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1 Kings 17:1-7
We could have called the title to this message “When in Drought, Do Not Doubt.” How many Christians have hit a "dry patch" during their ministry or walk with the Lord, and often we could not understand the reasoning why this has happened? In the previous chapter, we learn that Ahab is now king of Israel. Unfortunately, he was worse than all the other kings before him. Each king prior to Ahab became worse than the one before. Ahab married Jezebel who led him into worshiping Baal. People that worshiped Baal thought that Baal made it rain and provided good harvests. Ahab had provoked God more than all the other kings before him. Now enters Elijah. We do not know from where or from whom Elijah was from, but we do know that he was a man subject to like passions as we are. God uses different people for different circumstances. God knows who to send to work for specific situations, and Elijah was the one that fit the bill.
So, Elijah steps up to this wicked king and pronounces that a drought (neither dew nor rain for some years) would take place, and that the drought would not end until you hear from me (according to my word), which ended up being about three and a half years. I can just imagine the look on Ahab’s face. ‘Who is this guy and who does he think he is’ probably came to Ahab’s mind. Ahab had a mighty army, but neither the army nor all his Baal priests could defend against a drought. Elijah tells Ahab that the Lord Jehovah is the God of Israel, whom Ahab had neglected; that he is a living God, dislike the dead divine beings he adored; that he himself was God's worker and courier sent from God Himself: "as the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand"; and that God was disappointed with them for their excessive idolatry and would chide them for it by the need of rain (are there any of the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain?).
Now God sends Elijah to the brook Cherith that was before Jordan. He is to hide himself there and drink from the brook and that the ravens would feed him. Isn’t it wonderful to know that even during a dry time in our lives, the Lord provides life giving water and that He is the living bread of life? God used the ravens, and unclean animal, to bring food to Elijah. What man might see as something unfit, God can and does use to work out His purpose. We do not know how many ravens came nor how much they brought. It was enough. Twice a day they brought food to Elijah. Notice that the scriptures do not mention Elijah’s concern or questioning God as to why these unclean birds of prey were feeding him? He gratefully accepted it for he knew God would supply.
We can look at these verses as: A time of training or a time of preparation for a trial or task We do this by prayer and studying God’s Word.
A time for nourishment or replenishment Grow and increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
A time of rest from a trial or task.
Either way, we may be in a situation like this for a reason or for only a season. When we are called or sent to a place for solitude, as Elijah was, when we apparently cannot be useful or work for God at a place or time, we must be patient and sit still, waiting patiently for God to lead us to where He wants us to be. We are simply dried up brooks except the Word of God is moving through us. Where would we be without the living water of Christ flowing through us? For those of us who do not know Christ as Lord and Savior, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.
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1 Samuel 3:1–10
Have we fallen asleep spiritually? God is calling us to wake up, so what are we to do? Can we see any similarities with our Scripture and Christians today? Our passage of Scripture finds Samuel and Eli to be a little older, but Samuel is still referred to as a boy. Samuel hears his name called while he is sleeping in the temple just before dawn. He quickly approaches Eli, who tells him to return to bed. Samuel is informed by Eli that it is the Lord the third time it occurs. Samuel is informed by the Lord that Eli and his family will be subject to judgment because Eli failed to prevent his sons from blasphemy against the Lord. In verses 1-5: Despite the fact that God had spoken straightforwardly and perceptibly with Moses and Joshua, God’s Word had become uncommon during the three centuries of rule by judges. By the time Eli was High Priest, there were no prophets speaking God's messages to the children of Israel. Eli's children either would not tune in to God or gave into greed which impeded any correspondence with God. Hearing God speak to us and acknowledging Him is essential in building a relationship with him. God does not generally utilize the sound of a human voice, but he always talks plainly through his Word. In order to obtain God’s messages, we should be prepared to hear him and to follow up on what he is telling us. Like Samuel, we should be prepared to state ‘Here am I’ when God summons us to work.
The Ark of the Covenant was kept in the Most Holy Place, the deepest room of the Tabernacle where just the High Priest could enter but one time each year. Before the Most Holy Place was the Holy Place, a little room where the other hallowed furniture of the Tabernacle was kept (the altar of incense, the table of shewbread, the lampstand). Right outside the Holy Place was a court with little rooms where the priests were to remain. Samuel presumably rested there with different priests, a couple of yards from the Ark. The Lord calls Samuel and Eli thinks that Samuel is dreaming and sends him back to bed. This happens twice. In verses 6-10: One would normally anticipate that a discernible message from God should be given to the priest Eli and not to Samuel a child. We need to note that Samuel would not have been working in the Tabernacle as a small child. He was probably in his early teenage years. Eli was more seasoned and increasingly experienced, and he held the correct position. Nevertheless, God’s levels of leadership depend upon faith and trust. His perspective on power did not go in hand with a person’s age or position. When discovering steadfast followers, God may utilize unforeseen channels. Be ready for the Lord to work at wherever, whenever, and through anybody He selects.
