Month: November 2023

Seek to Do Good to Your Neighbor

Seek to Do Good to Your Neighbor

Our topic today is a key concept for all believers because God did not save each of us for our own benefit, alone.  He wants to use our lives to help other people.

The Scriptures point the way for us; let’s read.

Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.  (1 Cor 10:24 ESV)

 . . . just as I try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.  (1 Cor 10:33 RSV)

Do not be concerned about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others.  (Phil 2:4 ISV)

It’s important for Christians to think about others.  How can we help other people to hear the Good News of Jesus?  How can we be a blessing to others and help them to trust God?  How can we, like Jesus did, show God’s kindness to others?

One way is to pray for them, especially when they have pain or sickness.  Don’t get all complicated and deep with your prayer!  Keep it simple, direct, and heartfelt.  Our goal is to show God’s kindness and love to the person for whom we are praying.  Simply say something like:  “Lord, we thank You that you love [say person’s name], and that Your Word says that You are our Healer God.  We pray that You release Your healing power upon [say person’s name] right now, and remove all sickness, pain, and disease right now, in Jesus Name.  Amen.”

Because the Lord has set Christians free from the evil forces that formerly controlled us, we are now free to serve the Lord.  One way to be of service is to help others, to bless others, and to pray for others.

We can opt to clean the house for an elderly neighbor or take another neighbor to the grocery store; we can bake a cake or a loaf of bread and share it with someone who needs cheering up; we can make a gift of a book or a worship CD that we know someone would enjoy.  There are many and various ways to bless other people and to show God’s love and kindness to the unsaved. Just review the gifts and inclinations that God has given to you, individually, and think about how you can be a blessing.  Think about how you can impact your world for good and for the kingdom of God right now!  Glory to God!

A Threefold Cord

A Threefold Cord

There is strength in numbers!  A threefold cord is stronger than a single or twofold cord.  This is also applicable to our spiritual lives as we can see from these Bible passages.

Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.  (Eccl 4:12 NKJV)

. . . making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  (Eph 4:3 NET)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.  (Dan 3:16-17 NLT)

When believers stand together with other believers and Christian friends and loved ones, we become stronger and more useful.  In truth, there are practical benefits to having fellow believers as friends. 

For the sake of love, it is a blessing to introduce all of our loved ones to the Good News of Jesus Christ, and to ask the Lord to pour out His grace upon them to enable them to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord.  The more believers there are in a family, the stronger that family becomes in living for Christ and having an impact for the kingdom of God.

The image of the three-fold cord is often used at wedding ceremonies.  This is why believers are encouraged to marry fellow believers, so that they can support each other in their faith and in their Christian walk.  When two believers add the blessing of the presence of God to their marriage, it becomes the strong, threefold cord that is the focus of our study today.

Thank God for our fellow believers in our families, as well as in our circle of friends.  Pray for one another daily, and rejoice in being able to share your faith with one another!  God bless you.

Confidence before God

Confidence before God

This is a topic especially for believers!  We need to persist in our spiritual journey and to maintain a close spiritual relationship with our Savior.

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.  (1 Joh 2:28 KJV)

Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God . . . (1 Joh 3:21 NASB)

This is how love is made perfect in us: that we can be without fear on the day God judges us, because in this world we are like him.  (1 Joh 4:17 NCV)

When we walk closely with the Lord and rely upon Him daily, we receive at least two benefits and blessings.  One is confidence in our relationship with the Lord and in our salvation.  Secondly, we won’t need to be ashamed of our lives or our holy lifestyles because we have walked closely with the Lord.

When Jesus appears in the clouds, we may have confidence in His many, great, and precious promises to us.   They will all be fulfilled!  Hallelujah!

Comfort for Those Who Suffer

Comfort for Those Who Suffer

Christians may suffer persecution for believing in Christ and for teaching or talking about Him to others.  The Bible tells us that the Lord showers us with His comfort through this type of suffering.  Let’s turn to the Bible.For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.  (2 Cor 1:5 NLT)I am glad I can suffer for you. I am pleased also that in my own body I can continue the suffering of Christ for his body, the church.  (Col 1:24 CEV). . . to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death . . .  (Phil 3:10 MEV)Another approach to this subject is possible:  since Christ suffered so profusely for us then we may comprehend that His comfort will be just as rich, generous, and bountiful.  Thank the Lord most High!The truth is that every Christian lives daily “in Christ” so that all of our experiences are lived “in Christ” and through the filter of His presence, His love, and His grace in our lives.  Therefore, we will encounter daily circumstances where we may think like Christ; react like Christ; speak like Christ; and become more and more like Him.Our goal is to receive the comfort that we need through our relationship with Jesus Christ, and to lovingly offer that same comfort to others.  Grow in God today, dear brothers and sisters!

The Lord Created All Things

The Lord Created All Things

The Lord is established as CREATOR in John 1:3.  The universe is the product of an intelligent Creator.  God created everything by speaking! 

Let’s look at various Scriptures about this topic.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  (Joh 1:3 NIV)

For by him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether they are kings, lords, rulers, or powers.  All things have been created through him and for him.  (Col 1:16 ISV)

“You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”  (Rev 4:11 NKJV)

Jesus is the Word through whom God created everything!  Notice our next verse:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (Joh 1:14 NIV)

God the Father created all things in heaven and earth through the living Word—Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the Living Word!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  (Joh 1:1-5 NIV, underscoring added)

We have the privilege and honor to worship and to serve the living God—the Living Word!  Hallelujah!

