From the Book of Zephaniah

Truth Zephaniah Teaches

Growing in Godliness:

The sin of pride is most often revealed by the words that we speak. Language becomes unclean with repeated expressions of self-will, or the profane use of God’s name.

Action Zephaniah invites:

3:9-13: Purity your heart and your speech will be pure also. Allow God to purify your lips and language.

Billy Graham’s Quotes

. “The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.”

. “God never takes away something from your life without replacing it with something better.”

. “I've read the last page of the Bible, it's all going to turn out all right.”

. “It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, God's job to judge and my job to love.”

From the Book of Habakkuk

Truth Habakkuk Teaches

Step to Dynamic Devotion:

God requires that we make our relationship with Him our highest priority, that we bring our deepest questions and turmoil’s before Him, expecting His answers and guidance.

Action Habakkuk Invites:

2:1 – Set aside a regular time and place that is holy to the Lord. Spend time listening for His Word as you read, study, and mediate on Scripture. Be faithful in daily prayer.

2:2-3 – Document those things the Lord speaks to you or quickens to your heart, Record biblical promises He makes alive to you, and hold fast to them, knowing they will to pass.

Thoughts 

. Upheaval often precedes spiritual progress.

. To be rich in God is far better than to be rich in goods.
. The Bible teaches that God chose not to give us what we desire--we call that mercy. In addition, He decided to give us exactly what we don’t deserve --and that’s grace.

Rewards of the Messiah for suffering - 3

The satisfaction of seeing the travil of His soul in the restoration of all things to God:

Isaiah 53:11

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

1 Corinthians 15:24-28

 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.  For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.  When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

Justification of many:

Isaiah 53:11

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Greatness above others:

Isaiah 53:12

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Ephesians 1:20-23

That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Colossians 1:15-18

 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

1 Peter 3:22

Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

A portion with the great and conquest of the strong:

Isaiah 53:12

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Rewards of the Messiah for suffering - 2

Became the Savior of many nations:

Isaiah 52:15

So shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.

Became the healer of all:

Isaiah 53:4-5

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Matthew 8:16-17

That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.  This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”

1 Peter 2:24

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed

Became an example to all:

Isaiah 52:9

Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.

He will produce a spiritual and eternal seed:

Isaiah 53:10

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

Rewards of the Messiah for suffering - 1

Isaiah 53:10

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

He will be exalted above all:

Isaiah 52:13

Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.

Ephesians 1:20-23

That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Philippians 2:9-11

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Peter 3:22

Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Revelation 11:15

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.

Revelation 20:4-6

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.

They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.  The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 

Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Oh, look, look, look to Jesus!

Beloved, God is our Helper. He is the helper of the hopeless, the homeless, the hurting, the harassed, and the heckled. He knows what you need emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially. We are wise if we will tap into His strength to face our mountains and hills. He will provide for every need that you have.

There is no problem He cannot solve.

There is no question He cannot answer.

There is no disease He cannot heal.

There is no demon He cannot cast out.

There is no enemy He cannot defeat.

There is no difficulty He cannot overcome.

There is no stronghold He cannot break.

There is no prison He cannot open.

There is no need He cannot meet.

There is no mountain He cannot move.

Colossians 3:4

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Today, my world is beautiful — great weather, wonderful church, loving spouse, great kids, and blessed with all I truly need. But this will change. Life is bound up with mortality. Love is connected with imperfect people. Separation by geographical distance, disagreement, and death are bound to happen to a certain extent.

The incredible blessing I have in Christ, however, is that my true and lasting life is hidden with Christ in God. So while things may be good in my life now, they're always vulnerable to being touched by mortality. When Christ comes, they will be gloriously perfect and unstained by evil, death, or decay. Now that's good news!

The Strong Timber Is Tested

A group of mountain hikers came across an old woodsman with an axe on his shoulder. "Where are you going?" they asked him.

"I'm headed up the mountain to get some wood to repair my cabin," replied the woodsman.
"But why are you going up the mountain?" they asked incredulously. "There are plenty of trees all around us here."

"I know," he said, "but I need strong timber and it grows only on the highest elevations, where the trees are tested and toughened by the weather around them. The higher up you go, the stronger the timber grows."
And that is what God desires for us - that through the winds of trial and the storms of temptation we would grow strong and live on a higher level - strong to resist the devil's urging, strong to serve God, and strong as we stand together in faith and service to one another.

Deuteronomy 10:14

To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

It all belongs to God! The multifaceted and creative side of our heavenly Father's nature is revealed in the astounding beauty and variety in our universe. This is not our world, but our Father has chosen to share it with us as one of his many gifts to us. Our Creator chose to provide us with the changing seasons in each year and the kaleidoscope of colors in each sunset and sunrise to frame our days. These are reminders of his love for beauty and variety, for predictability and also change. In addition to all that God has made and placed before us, he has crowned us, his human children, with glory and honor.

