each take inventory of our strengths and our weaknesses; and if we are lacking in wisdom or humility, take steps to mend our ways.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Eph 5:15-16 ESV)

Whoever Assails You Will Fall

If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. (Isa 54:15 NASB, emphasis added)

The Lord is declaring Himself as our protector and defender in this verse! What a promise—what a breathtaking gift! He says this many times in various ways in the Bible.

Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish. (Isa 41:11 NASB)

For I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children. (Isa 49:25b NKJV)

Contend means to resist, oppose, or challenge. The Lord says that when someone opposes or challenges one of His children, HE will be the One to deal with them. Not only will He save us, but He’ll save our children.

These are wonderful, powerful and precious promises to rely upon. Don’t think that they’re only in the Bible to encourage us and to reassure us. They are provided to us as weapons of our spiritual warfare! (2 Cor 10:4; Eph 6:17 NKJV)

The Bible teaches us that the Word of God is living and powerful—active. It goes on to say that it is sharper than any two-edged sword, able to perceive (detect) the thoughts and purposes of a person’s heart!

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12 NKJV)

Use the Word of God as the weapon that it truly is. Meditate upon it; speak with the Lord about it; and let Him know that you not only believe it but you depend up it to come to pass in your life. Believe the Word and stand upon it by faith.

Your faith and trust in Him and in His Word will please the Lord as well as improve your life immeasurably.

decidingvoteblog

You are the Deciding Vote! In your life, you can make decisions that will help you and bless you.

Month: October 2019