Devotion Thoughts - 05/05/2011

Judges 21:1-25

With a little more effort the tribe of Benjamin could have been wiped out forever; that is how little thought the other tribes gave to the matter. When they realised how close it was to extinction they were horrified. We should always think carefully before acting.
Fortunately, God is in control; even if we make mistakes He can help us to rectify things. That is why there was still a remnant of the tribe left to use to revive the Benjamites.
We should beware of thinking we are doing everything right. If everyone thought that way and acted accordingly there would be chaos in the country (21:25).

Ruth 1:1-22

In spite of a sense of bitterness over her great losses, and a feeling that God has abandoned her (v. 1.21), Naomi never turned her back on the Lord. This was in Peter's thinking when he told Jesus that they, the disciples, had no one else to turn to (John 6:68); or Job who, in spite of all his troubles, never stopped honouring God (Job 6:68).
Naomi, Job and Peter all ended up greatly blessed by the Lord. There is no doubt that we will also be blessed after enduring trials (James 1:2-4).

John 4:4-42

Sometimes you seem to be on one of life's by-roads that leads nowhere, and are puzzled as to what the purpose is. Ask God to show you His purpose; you will then realise that it is, after all, necessary that you go through a personal Samaria (v. 4:4). Nothing happens by chance. Allow God to help you work through any situation you find yourself in. He wants to use you to bring living water into the lives of others (v. 4:41)!

Psalm 105:1-15

When under trials we tend to forget the many marvellous things God has done for us, and become negative under new trials (v.105:5). Fortunately God is not forgetful; we can rely on Him to always remember the promises He makes to us (v.105:8).

Proverbs 14:25

The Bible teaches that Satan is already a loser; God is currently allowing him liberty during which to test us until the end of time, when he will receive his come-uppance.
Satan is a liar and a deceiver; those who choose to believe him are in big trouble. Rather trust God, the true Witness, if you want deliverance!

---

Powered by Zoundry Raven

Devotion Thoughts - 21/04/2011

Joshua 22:21-34


There was almost a civil war until the situation was clarified. We must always find out the facts before we try to assess a situation. The Lord's guidance should always be invoked (v.23). Explaining our misinterpreted intentions can be an opportunity to witness for the Lord (v.34). In fact, we must use every opportunity to glorify the Lord in the presence of others.


Joshua 23:1-16


In summing up what has happened in his lifetime, Joshua takes no credit whatsoever; he gives all glory to God as follows:


The Lord fought for you (v.3). The land is allocated as promised by God; the inhabitants driven out by Him (vv.4-5).


Now it was Israel's opportunity to do something for God, namely, obey His laws. That would be the smart thing to do, because it would mean ongoing blessings (v.15a). Having seen how greatly God had blessed them, to disobey was a bad option (vv.15b-16). Surprisingly, Israel did disobey.


Luke 20:27-47


The supposedly knowledgeable Sadducees misunderstood the scripture, so Jesus enlightened them. Such people, who are supposed to know better, yet who need enlightenment, surround us. Are we able to enlighten others? We will be able to if we allow God to use us for the purpose.


In verse 38 we read that God is the God of the living. That is, from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, through David, and right up to ourselves. Believers are alive forever, for eternal life begins as soon as they are born again; the death of the body does not affect the life of the believer's spirit (2 Corinthians 5:8); we are not affected by the 'second death' (Revelation 20:6). Non-believers have to endure the second death.


Psalm 89:14-37


God is to be exalted for His power and mercy. He empowers His servants, like David (v.21) and us, for whatever He wants done.


It does not matter that there is no king sitting on Israel's throne at present. The Bible's genealogical records show that Jesus is a descendant of King David, the seed that shall be established forever (v. 36). One day, I hope very soon, Jesus is coming back to rule upon 'David's' throne - forever!


It should not really hassle us that we do not see hoped-for blessings right now; God has everything in hand, and His blessings will be ours one day! Hallelujah!


Proverbs 13:17-19


We have all met people who are nasty and intractable; working with such is a burden. What a difference when someone is F-A-T; that is: Faithful, Available, and Teachable. God loves having fellowship with him/her.

I made up this little line to encapsulate these thoughts:


"The unreliable are undesirable,


but what a pleasure to work with a treasure!"

