Amos 3:7
Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.
God loves us, and He will never pull a surprise on us unawares. He always has recorded in His Word, the Bible, the plan He has set into motion in this whole Universe to run in an orderly fashion, and told us how to cooperate with the way He has designed this Earth to operate. He did not leave anything to Chance: He decided all the parameters and set into play all the operations of how this world is to run. And He wants us to follow His Manufacturer's Instructions in obeying all the rules, all the principles that are open for us all to see and learn. Then we will enjoy all the blessings, all the bounty this Earth can give us.
And He also told us what the consequences would be if we disobey, if we try to make our own decisions against how He made things to run. When we ignore Him and His ways, we encounter troubles, trials and griefs; we find that violence increases and freedoms are denied; we see both our Nations and our personal lives and families destroyed. Just like He said would happen.
Even when the World happens on His principles by accident and follow them, they reap the same bounty of this Earth. That's how He designed it. So it is our choice. We can consult the Owner's Manual to discern the "right" way to do things, or we can consider ourselves smart enough to decide for ourselves instead, and suffer the consequences.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Saturday, June 18, 2016
God's Principle Of The Tithe
Nehemiah 10:37, 38
...The Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns.
...And the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse.
God gave His laws and commandments and rules to His people so they could be an example to the rest of the world of how cooperating with the way God made this world to operate will bring its benefits and its bounty to them. All through the whole Bible we learn that to follow God's ways will bring us the blessings of the Lord.
Here we see the principle of the tithe. The people pay their tithes on their income to the Levites who are local in all the rural towns, then the Levites pay their own tithes on this income to the Priests at the Temple. So everyone prospers when this is followed. My local church follows this principle: our members give our tithes to the church, and the church gives a tithe of this income back to God by financing other ministries and missions that serve one another and the world. And my church is prospering, even through these "hard times."
I can testify to my own experience. My family began to tithe when we were "poor," when I had to prioritize my bill-paying, deciding which bills I could put off and how much I could pay on others. I knew that we couldn't "afford" to tithe, so I took God's share out first, then prioritized the rest as per usual. After a while I noticed that I didn't need to prioritize my bills any longer, as I was paying them each week. We didn't have any increase in income, nor any reduction in our bills, but God "stretched" the 90% to cover more than what the 100% was covering before we were tithing! I still don't know how He did it, but I've been thankful ever since, and God did prosper my family through the years and decades. And I still trust Him to meet all my needs, as I need.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
...The Levites are they who receive the tithes in all the rural towns.
...And the Levites shall bring up the tenth of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse.
God gave His laws and commandments and rules to His people so they could be an example to the rest of the world of how cooperating with the way God made this world to operate will bring its benefits and its bounty to them. All through the whole Bible we learn that to follow God's ways will bring us the blessings of the Lord.
Here we see the principle of the tithe. The people pay their tithes on their income to the Levites who are local in all the rural towns, then the Levites pay their own tithes on this income to the Priests at the Temple. So everyone prospers when this is followed. My local church follows this principle: our members give our tithes to the church, and the church gives a tithe of this income back to God by financing other ministries and missions that serve one another and the world. And my church is prospering, even through these "hard times."
I can testify to my own experience. My family began to tithe when we were "poor," when I had to prioritize my bill-paying, deciding which bills I could put off and how much I could pay on others. I knew that we couldn't "afford" to tithe, so I took God's share out first, then prioritized the rest as per usual. After a while I noticed that I didn't need to prioritize my bills any longer, as I was paying them each week. We didn't have any increase in income, nor any reduction in our bills, but God "stretched" the 90% to cover more than what the 100% was covering before we were tithing! I still don't know how He did it, but I've been thankful ever since, and God did prosper my family through the years and decades. And I still trust Him to meet all my needs, as I need.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, June 17, 2016
Change My Attitude
Genesis 16:9
Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit yourself to her authority."
God told Hagar to change her attitude. It was Hagar's negative attitude toward Sarai that caused Sarai's mistreatment of Hagar, that Hagar was running away from. As a purchased slave in that time and culture, Hagar knew that Sarai was her boss, and had the authority of life and death over her. Today we don't understand that, but Hagar did. It was not just dysfunction that she introduced into this family by her attitude, it could have been very dangerous to her, as well. But a key to healing relationships lay with the one who first decided to react negatively to family members. When Hagar changed her attitude and returned to Sarai and submitted to her authority over her, then the family was able to function again.
I need to always be careful to watch my own attitudes, and not automatically react to others negatively. I need to pause and remember to consider how my response will be received. I don't want to be the one to cause any family or friendship problems.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress and submit yourself to her authority."
God told Hagar to change her attitude. It was Hagar's negative attitude toward Sarai that caused Sarai's mistreatment of Hagar, that Hagar was running away from. As a purchased slave in that time and culture, Hagar knew that Sarai was her boss, and had the authority of life and death over her. Today we don't understand that, but Hagar did. It was not just dysfunction that she introduced into this family by her attitude, it could have been very dangerous to her, as well. But a key to healing relationships lay with the one who first decided to react negatively to family members. When Hagar changed her attitude and returned to Sarai and submitted to her authority over her, then the family was able to function again.
I need to always be careful to watch my own attitudes, and not automatically react to others negatively. I need to pause and remember to consider how my response will be received. I don't want to be the one to cause any family or friendship problems.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Set A Guard Over My Mouth, O Lord
Psalm 141:3
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.
David was wise to ask God's help to control his words. So often the words we say are not helpful. We all need to pay attention to what we say, and not to spew forth whatever comes into our mind. We need to let God put a guard over our mouth, and consider how our words will be received by the hearer.