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord. This tells me that God must have been calling him to salvation. Salvation must come first before one can work for the Lord. The Lord will utilize the unsaved for some purpose, but I believe that those times are to motivate his own to actually get up do their jobs and work. The third time that the Lord calls Samuel, Eli perceives that it must be the Lord calling him. So, he instructs Samuel on how he must answer that call. How many times will it take for people to hear, listen, and respond to the Lord’s calling? On the last call, Samuel finally responds, “Speak, for thy servant heareth.” The first few times I believe that he knew someone was calling him, but he was unsure of who it was. He just assumed that it was Eli. However, Eli gave guidance to him as to what he should do. God might make multiple calls, yet there clearly comes a day when an individual's heart is solidified. Proverbs 29:1 tells us, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Making a similar error over and over is a solicitation to destruction. Ultimately, individuals will need to confront the outcomes of declining to learn. On the off chance that their error is declining the invitations of God or dismissing his commands, the results will be particularly consequential. Eventually, God might need to dismiss them. We should ensure that we are not guilty of hardening our hearts. Do we Christians have spiritual cobwebs, due to dust and us not cleaning out our spiritual minds? Is our spiritual alarm clock buzzing? Does God need to nudge or shake us to get us out of our spiritual nap? Are we too tired & sleepy from work, stress, staying up late at night with other things, or our home, yard work, and etc.? Have we fallen asleep during our Christian walk? Have the mature Christians given assistance to the younger Christians? (Samuel went to Eli for guidance). In Acts 24:25, Paul’s discussion with Felix turned out to be really close to home so that Felix felt sentenced (convicted). Felix, similar to Herod Antipas (Mark 6:17-18), had taken another man's spouse. Paul’s words were intriguing until they zeroed in on “righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come.” Many individuals will be happy to examine the Gospel with us as long as it does not come in contact with their personal lives. At the point when it does, some will oppose or leave. Be that as it may, this is what is really going on with the Gospel, God’s ability to change lives. The Gospel is not productive until it moves from doctrine and standards into a groundbreaking dynamic. If our witness causes somebody to oppose or run from us, we have made the Gospel intimate. In Acts 26:28-29, Agrippa addressed the presentation that Paul gave with a snide comment. Paul did not respond to the rejection; however, he made an individual appeal for which he trusted every one of his audience members would react. Paul's reaction is a genuine model for us as we inform others regarding God's plan of salvation. An earnest individual appeal or individual declaration can show the amount of our sincere consideration and can possibly shatter through solidified hearts. God may have to work like the military boot camp company commanders or drill instructors by turning on the lights, banging on the trash cans, yelling out loud, and blowing a whistle to wake people up. Exodus 20:1-17
I do not do that, do I? Scripture tells us what we are to do but do we truly obey? In the wake of getting away from the Egyptians through the Red Sea, the Israelites went through the wilderness and showed up at Mount Sinai. It is here that the Ten Commandments and guidelines on how to fabricate the Tabernacle were given to them. We also find out the significance of obedience to God and how His laws uncover sin, and what we are to do to for living righteously. For what reason was the Law fundamental for God’s new country? At the foot of Mount Sinai, God showed the people the genuine capacity and magnificence of the Law. The Law was intended to lead Israel to an existence of commonsense sacredness. Its orders and rules were planned to guide the local area to address the issues of every person in an adoring and mindful way. By Jesus’ time, notwithstanding, the vast majority saw the Law the incorrect way. They considered it to be a way to flourishing in both this world and the following. To submit to each law was the method for acquiring God’s insurance from foreign attack and cataclysmic disasters of nature, so they thought. Law-keeping turned into an end in itself, not the resources to satisfy God’s definitive law of affection.
The Israelites had quite recently emerged from Egypt, a place where there were numerous gods and idols. Since every god addressed an alternate part of life, it was normal to worship numerous divine beings to get the greatest number of gifts. At the point when God advised His people to venerate and put their faith and trust in Him, that was not really hard for them, He was only another god to add to the rundown. Yet, when He said, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," that was difficult for the people to acknowledge. In any case, if they did not discover that the God who drove them of Egypt was the only genuine God, they could not be His people, regardless of how reliably they kept the other nine commandments. Along these lines, God made this His first commandment and accentuated it more than the others. Today we can permit specific qualities to become divine beings to us. Cash, notoriety, work, or any other thing can become divine beings when we focus a lot on them for importance and security. Nobody sets out with the goal of revering these things. However, with how much time they involve in our lives, they can develop into gods, or divine beings, that at last control our energies and our thoughts. Allowing God to hold the focal spot in our lives holds these things back from transforming into divine beings.
God’s name is extraordinary, for it conveys His own personality. Utilizing it in a curse or in a pointless manner is so normal today that we might neglect to acknowledge how genuine it is. The manner in which we use God’s name passes on how we truly feel about Him. We should regard His name and use it properly. That is saying it in worship or respect rather than in a revile or jokingly. We will not be viewed as guiltless if we disrespect His name. The Sabbath was a day saved for worship and rest. God commanded to have a Sabbath since we really need to invest energy in rest and worship every week. A God who is so concerned to the point of appointing one day every week for us to rest is by all means worthy. To notice a customary time of worship and rest in our rushed world exhibits the significance of God in our lives while having the additional advantage of invigorating our spirits. Question... Does it really matter what day of the week is observed as our Sabbath day? Why argue about it and what purpose does it serve in debating it?
The fifth commandment is the first commandment with a promise connected to it. To live in harmony for ages in the Promised Land, the Israelites would have to regard authority and construct solid families. In any case, what is the significance here to “honor” our parents? Mostly, it implies speaking well and pleasantly to them. It additionally implies acting such that shows them kindness and regard (however not to comply with them if this implies noncompliance to God). Parents have an extraordinary spot in God’s sight. Indeed, even the individuals who think that it is hard to coexist with their folks are as yet instructed to respect them. Bearing a false witness implies providing a false statement in court. God realized that Israel could not endure except if its justice system were honest. We ought to be straightforward in our private dealings just as in our public articulations. Regardless, we “bear false witness” by avoiding something with regards to a story, telling a misleading statement, winding current realities, or creating a deception. God cautions us against double dealing. Despite the fact that double dealing is a lifestyle for some individuals, God’s people are not to surrender to it. To covet is to wish to have the assets of others. It goes past essentially respecting another person's assets, or figuring, “I might want to have one of those.” Coveting incorporates envy, detesting the way that others have something that we do not have. In any case, God realizes that belongings never satisfy anybody for long. Since no one but God can supply our needs in general, genuine satisfaction is found just in Him. When we start to covetousness in, we should attempt to figure out whether a more essential need is remaining behind our jealousy. For instance, we might desire somebody’s prosperity, not on the grounds that we need to remove it from him, but since we might want to feel as valued by others as he is. If so, we ought to implore that God will assist us with managing our hatred and meet our essential requirements. No one can serve two masters.