Seed Sown Among Thorns

Seed Sown Among Thorns

In the parable of the Sower, the Lord demonstrated that thorns act as a growth restraint against good seed sown.  The seed is the Word of God.  The ‘thorny ground’ gives us an illustration of a person who hears the word, yet the acquisitiveness of their lifestyle slows spiritual maturity, and as a result, no spiritual fruit is able to grow.

Let’s turn to the Scriptures on this topic.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.  (Mt 13:22 RSV)

The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. 19 But they start worrying about the needs of this life. They are fooled by the desire to get rich and to have all kinds of other things. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything.  (Mk 4:18-19 CEV)

And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of life, and do not bear ripe fruit.  (Lk 8:14 LSB)

The Word of God, itself, judges the condition of the ‘soil’ of each and every person’s heart!  When a person hears the Word of God preached, their response to that Word and the fruit that they produce testifies to the condition of the ‘soil’ of their heart!

The ‘cares of the world’ and the ‘delight in riches’ are not descriptions of persecution, life-reducing illness, or of life’s tragedies.  These are just the typical daily demands of busy, modern lives. 

So, a person who has ‘thorny soil’ in his or her heart is someone who just doesn’t feel that they have the attentiveness, leeway in their schedule or the vitality to dedicate themselves to a committed relationship with Jesus Christ, nor a deep desire to serve the Kingdom of God.

We each must judge our own heart concerning this commitment.  May God continue to bless you and to pour out His loving grace upon you.

Cling to the Lord

Cling to the Lord

The Bible encourages all believers to cling to the Lord as One whom we love and rejoice in, trust and unburden our hearts to, and from whom we have great prospects.  These are the basic and necessary conditions for a fitting relationship with the Lord. 

The Bible says this:

You are to fear the Lord your God and serve him. Cling to him and swear by his name.  (Deut 10:20 ISV)

You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.  (Deut 13:4 NKJV)

. . . so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects—bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God . . .  (Col 1:10 NET)

These Bible passages teach us our duty to God and our duty to ourselves, as believers and followers of Jesus Christ.

Scriptures are given to us to bless us, teach us, and to benefit us.  Through the Bible, the Lord is teaching us about Himself and about His ways.  He is teaching and exhorting us to live holy lives that will bless not only our neighbors and our communities, but will also bring the blessings of God upon ourselves and our families. 

The more that we pay attention to and obey God’s Word, the more blessed our lives and the lives of other people will be.  Glory to God most High!

Avoid Undisciplined Believers

Avoid Undisciplined Believers

There are verses in the Bible that tell believers and followers of Jesus Christ to keep away from a brother or sister who lives an unruly life.  This is especially talking about those believers who would NOT WORK in Thessalonica because they had decided to rebel against Paul’s teachings about work.

They were out-of-step with their brethren and defiant toward the apostle’s teachings.  This is NEVER a good combination for a believer to adopt.  It also meant that these lazy, idle people were living off of their hard-working brothers and sisters. 

Apparently, another aspect of these out-of-step believers was that they were busybodies, going round spreading gossip and perhaps some false teachings, as well.  Let’s look at some pertinent Bible passages.

If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.  (Mt 18:17 NIV)

Brothers and sisters, we command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to stay away from every brother or sister who lives an undisciplined life that is not in line with the traditions that you received from us.  (2 Thes 3:6 CEB)

If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of him. Have nothing to do with him so that he will feel ashamed. Yet, don’t treat him like an enemy, but warn him like a brother.  (2 Thes 3:14-15 ISV)

Biblical love seeks the highest good of the loved one, namely, that he or she might be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. If a believer is disobeying God’s written commandments, it’s not loving on the part of the brethren to let this person go on without correcting them.

If a believer doesn’t work when he or she is able-bodied, it’s a damaging witness to the unbelieving world, who notices such things. 

In order to correct a brother or sister in Christ, the person or persons doing the correction must be living an upright life that is an example of godliness, and must also approach the task with a genuine spirit of humility and gentleness.   When the apostle Paul traveled in order to share the Good News, he worked hard and supported himself so that he wouldn’t be a burden on anyone else.  In this manner, he was an example of financial integrity; and therefore, he had a legitimate platform to encourage others to reach the same level of integrity. Have a blessed day!

Know Nothing Except the Cross

Know Nothing Except the Cross

The apostle Paul said that He resolved—or decided—not to focus upon or talk about anything other than Jesus Christ and his crucifixion. 

He was not going to be tricked into having conversations about philosophy or various ideologies.  Paul had made a decision to discuss and illuminate only the topic of Jesus’ sacrifice for mankind!

Let’s look at the Scriptures on this subject.

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  (1 Cor 2:2 NIV)

Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross.  (Gal 3:1 NLT)

But may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world!  (Gal 6:14 ISV)

The heart of the gospel of salvation is that Christ died IN OUR PLACE for our sins by paying the penalty for our sins.  Then He rose from the dead to conquer the death that the penalty incurred. What a wonderful gift from God!  What faith Jesus displayed in His Father!

If this truth is not communicated successfully by all believers, then we have a counterfeit gospel and a spurious method for imparting the what should be good news.  So, we can clearly see that this is a very important aspect of the Christian life.  God bless you and give you wisdom.