---

MINI MESSAGES - The Christian's Warfare

The Christian's Warfare
'The prayer of a righteous man availeth much', or, in my words,
'The prayer of a righteous man is powerfully effective [for overcoming
adverse situations]' (James 5:16). We might ask: 'Aren't all Christians righteous?' Answer: They are righteous in that all their sins are forgiven thanks to Jesus bearing them on Himself at the cross, but on a daily basis too many Christians do not allow the Spirit to control them, preferring to follow their own desires. One sign that the carnal nature controls them is a lack of love for others, including fellow Christians.
So if Christians want to be righteous in order to become effective and powerful in prayer, how must they go about it? They must work actively together with the Holy Spirit within them, allowing Him to point out the shortcomings that prevent them from being completely righteous, and co-operating with Him in eliminating them from their lives. Most Christians think of spiritual warfare only as being against the evil rampant in the world. That is an important part of the warfare, but it is usually fought ineffectively because of sin ruling their lives. God does not want to play second fiddle to the desires of Christians; He wants to rule and use them to the full. To be effective against the unrighteousness of the world Christians must first overcome unrighteousnesses in their own lives. The Spirit within them needs their willing co-operation in the elimination of all inner unrighteousness. That takes persistent effort, unceasing war against their inner, carnal nature.
My thoughts were drawn along these lines upon hearing a former practising homosexual tell about being convicted about homosexuality being a sin, and co-operating with the Holy Spirit to overcome it in himself. Today he is a married man, has three children, and is blessed with an effective ministry of helping others to overcome their homosexual tendencies.
But it is not only about homosexuality. Christians must (my words) put to death [get rid of] the carnal things in them: 'sexual immorality [including homosexuality], impurity, lust, evil desires, and covetousness', (Colossians 3:5, with verse 8 adding) 'anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication [dirty jokes, swearing, blasphemy] out of your mouth'. With the help of the Holy Spirit active warfare against these additional sins will bring victory - and righteousness. Then comes power in prayer!

MM 1: Is it possible to understand the Bible without the Holy Spirit’s guidance?

Some relevant scripture verses [given in my words for greater clarity].
John 1:12 To as many as received Him [Jesus, as Saviour and Lord] He gave the authority to become the children of God, to all who believe on His name.

John 3:6-7 Flesh produces flesh; only the Spirit can give birth to spirit [in believers]… So you must not be surprised by Me [Jesus] saying to you that you must be ‘born again’ [i.e. born of the Spirit].

Galatians 4:6 Because you have become sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, so now you can call Him [God] ‘Abba’, which means ‘Father’!

Romans 8:9 You, however, are not [i.e. no longer] of the flesh but under the control of the Spirit [ever] since God's Spirit lives in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ [living in him], he does not belong to Him [God].

John 16:3. However, when the Spirit of truth [another name for God’s Holy Spirit] enters your heart He will guide you into all truth [about the Bible, God, Jesus etc].

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture [not just selected parts] is inspired by God and is useful for teaching doctrine, for reproving sinfulness, for correcting false teaching, and for teaching righteous living.

What these scriptures teach:
(This is actually what the Gospel – the Good News – is about!)

1. We need to become a child of God. As per John 1:12 we need to believe that Jesus came to be the Saviour of all who acknowledge that they are sinners not worthy to enter God’s Kingdom. We have already been born of the flesh; we must still be ‘born again’, this time of the Spirit, as stated in John 3:6-7.

2. Once we have confessed our sins and asked Jesus to be our Saviour we are ‘born again’. Simultaneously we become children (sons and daughters) of God. Because we are cleansed of all sin, thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary, we have become a fit temple for God’s Holy Spirit to dwell in us. From within us He becomes our Counsellor, Guide, Teacher, and Comforter, and we can call God ‘our Father’; just some of the things the Spirit does for us. That is the teaching in Galatians 4:6.

3. Some ‘Christians’, including church ministers and theologians, might try to persuade you that you don’t need to be born again to get into heaven; that to live a ‘good’ life for God is sufficient. It is not. Jesus said we must be born again for the Spirit of God to live in us. Romans 8:9 states that if the Spirit of Christ is not in us we are not children of God. Either you have the Spirit of God in you or you don’t. Make sure you are born again and have the witness of the presence of the Holy Spirit in you!
4. Once you are born again you will have the Holy Spirit living in you. He will teach you all the truth that you need to know about the Bible and its teachings. And because the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16) He will teach it correctly. He will never teach anything contrary to what He has inspired the writers of the Bible to write. So called ‘Christians’ who are not born again and are not led by the Spirit tend to cast aspersions on Bible teachings and live contrary to them.


SUMMARY: No one will understand God’s Word without the guidance of the Holy Spirit living in him or her.


May God help you to learn and apply these truths to your life!