We are not to love the world.
We are not to be conformed to this world.
Whoever is a friend of the world is being an enemy of God.
Me and my house will serve the Lord.
How long will you wait to decide?
Genesis 13:1-13, (10)
What does it mean in having blurred vision? Blurred vision is the deficiency of sharpness of visual perception, causing objects to show up cloudy or out of focus. The essential drivers of obscured vision are refractive issues – myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism (imperfection in the curvature of the eye), or presbyopia (gradual loss of seeing close things clearly). Blurred vision can likewise be an indication of a more significant issue. Today we read about someone who just might have had a vision problem. There is an old saying, “the grass is always greener on the other side.” The meaning of this phrase is that whenever somebody is not happy with their own general situation in life, and consistently assume that there are better things in different areas. This figure of speech typifies the human nature of continuously wanting something else than what you currently have. It communicates the possibility that individuals frequently figure an alternate situation would give them more noteworthy pleasure. Notwithstanding, the expression is regularly utilized with regards to reminding individuals that this is not typically the situation. I believe that this fits the situation here. Here we see Abram and his nephew Lot traveling together, with all their goods. They came upon the plain of Jordan. They had to come to an agreement to see who would settle where. Abram was the oldest and had the right to make the first choice. In this instance, Abram set an example in how to respond with a family situation. So, to keep from a possible family argument, he gave Lot the first choice. He let Lot have the best option, although it implied not getting what he wanted. Abram put family harmony before his own wants. Sometimes we may need to act in this way to keep the peace.
Abram and Lot’s herders could have worked together. They were surrounded by people that were not so friendly, downright hostile. But what did they do? They let trivial issues come between them. It is ironic how similar situations occur today. Christians will argue and bicker amongst themselves, and all the while the devil is working all around them, stirring up the embers. Disagreements and arguments among Christians can harm cooperative attitude, trust, and harmony, which are the basis for good human relations. They can hamper progress toward significant objectives. They can likewise make us narcissistic, self-centered, as opposed to operating with love in our hearts. Jesus prayed for His followers in His final prayer. He asked God the Father that we all be one (John 17:20-26). But how did Lot respond? How would we respond in a comparable situation? We should look deeper than what is on the surface. Lot saw only the material attraction. He looked at the immediate and alternate attraction. Lot saw only himself and his selfish interests. He put himself before others. Greed and covetousness were his motivating factors. We should look at what we fail to see. Lot looked toward Sodom (see verse 10). He pitched his tent toward Sodom (see verse 12). He failed to see the sinfulness of Sodom (see verse 13). He failed to see the downward pull of sin, and then he lived in Sodom (see chapter 14). Lot’s character was shown by the choices he made. He took the best though it meant living near a city of sin. He became greedy and did not do what would have been fair. Do we choose what we think is best and give no thought for others? Have we stopped making choices in the direction of God, and only make choices for ourselves? Have we not learned that our choices, without God, leads in the wrong direction? Over in Genesis 19:15-29, key verse twenty-six, we learn that God sent two angels to rescue Lot. But there was a price paid by someone who looked back at the sinful way of living. We should be careful not to lose our spiritual vision. Lot failed to have his vision checked (values). Uncorrected worldly involvements lead to spiritual blurriness or spiritual blindness. Slipping into ungodly values may not come immediately, it comes gradually. Lot lost his spiritual vision. He became blind to genuine happiness. He became blind to his character. He became willing to give up his daughter. He became blind to the truth of God’s Word. He was warned, he lingered, and then he was forced to leave. He became blind to human decency. We should get a spiritual vision check-up. The following are a few passages of Scripture in regard to seeking (looking for) God. Trying to do good (actions, self, traditions) can lead to spiritually bad vision. We need to continually seek the guidance and direction from the spiritual eye doctor.
If we seek the LORD (that means to look for God), then we shall find him.
When we seek unto God and commit unto him, great and marvelous things happen.
The Lord does not forsake those who seek him, nor will they lack any good thing.
Those that seek the Lord will rejoice and be glad.
If we are thirsty, we should seek the Lord.
We are blessed when we seek the Lord with our whole heart.
The Lord is good to them that seek him.
We are to seek God first in all things (Matthew 6:33), and when we seek, we shall find (Matthew 7:7-8). That means to continually pursue God. Many often give up after a few attempts of searching and looking. To know God takes focus, it takes faith, and it means that we are to follow-through with our search. God rewards those who diligently seek him.