I remember praying on my way to my daughter's, because my attitude toward her was critical. So I asked God to give me His words, and keep me from speaking in a negative manner to her. And when I got there I heard myself complimenting her instead of criticizing her. It was all God and none of me.
God will always answer our prayers when prayed according to His will for us. And I need not be surprised when He does exactly what I asked Him to do, in me, for me and through me. And He will do the same for every one of His children.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.
David was wise to ask God's help to control his words. So often the words we say are not helpful. We all need to pay attention to what we say, and not to spew forth whatever comes into our mind. We need to let God put a guard over our mouth, and consider how our words will be received by the hearer.
I remember praying on my way to my daughter's, because my attitude toward her was critical. So I asked God to give me His words, and keep me from speaking in a negative manner to her. And when I got there I heard myself complimenting her instead of criticizing her. It was all God and none of me.
God will always answer our prayers when prayed according to His will for us. And I need not be surprised when He does exactly what I asked Him to do, in me, for me and through me. And He will do the same for every one of His children.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Be Not Afraid Or Discouraged
II Chronicles 20:15
He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.'"
Do not be afraid or discouraged --
Fear and discouragement are never from God. The most repeated commandment in the whole Bible is "Do not fear." Being afraid betrays a lack of trust in God, in His love and His provisions to release us from whatever armies are pursuing and attacking us.
The battle is not yours, but God's. --
We never need to fight on our own against the adversary. When we give God the credit due Him and praise Him, focusing on Him instead of the opposing army, then God works on our behalf to take away the danger (vs.21-23), and results in our gaining a benefit (vs. 24-26). It took them three days to gather up all the plunder!
God will always give us the victory over our enemies, forces much stronger and numerous than we could ever face on our own. Just trust Him to do it, believe He will, then stand back and watch Him work!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's.'"
Do not be afraid or discouraged --
Fear and discouragement are never from God. The most repeated commandment in the whole Bible is "Do not fear." Being afraid betrays a lack of trust in God, in His love and His provisions to release us from whatever armies are pursuing and attacking us.
The battle is not yours, but God's. --
We never need to fight on our own against the adversary. When we give God the credit due Him and praise Him, focusing on Him instead of the opposing army, then God works on our behalf to take away the danger (vs.21-23), and results in our gaining a benefit (vs. 24-26). It took them three days to gather up all the plunder!
God will always give us the victory over our enemies, forces much stronger and numerous than we could ever face on our own. Just trust Him to do it, believe He will, then stand back and watch Him work!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Both To Will And To Work
Philippians 2:13
For it is God --
Not us, this is at His initiative, not ours.
Who is at work in you --
God is doing something inside us.
Both to will --
God puts the "want to" into our minds and emotions for us to desire what He wants for us.
And to work --
God also gives us the power, authority and ability to do the things He wants us to do, through His Spirit; things we could never accomplish on our own.
For His good pleasure. --
God is good, and how God planned and designed this Universe and this World to work is for our good. When He sees what He made operating well, that gives Him pleasure. When we do the things He planned for us to accomplish in His strength, then He is "having fun with His toy" (Big Boys have Big Toys), deriving pleasure, and we get the benefits.
Isn't it wonderful how God designed this Earth to function, and when we follow His rules for living, the result is beneficial to us here in this life; and God will even reward us eternally for doing what He enables us to do here. He is such a Good God!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For it is God --
Not us, this is at His initiative, not ours.
Who is at work in you --
God is doing something inside us.
Both to will --
God puts the "want to" into our minds and emotions for us to desire what He wants for us.
And to work --
God also gives us the power, authority and ability to do the things He wants us to do, through His Spirit; things we could never accomplish on our own.
For His good pleasure. --
God is good, and how God planned and designed this Universe and this World to work is for our good. When He sees what He made operating well, that gives Him pleasure. When we do the things He planned for us to accomplish in His strength, then He is "having fun with His toy" (Big Boys have Big Toys), deriving pleasure, and we get the benefits.
Isn't it wonderful how God designed this Earth to function, and when we follow His rules for living, the result is beneficial to us here in this life; and God will even reward us eternally for doing what He enables us to do here. He is such a Good God!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, June 13, 2016
To Live Is Christ
Philippians 1:21
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. --
Paul dedicated his whole life to the one, singular purpose of promoting and proclaiming Christ Jesus. He lived his life the way Jesus would have, in his shoes. So he could say, for him to live his life is Christ working through him, every moment of every day.
Could I say that about my own life?
And to die is to receive all the eternal rewards he had earned, but even more, to be with his Lord who he had loved and served and suffered on account of all his life. All would prove to be worth the great eternal gain of benefits that he will be enjoying forever.
O Father, turn my eyes to look upon You in all You are doing in me, through me, and all over this World. Let me rejoice in not only Your benefits here, but also in the sorrows and sufferings that accompany living here. I yearn for You, for You are my Source and my supply and my Sustainer. You are Life and Light, and with You are joys forevermore!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. --
Paul dedicated his whole life to the one, singular purpose of promoting and proclaiming Christ Jesus. He lived his life the way Jesus would have, in his shoes. So he could say, for him to live his life is Christ working through him, every moment of every day.
Could I say that about my own life?
And to die is to receive all the eternal rewards he had earned, but even more, to be with his Lord who he had loved and served and suffered on account of all his life. All would prove to be worth the great eternal gain of benefits that he will be enjoying forever.
O Father, turn my eyes to look upon You in all You are doing in me, through me, and all over this World. Let me rejoice in not only Your benefits here, but also in the sorrows and sufferings that accompany living here. I yearn for You, for You are my Source and my supply and my Sustainer. You are Life and Light, and with You are joys forevermore!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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