Each of us is made, even with all of our differences, in his likeness. We are bearers of his divine image. Each person and all the peoples are precious to him. All the universe is the LORD's, yet in his greatness, he chooses to know each one of us intimately. Ah, my friend, that is grace upon grace from the LORD who loves each one of us with an undying love as he sus! tains a universe too vast for us to imagine!

The Fast and Temptation of Christ

Beginning of Lent in order to picture before Christians the example of Christ, that they may rightly observe Lent, which has become mere mockery:

First, because no one can follow this example and fast forty days and nights as Christ did without eating any food. Christ rather followed the example of Moses, who fasted also forty days and nights, when He received the law of God on Mount Sinai.

Thus Christ also wished to fast when He was about to bring to us, and give expression to, the new law.

In the second place, Lent has become mere mockery because our fasting is a perversion and an institution of man. For although Christ did fast forty days, yet there is no word of his that He requires us to do the same and fast as He did.

Indeed He did many other things, which He wishes us not to do; but whatever He calls us to do or leave undone, we should see to it that we have his Word to support our actions.

Holiness

Holiness is the attribute of God which Scripture emphasizes more than any other. It touches every other attribute. Thus God’s justice is a holy justice, His love is a holy love, His wrath a holy (Psalm 99:9; 111:9; Revelation 15:4).

Holiness implies two things: complete freedom from all moral evil, and absolute moral perfection.
This is our God. He is holy. Holiness is the very beauty of God.

John 12:24

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Jesus announced this truth, recognizing that God was calling him to lay down his life so his followers could join him in glory. Sacrifice is never easy, but despite his disciples' lack of courage and faithfulness during his last hours, Jesus truly believed that his sacrifice would bring the best out in them, and then also lead them to share his grace and glory with many others. (It should do the same for us!) The very fact that we are thinking of Jesus today is proof that he was correct about his powerful impact on them and others that came after them.

We Want Freedom

Humans are always declaring their freedom, wishing for more "space," announcing that they belong only to "themselves." We want to be free from the enslavement of the kitchen, or from confinement of a job we don't like.

Airplane companies claim to set us free, and medical companies says the same. There are deodorant companies which promise to set us free from the worry of underarm wetness and odor; a certain toothpaste declares we can be set free from dull teeth. Then we are promised freedom from pain by Tylenol, Excedrin, Bayer, and others. Other products play on our desperation for freedom by telling us we can be free from "ring-around-the-collar," and Lysol sets us free from germs. We want freedom to sleep at night with a clear conscience, freedom from fear of death, and above all, freedom from the terrors of the judgment day.

A teen-age boy told his parents he was going to run away from home. "Listen," he said, "I'm leaving home. There is nothing you can do to stop me. I want excitement, adventure, beautiful women, money, and fun. I'll never find it here, so I'm leaving. Just don't try to stop me!" As he headed for the door, his father leaped up and ran toward him.

"Dad," the boy said firmly, "you heard what I said. Don't try to stop me. I'm going!" "Who's trying to stop you?" answered the father, "I'm going with you!"

Romans 5:3-4

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

What are you living to produce in your life? Wealth, fame, status, significance, a legacy? How about character! Isn't having the character of God our real goal in life? So even in our worst of times, if we can be people of character, then nothing can steal from us our most desired goal, the character of God, given us in Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Quote

"We cannot bear sin - when it is near us, we feel like a wretch chained to a rotting carcass; we groan to be free of the hateful thing." - Charles H. Spurgeon

Quotes 

. Having a sense of nearness to God gives me the sense of being exactly where I belong. - Christine Dallman

. Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves.  Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.  Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, and grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Forty Days for Recommitment

Lent was originally established for new Christians, those who experienced a call. They were to spend forty days and forty nights preparing for their baptism. If at the end they still wanted to follow Jesus, then on Easter Eve they would be baptized as the sun was rising in the east, signaling the new day, the new era, inaugurated because of the Resurrection.

I am sure it had a powerful significance for them, to have prepared for their vocation as Christians the same way that Jesus prepared for his vocation as the Messiah: forty days of introspection and self-examination.

But later the Church used the forty days as a time of renewal for those who were already Christians, because at a certain point everyone in the empire became a Christian, everyone was baptized as infants. So the time of Lent was used as a time of renewal and recommitment to the Christian life, examining our lives in light of the one we are supposed to follow.

Deuteronomy 11:19

Teach them [God's commandments] to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Thoughts on This Verse....

Moses gives us three crucial messages about God's commandments. First, as parents, it is our responsibility to teach them to our children — not the responsibility of the government, or of the schools, nor even our churches.

Second, we are to teach them in the everyday course of life as we go about our routines as a family.
Third, we are to teach them continuously by both our words and our lives as we raise our children.
Now we can look at this as a job, a burden, a heavy responsibility, or we can see it as an opportunity to shape a life for the future and partner with God in raising a child to be a person that will make an eternal difference for the Kingdom of God. What a joy to be a part of such a partnership!

The Faith

To know what we believe, and why we believe it, ought to be prime importance to every Christian.
Our only authority for belief and faith is in the Bible, so whenever a Bible reference is given, be sure to look it up.