Romans 2:17-29
Romans 2:17-29 depicts two groups of individuals, with an accentuation on the way in which their transgression connects with their insight into God's composed Law for the country of Israel. Here, the Gentiles are the individuals who sin, are separated from the law, while the Jews are the people who sin while under the law. Paul shows how, in these two cases, God will pass judgment on individuals dependent on whether they kept the law and were circumcised in their souls. Indeed, even Gentiles who observe the law out of honesty, would be viewed by God as being Jewish. In the meantime, God will limit the Jewishness and circumcision of somebody under the law who violates the law and does not have a truly sincere heart. Paul will show in the accompanying chapter that, in truth, nobody can keep the law. In verses 17-20: Paul keeps on contending that all individuals stand blameworthy before God. In the wake of portraying the destiny of the unbelieving, agnostic Gentiles, he moves to that of the privileged religious people, the Jews. In spite of their insight into God's will, they are blameworthy in light of the fact that they also have not live by their convictions. Those of us who have experienced childhood in Christian families are the privileged religious people of today. Paul's criticism concerns us if we do not live that to which we know. Paul is building a staggering “in the event of” assertion in this segment of verses. He is tending to the people who might call themselves Jews, who depend on the law, and who brag in God. In verse seventeen, Paul alluded to the individuals who recognized themselves as Jewish, contingent upon the law and assured about their relationship to God. Paul is tending to a delegate Jewish individual. He is showing every one of the advantages that that individual has gotten due to obtaining the law from God. This individual realizes God's will. By that, they can assess everything to see what is "brilliant," and what is not. He also adds that this individual can fill in as a manual for the visually impaired and a light to those in the dark. What he is saying is that God gave his law just to Israel. In this way, they had the amazing chance to show every other person what was valid, and what God’s identity was. They had the light of God's truth that others needed. However, Paul is driving all of this development to a negative. He is inquiring that, if this multitude of things are valid for Jewish individuals, for what reason do they not live as per the law? This is essential for Paul's transient objective of showing that even God's chosen (Deuteronomy 7:6) miss the mark regarding his principles of flawlessness.
In verses 21-27: These verses are a searing analysis of being hypocritical. It is a lot more straightforward to advise others on how to act than to act appropriately ourselves. It is simpler to say the right words than to permit them to flourish in our lives. Realizing God's will, notwithstanding, does not pardon us from making it happen. Do we encourage others to accomplish something that we are reluctant to do ourselves? We should ensure that our activities match our words. Paul had disclosed to the Jews that they needed to show themselves, not others, by their Law. They knew the Law, in such a way, that they had figured out how to pardon their own behavior while reprimanding others. Yet, the Law is more than the minimal legalistic prerequisites. It is a rule for living as per God's will. It additionally reminds us that we cannot satisfy God without a legitimate relationship with him. As Jesus called attention to, keeping what legitimately has a place with another person is stealing (Mark 7:9-13). In addition, looking on someone else with vulgar lustful expectation is considered infidelity (adultery) (Matthew 5:27-28). Before we blame others, we should check ourselves out fist to determine whether that wrongdoing, in any type, exists inside us. If we claim to be one of God's chosen people, our life ought to reflect God’s likeness. At the point when we defy God, we shame his name, and individuals might even talk evil of God as a result of us. What thoughts enter into people’s minds about God from watching our day-to-day existences? The word circumcision in this context, alludes to God's covenant with his people and it was a prerequisite for every single Jewish male (Genesis 17:9-14). As per Paul, being a Jew (being circumcised) amounted to nothing in the event that the individual did not comply with God's laws. Then again, the Gentiles (the uncircumcised) would acquire God's adoration and endorsement on the off chance that they complied with God's laws. Paul proceeds to clarify that a genuine Jew (one who satisfies God) is not somebody who has been circumcised (an outward Jew) yet somebody whose heart is right with God and submits to him (an inward Jew). The Religious Sinner does not do that which they instruct others to be doing. In verses 28-29: To be a Jew implied that you were in God's family, as a main successor to every one of his promises. However, Paul clarified that enrollment in God's family depends on inner, not outside, characteristics. All of those whose hearts are right with God are the genuine Jews, that is, essential for God's family (Galatians 3:7). Going to chapel, to church, being submersed, baptized, sprinkled, affirmed, confirmed, or accepted as members of, is not what it takes, similarly as circumcision was insufficient for the Jews. What God wants is our dedication and submission.
Is the Religious Sinner better than the others because they at least have the Word of God? But if the Religious Sinner does not come to Christ and believe in his heart, he will still die and go to hell. Man’s nature is to run from God. The Religious Sinner is unwilling to accept Christ and to be saved. Many know the truth, yet they deny the truth and do not know God personally. Hypocrisy is one that does not practice what he preaches.
Romans 1:18-32
This passage of Scripture discusses God’s anger at sin. It depicts why God legitimately censures humankind and some of what he has done with regards to it. Mankind's fall is imagined as a descending movement. It begins with dismissing God as the creator, declining to see the significant awareness of him by what he has made. Humans likewise rejected that he is the supplier and quit giving him the thanks that he is due. Humanity loves his creation rather than him. At long last, God acts by giving us over to the unchecked articulation of our degenerate sexual cravings and any remaining sorts of transgression. To some extent, he communicates his anger by giving us what we want and sentencing us to endure the excruciating fallouts. In verses 18-20: For what reason is God irate at corrupt individuals? Since they have switched the truth with regarding him with their very own creative minds (1:25). They have smothered the truth that God uncovers to all individuals to trust anything that upholds their narcissistic ways of life. God cannot sanction sin due to his perfectness. He cannot overlook or excuse such hardheaded defiance. He wants to eliminate the transgression and reestablish the heathen assuming that the delinquent does not misshape or renounce the truth. However, his outrage emits against the individuals who continue in sin. Does anybody have a reason for not putting their trust God? The Bible responses with a vehement no! God has uncovered his truth ("Godhead" or heavenly nature) in his creation. Hence, every individual either acknowledges or dismisses God. Individuals ought not to be tricked. At the point when the day comes for God to pass judgment on individuals' reaction to him, there will be no excuses. People should start today to give their dedication and love to him. In verses 21-25: The intellectual comes out. They believe that there is a God. They know of God, but they did not glorify him or give him thanks. They professed to be wise and intellectual, which often brings up intellectual problems. They believe in anything that supports their self-centered life. They have rejected God. They make up their own thoughts of how a divine being ought to be and what that divine being ought to do, then they fall into wrongdoing. How can these intellectual people result to worshiping idols? Idol worship starts when people reject what they think they know about God. Rather than looking to God as the maker and sustainer of life, they consider themselves to be the focal point of the universe. Before long, they imagine divine beings that are helpful projections of their own childish plans and declarations. These divine beings might be wooden figures; however, they may likewise be objectives like power, wealth, or things of comfort. They might even be deceptions of God himself, making God into our picture rather than the other way around. The shared factor is this, idolators love the things that God has made rather than God himself. Is it safe to say that there is anything that we might feel that we cannot live without? Is it safe to say that there is any need more prominent than God? Do we have a fantasy that we would forfeit anything to obtain? Is God first in our lives? Do we revere God, or do we revere the idols that we have made?
