God’s Counsels

Our Lord has given us His counsel and wisdom through His Holy Word. We can’t enjoy these benefits of salvation if we don’t pay attention to the Bible and obey it.

O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. (Isa 25:1, emphasis added)

So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels. ¹³“Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! (Ps 81:12-13)

So that your trust may be in the Lord; I have instructed you today, even you. ²⁰Have I not written to you excellent things, of counsels and knowledge, ²¹that I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may answer words of truth to those who send to you? (Pro 22:19-21, underscoring added)

It’s a dangerous thing when man is permitted to walk in his own counsels, according to Psalm 81:12-13, above. Counsels means advice, guidance, assistance, direction or warning.

God’s counsels are blessings in our lives, and we need to recognize this truth. We need to hunger and thirst for His counsels.

The Bible says that God’s counsels are faithfulness and truth. (Isa 25:1) What beautiful and blessed encouragements that the Lord, our God, bestows upon His people!

Faithfulness means truthfulness, reliability, loyalty, and commitment. Truth means reality, integrity, and honesty. What precious blessings these qualities are to all believers who pursue them and desire them!

Only as we obey the Word and fill our hearts with passages from the Bible will we come to know and understand the counsels of God. As we memorize and meditate upon the Word of God, our faith will be strengthened and we will grow in wisdom. We will become qualified to answer with words of truth when people question us about our faith, or about the Bible.

As we honor and obey God’s word, by diligent search and study of God’s Word, we will sow God’s precious counsels into our own lives and hearts. And the longer we walk with and serve the Lord, the more evidence we will see of this taking place in our lives. And we will grow in wisdom, mercy, and understanding. God bless you!

Make Every Effort to Do Good to All

The Bible invites us to do good to everyone.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. (1 Thes 5:15 NIV)

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Gal 6:10)

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord . . . (Heb 12:14)

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. (3 Joh 1:11)

As children of the most High God, we desire to live holy lives that obey the Word of God. We serve a good God who is full of mercy, forgiveness, and love. God has given every believer the blessing of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who leads us and teaches us.

We should:

Strive to do whatever is good—for each other and everyone else;
Never pay back a wrong; never seek revenge;
As we have opportunity, do noble, virtuous, kind things for everyone—especially other believers;
Seek to be at peace with ALL; and
Pursue holiness always.

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, demonstrated “doing good” to all. If we follow His example, and emulate our Prince of Peace, we will be blessed.

Our Lives Reflects our Hearts

All of our actions—whether good and kind or hurtful and evil—flow out of our hearts.

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. (Pro 27:19 NIV, emphasis added)

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (Jam 1:22-25, underscoring added)

. . . he who fashions the hearts of them all, and observes all their deeds. (Ps 33:15 RSV)

For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” (Mk 7:21-23 NIV)

As the Bible tells us, we need to be obedient, active Christians who LIVE THE WORD every single day of our lives. Our lives will surely expose whatever is in our hearts.

This doesn’t imply that we’re perfect and never make mistakes. Absolutely not. It means that we start with a fresh slate every day, and continue loving and serving the Lord Jesus persistently and consistently.

When we do sin, we stop and repent before God. After we have received forgiveness and cleansing, we begin again in perfect fellowship and harmony with the Lord, our merciful Redeemer. Because Jesus lived on earth as a human, He understands the nature of temptation. (Heb 2:18; 4:15; Mt 4:1)

Because we know our own flaws and weaknesses, we’re able to extend mercy and encouragement to others. We know that as we surrender to God’s will and resist the enemy, he must flee from us. (Jam 4:7)

We serve our loving God and the body of Christ by praying for our fellow man, whether believers or unbelievers. We also pray for our civic and government leaders that God will lead them and send them wise counselors, and give us peace on the earth.

As we hide God’s Word and His precious promises in our hearts, our hearts will overflow with the joy, mercy, and love of God. Our faith will be nourished and strengthened. Our daily lives will reveal and replicate the condition of our hearts. Glory to God!

The Blessings of Fellowship

There are great blessings that result from fellowship and unity with other believers. We need the companionship of close friends and relatives who are fellow Christians. Let’s look at the Scriptures.

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up. (Eccl 4:10 NIV)

Here the Bible reminds us that having a close companion or friend will provide us with support, help, and strength.

. . . not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb 10:25)

This passage in Hebrews reminds us that gathering regularly with other believers provides encouragement and validation of our faith as well as support.

Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thes 4:18)

Meeting with other believers provides us with comfort, security, and reassurance.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thes 5:11 RSV) Christian fellowship provides inspiration from the Bible, the nurturing of our faith and the joy which lightens our hearts. What beautiful and loving blessings from God!

Crucify the Earthly Nature

Today’s topic is the earthly nature of man with its passions and desires. The Bible urges us to put to death the deeds of the body.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (Col 3:5 NIV)

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Rom 8:13)

And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Gal 5:24)

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and temporary residents in the world, to abstain from the desires of the sinful flesh, which war against your soul. (1 Pet 2:11 EHV)

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (1 Cor 6:18)

Why do you think the Scriptures urge us in so many passages of the Bible to:

Put to death the earthly nature;
Put to the death the deeds of the body;
Crucify the flesh;
Abstain from desires of the sinful flesh; and to
Flee sexual immortality?