These individuals decided to dismiss God, and God permitted them to let it happen. For the most part, God does not prevent us from settling on decisions go against his will. He allows us to pronounce our alleged autonomy from him, despite the fact that he realizes that in time we will become captives to our own insubordinate decisions. In the long run, we lose our ability not to sin. Does existence without God look like real freedom? Assuming that we look more carefully, there could be no more terrible bondage than the subjection to sin. People will quite often accept lies that build up their own egotistical individual convictions. Today, like never before we should be cautious with regards to the information that we permit to shape our convictions. With TV, music, films, and the remainder of the media regularly introducing corrupt ways of life and unwholesome qualities, we end up continually assaulted by mentalities and convictions that are completely against the Bible. We ought to be cautious with regards to what we permit to shape our perspectives. God’s Word is the only source of truth. We ought to assess any perspectives in correlation with God's truth. In verses 26-32: Because of the intellectual’s mentality, this next section is about how sin began to fill the intellectual’s lives. It revolves around a topic that many find should not be discussed as it might be considered discriminatory. It is not about discrimination, but sexual sin as defined in God’s Word. God's arrangement for normal sexual connections is his ideal for his creation. Tragically, sin twists the normal utilization of God's gifts. Sin frequently implies denying God, yet additionally denying the manner in which we are made. At the point when our general public says that any sex act is OK inasmuch as no one gets injured, is foolish in itself. Over the long haul (and frequently in the short run), sin harms people, either individually, in families, or in the entire social setting. How pitiful it is that individuals who love the things that God made as opposed to loving the Creator, so frequently mutilate and obliterate the very things they claim to esteem. Homosexuality (to change the regular utilization of or leave the normal utilization of) is completely illegal in Scripture (Leviticus 18:22). Homosexuality is viewed as a satisfactory practice by numerous individuals in our world today, even in some houses of worship. However, society does not set the norm for God's law. Numerous gay people accept that their cravings are typical and that they reserve a privilege to communicate them. Yet, God does not commit nor urge us to satisfy our longings in general (even typical ones). Those longings that disregard his laws should be controlled. We should oppose following or acting upon our wicked longings. We should keep away from the places or actions and activities that will arouse wicked enticements. We ought not underrate the force of Satan to entice us nor the potential for genuine damage assuming that we give into those allurements. God can and will forgive sexual sins just as he forgives us of other sins. One sin is just as bad as another sin in the eyes of God. Romans 1:18-3:24
Romans 1:18 – 3:20 fosters Paul's contention that nobody can guarantee by their own work or legitimacy to be good in God's sight, not the majority, not the Romans, not even the Jews. All individuals wherever merit God's judgment for their wrongdoing. We know that there are a multiple of sins that can be committed, but is the classification of the sinner designated by the type of sin that he commits? Or are there different types of sinners? Are any of us one of those types of sinners and if so, which one? The Rational Sinner - Romans 1:18-32 This passage of Scripture discusses God’s anger at sin. It depicts why God legitimately censures humankind and some of what he has done with regards to it. Mankind's fall is imagined as a descending movement. It begins with dismissing God as the creator, declining to see the significant awareness of him by what he has made. Humans likewise rejected that he is the supplier and quit giving him the thanks that he is due. Humanity loves his creation rather than him. At long last, God acts by giving us over to the unchecked articulation of our degenerate sexual cravings and any remaining sorts of transgression. To some extent, he communicates his anger by giving us what we want and sentencing us to endure the excruciating fallouts.
The Reformed Sinner - Romans 2:1-16 Romans 2:1-16 springs a snare, of sorts, for each peruser who felt that Paul's overwhelming rundown of sins toward the end of Romans chapter 1 was about others. In truth, everybody is at fault for wrongdoing. The individuals who judge others are blameworthy, additionally, of being hypocritical. No one will get away from God's judgment for individual sin, including the religious Jews and Gentiles. God will totally pass judgment on every individual as per what the person has done. Assuming somebody has lived a sinless life, only doing good, he will get rewards and everlasting life. If not, he merits anger and rage. This point sets up Paul's clarification of the way that we can, indeed, get salvation: through faith by grace.
The Religious Sinner - Romans 2:17-29 Romans 2:12–29 depicts two gatherings of individuals, with an accentuation on the way in which their transgression connects with their insight into God's composed Law for the country of Israel. Here, ''Gentiles'' are the individuals who sin separated from the law, while ''Jews'' are the people who sin under the law. Paul shows how, in the two cases, God will pass judgment on individuals dependent on whether they kept the law and were circumcised in their souls. Indeed, even Gentiles who observe the law out of genuineness would be viewed by God as really Jewish. In the meantime, God will limit the Jewishness and circumcision of somebody under the law who violates the law and doesn't have a genuine heart. Paul will show in the accompanying part that, in truth, nobody can keep the law.
All are Sinners - Romans 3:9-24 Romans 3:9-23 contains a series of statements from the Old Testament Scriptures. Paul utilizes these to show that the Jews and Greeks are similar under transgression. Subsequent to setting up that “there is none that doeth good” from Psalm 14:1, Paul utilizes statements from Psalms and Isaiah to show ways we have consistently utilized our bodies, throats, tongues, lips, feet, and eyes, to verbalize our wrongdoing. Yet, he finishes the part with his most grounded articulation, that no individual will be exonerated by adhering to the works of the law in God’s sight. The law can show us our transgression, it cannot save us from it.
Mark 4:1-25
In this passage of scripture, Jesus tells the parable of the four soils in Mark 4:1-9. Then in Mark 4:10-25, Jesus gives an explanation about the parable of the four soils. Jesus used parables to instruct the people. Parables are brief tales utilizing recognizable scenes to clarify spiritual truth. This technique for educating urges the audience to think. It disguises the truth from the individuals who are excessively obstinate or biased to hear what is being instructed. Most parables have one central matter, so we should be mindful so as not to go past what Jesus planned to instruct. The seed was planted the hard way. As the farmer strolled across the field, he would toss modest bunches of seed onto the ground from a huge sack that was thrown across his shoulders. The plants did not fill in flawless lines similarly as with the present machine planting. Regardless of how capable, no farmer could hold a portion of his seed back from dropping off the radar, from being dispersed among the stones and thistles, or from being taken away by the breeze. Notwithstanding, he tossed the seed generously and enough fell on good ground to guarantee the harvest. We hear with our ears, however there is a more profound sort of tuning in with the heart and mind that is important to acquire spiritual comprehension from Jesus' words. Certain individuals in the group were searching for proof to use against Jesus. Others really wanted to learn and develop. Jesus' words were for the legitimate searchers. Some individuals do not comprehend God's truth because they are not prepared for it. God uncovers the truth to individuals who will follow up on it and who will make it clear in their lives. We should know that when we talk with people about God, they may not comprehend it if they are not yet prepared for it. While taking whatever chance that presents itself to share the truth about God with people, we need to be patient and pray that the Holy Spirit will open their hearts and minds. Thereby, preparing them to be open to the truth and follow up on it. The four soils address four distinct ways that individuals react to God's Word. Typically, we imagine that Jesus was discussing four several types of individuals. However, he might have likewise been discussing the various stages or times in an individual's life, or the way that we readily accept God's message in certain parts of our lives and oppose it in others. For instance, we might be available to God about our future, yet shut concerning how we spend our cash. We might react like the good soil to God's command for worship, yet like stony ground to his command to provide for those who are in need. We should consistently endeavor to resemble the good soil in each aspect of our lives. Common worldly cares, deceptive wealth, and the longing for things tormented the Roman disciples as they do to us today. How simple it is for our day-by-day schedules to become packed with stuff that is not important. A stuffed existence of materialistic pursuits stuns our ears to God's Word. We really need to remain liberated from these obstacles with the goal that we can hear God when he addresses us. In the event that a light does not assist individuals with seeing, it is futile. Does our life tell others the best way to find God and how to live for him? If not, we ought to ask what “bushels” have closed out our light. Carelessness, disdain, determination of heart, or rebellion can keep God's light from radiating through us to other people. The radiance of Jesus' truth is uncovered to us, not covered up. Yet, we will be unable to see or to utilize all of that truth at this moment. We will comprehend and see a greater amount of truth if we put God’s instructions into practice. Our capacity to comprehend is flawed, but the truth is clear. Our spiritual vision will be sharpened, and our understanding will grow when we obey (James 1:22-25). We are accountable to utilize what we have in the right manner. It does not make any difference the amount that we have however how we manage it. The Tiller: Isaiah 28:24, “Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? Doth he open and break the clods of his ground?” What do tillers do? They break the ground, stir up the soil, prepare ground for planting, or do they bring confusion? They are to use their tools wisely. It could be a verbal testimony, a song, how people see their life and witness. They are to use their tools carefully so as not to destroy the plants. What may work on one may not work on another, and some may respond quicker, The Sower: Luke 8:11, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.” Do we plant the seed and lay the foundation? Some seeds must be laid in mass; the objective is to get as much seed out as possible. Not all of the seeds may grow so do not worry if it does not grow. The Lord instructed us to sow, the growing depends on the condition of the heart. The Waterer: John 4:14, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” Do we nurture, feed, and take care of what or where the seed is planted? (Could be older Christians tending to younger Christians). Too much water and the seed drown, not enough and it dries up. Do not deprive the soil of what it needs, food and water. If the soil is receptive to what we have planted and we see it growing, we need to tend to it. The Reaper: Matthew 9:37-38, “Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest is truly plenteous, but the labourers are few: Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” Do we gather the harvest or cut it down before it has had time to grow? Have we waited too long, and it has dried up and died? Many are searching for the Word, looking for answers to their lives. We are to show them Jesus, bring them to him. Do not act hastily and overpower it, give it time to grow but do not wait too long and let it die. Who is the Sower? We are. What is the seed? The Word of God. What is the soil? The world. There are plenty of people waiting to hear the Word. Do not make excuses, look around, and we will find someone eager to listen to the Word of God. God will use us in one way or another, or maybe in all aspects of farming. Be prepared to work. We could be the one to lead someone to Christ. Do our part, till the soil, plant the seed, water it (nurture), then help gather them in. Do not worry if the crop fails, go plant a garden somewhere else. Never give up, Christ did not give up on us. All who proclaim Christ as their personal Savior are to plant the good seed every day. What type of spiritual Farmer are we? We all hold a Farmer position. Some of us may even hold more than one position. Whatever the case, we are to find out what our position is and go to work. Christ has called us to service. No matter where we are, we should be working and not just sitting on the pew taking what the minister gives. We should be working in some capacity to fulfil the call. Matthew 6:25-34