1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Peter 2 state very clearly the reasons why we should obey the Bible:

Because the desires of the flesh war against our own souls; and
The one who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

When we allow the lusts of the flesh to govern our actions, then we sin against our very own bodies. How? Because our bodies have become the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 6:19-20) This type of sin is an offense to our temple and the Holy Guest living within it.

We belong to God, and our individual bodies belong to God. We have chosen to follow Jesus of our own, free will; it hasn’t been forced upon us.

The Lord has sealed each believer and given us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. (2 Cor 1:22)

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Eph 4:30)

We are urged by the Word of God to live a righteous and holy life by the empowering grace of God. (See Rom 12:1; 1 Pet 1:15-16) Since the Lord has given us His gift of grace, we are enabled to live obedient, holy lives. He has given us victory through Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 15:57) Let us celebrate God’s goodness and mercy!

We are called, as followers of Jesus Christ and children of God to glorify God in our bodies and in our spirits. God bless you!

Defend the Destitute & the Oppressed

The Lord has outlined everything in the Bible that believers need to know about life and godliness. (2 Pet 1:3)

The Scriptures appeal to followers of Jesus to defend the destitute and the oppressed—those who can’t speak for or protect themselves.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. (Pro 31:8 NIV)

This verse tells us to uphold (endorse) the rights of the destitute. Destitute means deprived, underprivileged, impoverished, or disadvantaged.

Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. ⁴Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked. (Ps 82:3-4)

In the passage above, the psalmist encourages us to defend:

the poor,
the orphaned,
the afflicted and
the needy

. . . from evil, wicked people as well as from wicked factions, lobbies, programs or organizations.

He does not preserve the life of the wicked, but gives justice to the oppressed. (Job 36:6)

God will ensure that all of the oppressed [tyrannized, persecuted, repressed, tormented] people on the earth will receive His justice. We, His servants, must cooperate with and collaborate with the Lord in this undertaking.

Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. (Ps 146:7)

The Lord achieves justice for the all of the oppressed. Jesus, our Savior, feeds the hungry and liberates the prisoners from every form and every type of imprisonment. Glory to God, most High!

A Light for the Nations

Do you realize that Jesus is the Light for all Nations, and as His disciples and followers, WE are called to shine His light into all of the earth?

For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Act 13:47 NIV)

I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles . . . (Isa 42:6 NIV)

For my eyes have seen Your salvation ³¹which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, ³²a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” (Lk 2:30-32)

How can you shine the light of God’s love and salvation into the world?

By serving the Lord obediently and joyfully;
By sharing your testimonies of how you came to accept Christ as your Savior and about your answered prayers;
By praying for other people’s needs and asking God to bless them and to provide for them;
By testifying to the miracles, signs and wonders that God has performed for you; and
By living a holy lifestyle in obedience to the Scriptures.

Here is a passage from the Bible that gives us some answers:

Do all things without complaining and disputing, ¹⁵that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. (Phil 2:14-16, emphasis added)

God bless you!

God, Our Mighty Warrior

Our God is a mighty warrior who fights for His people and on behalf of His people. What a powerful blessing from God has been granted to us!

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. (Zeph 3:17 NIV)

The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. (Ex 15:3 NIV)

The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. (Ex 14:14)

The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. (Isa 42:13 NIV)

But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. (Jer 20:11 NIV)

A warrior is a soldier, fighter, combatant, and trooper. God tells us that He fights for us and goes before us in battle. (Deu 1:30) This reminds us to follow our Lord and Savior in any battle and never to try to strike out on our own. He is our leader so we need to be responsive to His timing, strategies, and guidance.

The Lord tells us not to fear our enemy because of the fact that God, Himself, fights for us. (Deu 3:22) Since we know that we have the Lord with us—because He never leaves us nor fails us—then we’re able to successfully put a thousand enemy troops on the run! (Josh 23:10) Glory to God!

Sometimes the Lord simply instructs us: “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!” (2 Chron 20:17)

Through the Scripture passages shown above, we recognize that:

Our enemies will stumble and not prevail.
The enemy will fail and be disgraced.
Our Lord, our Warrior, loves us and saves us;
He delights in us, and
He rejoices over us with singing!

All glory and honor and praise be unto God, our Savior! God bless you.

Promote Peace

As disciples of Christ we’re called to promote peace in the world. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:6)

What does it mean to “promote” peace? As servants of the Living God, we are directed to:

Encourage and support,
Sponsor and further,
Advertise,
Elevate and advance peace in every circumstance and situation.

Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy. (Pro 12:20 NIV)

If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. (Lk 10:6 NIV)

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (Ps 34:14)

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Mt 5:9)

Just from this small selection of Bible passages we learn that:

Promoting peace brings joy—not only to us but to everyone involved;
People who sponsor peace will have peace rest upon them;
We should do good by seeking and pursuing peace; and
All peacemakers are blessed children of God. Hallelujah!

An invitation to promote peace is given to every believer in God’s Kingdom. Let us joyfully respond to this appeal from the heart of God.

decidingvoteblog

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

Month: March 2021