Matthew 6:25-34 closes this piece of the Sermon on the Mount with Jesus teaching about worrying. Indeed, even to the extremely poor, Jesus says not to stress over food or garments. God takes care of the birds and garments the lilies in a beautiful manner, and God’s children are definitely more important than the birds. Restless worrying cannot add even an hour to an individual's life. Jesus advises the listeners to trust God to give them what they genuinely need. Nonetheless, the setting of what we really need is the desire of God which could appear to be exceptionally unique from what we would like (Matthew 5:3-12). In light of the ill impacts of worry on our lives, Jesus tells us to “take no thought” concerning those needs that God has promised to supply. Worry might harm our wellbeing, make the object of stress consume our thoughts, upset our efficiency, contrarily influence the way that we treat others, and diminish our capacity to confide in God. What number of ill impacts of worry would we say that we are encountering? The distinction among worry and certifiable concern is that worry brings us to a standstill yet having a concern for others directs us toward activity. Jesus is not advising the people to stop working. Nor is he advising them to just sit inactively by in anticipation for God to extraordinarily give. He is not recommending that it is inappropriate to earn a living in order to support their families. He is not telling the believers that they ought not shrewdly put something aside for future necessities. With regards to the remainder of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is telling his audience members to assume responsibility for what is in their hearts and minds. Christ says that believers should not live in tension with regards to these essential necessities of life. Life is about something beyond clothing and food. There is significance and reason regardless of whether we have these things. To live in stress over wealth that we do not have is living heavily influenced by wealth, rather than the control of God. Living to serve God incorporates confiding in him to give us what is required without living in dread and uneasiness. Presently Jesus speaks about the natural world by giving an illustration. Birds do not plant, reap, or store crops. They have no coordinated framework for accommodating themselves past the second they are in. Yet Jesus says, they do eat since God takes care of them. Jesus poses a sharp inquiry to the people: Are they not more important than the birds? The inferred answer is obviously yes, they are more significant than the birds. Now if God takes care of the birds, he will likewise take care of the people who are worth more than birds. Rather than living in tension with regards to these fundamental necessities, Jesus asks his followers to trust God to give them what is required in his timely manner and with the amount that is needed. Philippians 4:19 Here Jesus mentions one more issue with uneasiness, dread, and stress: that they are pointless. They do not help, nor do they work. Those feelings are undoubtedly feeble regarding the concern for actual needs. Uneasiness is a characteristic human reaction, particularly while we are considering how to take care of our loved ones. Given the circumstances, it is obviously true that worry all by itself cannot add a solitary hour to anybody's life. Stress is incapable of doing anything. Obviously, many know that uneasiness is not just something we can eliminate. God knows this and sees that it can be hard to place trust in God when times are troublesome. Truth be told, for this reason Scripture is here to remind us of this. If being a Christian made every one of our feelings of trepidation and questions vanish, then there would not be an obvious explanation for God to remind us not to stress. Clothing and food are a fundamental human need. In many parts of the world, even those that society considers poor, seldom have genuine worries concerning where to get garments or food. That was difficult for the poor in Jesus' day, and it remains so in many areas of today’s world. It is normal to anticipate that somebody in that position will encounter nervousness. It is something we will more often than not identify with. Lilies sit idle, in contrast with how individuals obtain food and shelter. The lilies of the field develop without accomplishing any work or creating any garments for themselves. In any case, as Jesus will say, they are clothed with extraordinary magnificence. They are dressed precisely as God wants them to be. Jesus' Jewish audience members would have known about Solomon's incredible and luxurious abundance from Israel's days of glory (2 Chronicles 9:3-4). In addition to the fact that Solomon was dressed in the best clothes of the world, his realm likewise streamed with gold and silver. He lived in extraordinary extravagance. Jesus affirms that the quality of the lilies' magnificence outperforms even Solomon's although they never do anything. Jesus brings the point home in the accompanying verse, God can and will give what is needed. That may not particularly be what we want (Matthew 5:3-12), however it is enough for us to achieve God’s will. God cares more profoundly about his people than he does about the birds or blossoms. The wild lilies are viewed as if it were grass. They spring up, blossom in quality, and die, prior to being raked up and consumed. If God gives clothing for the flowers, Jesus says, would we not say that God will dress us? Christ has as of now called attention that God's favoring does not constantly mean common solace (Matthew 5:3-12), so his providing can oftentimes include doing without the things that we consider as needs. We see the statement “O ye of little faith.” Christians too often go to the altar with a problem but get up still holding onto the problem, as if the problem were attached to them with a bungee cord (Matthew 8:26; Matthew 16:8; Psalm 23:1). We need to learn to let go and let God manage it. It is critical to see two things about what Jesus is teaching here. In the first place, he is not promising that God will give luxurious ways of life on this side of paradise, but that God will address their issues. That need is with regards to God's will for our lives, which is not always simple (Matthew 5:3-12). God will provide us what we need, in respect to his plans, which probably will not be what we want to be secure or at ease. Reliance on God's providing includes an extreme rethinking of what needs are. Second, Jesus is not advising the people to quit working or planning for the future. His instructing here does not mean we ought to sit idly by and trust that the world (government) will take care of us. God regularly gives work and insight to address our issues. What people ought not do is fixate on riches, either by storing it or living in dread over neediness. God feeds and garments his people precisely as they really ought to be. To “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” means that we should first go to God for help, to fill our thoughts with his longings, to take upon us his character as an example to live by, and to serve and submit to him in all things. What is essential to us? Material items, various individuals, objectives, and different cravings all compete against each other for first place in our lives. Any of these can rapidly knock God out of the lead position if we do not effectively decide to give God the lead of all aspects of our lives (Psalm 34:9). Making plans for the future is time that is utilized well. However, agonizing over tomorrow is time squandered. Once in a while it is hard to differentiate between the two. Planning cautiously is preparing about any issues and trusting in God's direction. If we make plans in a correct manner, it can assist with reducing stress. On the other hand, the one who worries is consumed by dread and finds it challenging to confide in God. The worrier allows his plans to disrupt his relationship with God. We are not to let stresses over tomorrow influence our relationship with God today. We need to learn to turn our worries into prayers (Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2). While we are in prayer and with thanks in our hearts, give it to God (1 Peter 5:7). Worry less and pray more! God will answer in his time. Do our duty while we wait upon the Lord (Psalms 27:14; Luke 11:9). Amos 4:1-13 Where is our walk with Christ and do people see Christ in us? This is a story about Amos. He was a common man, sheepherder, a layman; dedicated to serving God and his actions spoke for him. God told Amos to warn the Israelites of judgment coming because of their disobedience, complacency, idol worship, they oppressed the poor, they were hypocritical, and they had no sincere heart for God. In chapters one - two, Amos announces judgments to fall on nations that came against Israel. God then tells of judgments to come to Judah and Israel. People asked what they had done. They began to sound like the Pharisee in Luke 18. In chapters three - six, Amos gives the reasons why God would bring judgments. The children of Israel had sinful lives; they used religious rituals and traditions to make themselves look good. They were more concerned for their image. Amos mourns for Israel and how God despises Israel’s pride. In chapters seven - nine, Amos tells of the visions of judgment that would happen, of Israel’s destruction, and tells of Israel’s restoration. But today’s focus is on chapter four. God used different situations to get the Israelites to turn lives back to Him. In verses 1-5: Superficial Worship… Here we see that Israel’s rich ladies were contrasted with the kine (cows) of Bashan, spoiled, smooth, and very much taken care of (Psalm 22:12). These ladies childishly pushed their spouses to persecute the vulnerable to supply their extravagant ways of life. We are to be mindful so as not to want material belongings in such a manner in that we will abuse others and disappoint God to obtain them. Amos snidely welcomed individuals to sin in Bethel and Gilgal where they loved worshipping idols rather than God. At Bethel, God had restored his pledge to Abraham with Jacob (Genesis 28:10-22). Presently, Bethel was the religious focal point of the Northern Kingdom, and Jeroboam had put a symbol there to deter individuals from going to worship in Jerusalem in the Southern Kingdom (1 Kings 12:26-29). Gilgal was Israel’s first camping area subsequent to entering the Promised Land (Joshua 4:19). It was here where Joshua restored the Abrahamic covenant and the ceremony of circumcision, and the people commended the Passover (Joshua 5:2-11). Saul was delegated as Israel’s first ruler in Gilgal (1 Samuel 11:15). The Israelites were saying thanks to God and tithing for the abundance that they had accomplished by mistreating poor people. Being prosperous is not a gift from God. It is great to say thanks to God for any success that we might acquire, however God should likewise be engaged with the cycle prompting that flourishing. We can see that the people were showing off. They were putting themselves on display and wanted to be seen. They wanted recognition and they were more interested in serving themselves and were not submitted to God’s will. Let me ask this question, can going to church be sinful? It might be if people who claim to be Christians live and act like these people did. Are people today more concerned with their image or their attitude at a church service or even in their daily Christian lives? TOO MANY PEOPLE IN TODAY’S SOCIETY USE THE CHURCH AS A SOCIAL CLUB, A SINGLE’S CLUB, OR A DAYCARE CENTER.
A phylactery is a small box containing Hebrew text, Jewish men wore during prayer to keep the law. In verses 6-11: Sufficient Warning… Seven warning signs were given to the children of Israel. In verse six, “cleanliness of teeth” refers to famine/starvation. “Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.” In verses seven – eight, “withholden the rain from you” refers to drought, they had no water. “Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.” In verse nine, “blasting and mildew” refers to blight, a plant disease; “palmerworm” – insects ate the plants. “Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.” In verse ten, “pestilence” – is human disease; “slain with the sword” – war was everywhere. “Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.” In verse eleven, “destruction of cities” – homes, buildings destroyed. “Yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.” Have we seen any of this in our lifetime? We can watch any television news station and see this all over the world and some of it is right here in our own country. In verses 12-13: Suitable Whipping… Now we see that God would pass judgment and that the people were told to be prepared to meet Him. No matter how God warned the people, through famine, drought, plague, locusts, plagues, or war, they still ignored God. And since they ignored God and did not understand the message, they would have to meet God face to face in the judgment. They had rejected God and refused to obey Him. People of today… Regardless of how God cautioned the Israelites through starvation, dry season, scourge, beetles, torment, or war, they actually disregarded him. Since they would not receive the message, they would meet Him up close and personally in judgment. No longer would they disregard God. They would need to confront the One that they dismissed, the One that they would not comply with when he told them to really focus on poor people. One day every one of us will meet God up close and personal, face to face, to be held accountable for what we have accomplished or for what we would not do. Have we paid attention to the Word that instructs us to prepare ourselves to meet him? TOO MANY PEOPLE OF TODAY ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXISTANCE OF GOD BUT THEY DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. Are the people of the church today just as sinful if they live like the people in this passage of Scripture? What will God have to do with people today to make them get their hearts right with God? What must happen to Christians so that they begin to act and be as Christ wants them to be? Are we a Church of Casual Christianity? Are we Cardboard Cut-out Christians? What will it take to bring us back to God? |
AuthorGod called me into the ministry over 20 years ago and I have had the blessed opportunity to preach for a church radio broadcast, served as a Sunday School teacher, served as a youth director along with my wife, as a music director, as an Associate Pastor, and as an Interim Pastor. ArchivesCategories
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