The Thoughts of God

Isaiah 55:9

God reminds us that as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high His thoughts are above ours.  They are altogether beyond the power of our comprehension.  When God laid out all His promises to Abraham, they were indeed thoughts higher than the heavens.

God, by His Holy Spirit, convey to our hearts the life and the light that can make us feel at home with these thoughts dwelling in us.  But we need daily, prayerful fellowship with God if we are to enter into His mind and to have His thoughts make their home in us.  It is by faith that God will not only reveal the beauty and the glory of these thoughts but will actually work in us their divine reality.

Goodness

Of this attribute Thomas Manton said:

He is originally good, good of Himself, which nothing else is; for all creatures are good only by participation and communication from God. He is essentially good; not only good, but goodness itself: the creature’s good is a superadded quality, in God it is His essence.

He is infinitely good; the creature’s good is but a drop, but in God there is an infinite ocean or gathering together of good. He is eternally and immutably good, for He cannot be less good than He is; as there can be no addition made to Him, so no subtraction from Him.

Judging Others

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

As humans, we are often quick to quibble over things we feel are important to us when others don't share our enthusiasm — especially food, holidays, and special events. This problem is often more a sign of insecurity than it is a mark of sincerity.

We are to do what we do based on our commitment to honor the Lord, not because others do it or approve of it. At the same time, we want to be careful about judging others for what they do or do not celebrate, eat, or drink. The bottom line when judging such things: Can we do it to honor the Lord?

Facts about God - 2

Isaiah 40:23

Who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.

Isaiah 40:24

Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.

Isaiah 40:26

Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.

Isaiah 40:27

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”?

Isaiah 40:28

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

Isaiah 40:29

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Isaiah 40:30-31

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 41: 2-3

Who stirred up one from the east whom victory meets at every step? He gives up nations before him, so that he tramples kings underfoot; he makes them like dust with his sword, like driven stubble with his bow. He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths his feet have not trod.
Isaiah 41:25
I stirred up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, and he shall call upon my name; he shall trample on rulers as on mortar, as the potter treads clay.

Isaiah 41:4

Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.

Isaiah 41: 8-9

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”;

Isaiah 41:21

Set forth your case, says the Lord; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.

Facts about God - 1

From the Book of Isaiah

Isaiah 40:12

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

Isaiah 40:13

Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel?

Isaiah 40:14

Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?

Isaiah 40:15

 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.

Isaiah 40:16

Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

Isaiah 40:17

All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

Isaiah 40:18

To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?

Isaiah 40:18-20

To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move.

Isaiah 40:25

To whom then will you compare me that I should be like him? Says the Holy One.

Isaiah 40:21

Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

Isaiah 40:22

It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;

Who Stands With You

“But Lord,’ Gideon asked, ‘How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my family.’ The Lord answered, ‘I will be with you …’” Judges 6:15

How often do I look within or to another before I look up? Gideon looked at where he came from. He looked at his own accomplishments and his personal sense of identity, trying to establish whether he was equipped for the task, but God had a different answer: “I will be with you,” God told Gideon.
Sometimes, living in our fearlessly independent society, we forget that we don’t have to rely on self. We don’t need the perfect credentials to walk in the call God has for us.

Instead, we are partnered with the God of the Universe who promises: “I will be with you.” It’s the promise of Emmanuel—God with us. We don’t have to do it alone. We can look up and fix our eyes on this God who can do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

Romans 5:5

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Hope has become such a "wimpy" term in modern vocabulary. It hardly qualifies as an adequate translation of the meaning in most New Testament passages. Hope is the assurance that what we believe will happen. We could call it spiritual confidence. We have that spiritual confidence because more than just a wish, more than just an emotion, more than just a belief rests in our heart; God himself lives in us through his Holy Spirit.

When we become Christians, Jesus pours out the Spirit upon us (Titus 3:3-7) as God's gift to us (Acts 2:38; Acts 5:32) to cleanse us (1 Corinthians 6:11), make us part of the same! Body (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), and live inside us (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Paul adds one more thing to that list of blessings from God's presence within us — God's love. We don't just have it; God keeps refreshing it through the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had promised (John 7:37-39).

Uncomfortable Love

“And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:2

Jesus Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us. Paul calls that act “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” It was the will of God that Jesus should die on the cross. It was not an easy thing to do. But He did it anyway in obedience to the will of God and because of His love for us. Anytime we choose to do the will of God and obey what He has told us to do, it is an act of sacrifice to God.

We are to walk in love towards people, regardless of who we think they are. Whenever we choose not to walk in love towards those the Lord has placed on our path, we deny God of a fragrant offering and sacrifice. Let’s take a moment to think about that.

Our God is Able

If it is possible, kindly put this details on the slides (on chart).

Our God is Able

1. He is Able to bring everything under His control – Phil. 3:20b-21 –

2. He is Able to help those who are tempted – Heb. 2:18

3. He is Able to do immeasurably more than all - we ask or imagine – Eph. 3:20

4. He is Able to make all grace abound in us – 2 Cor. 9:8

5. He is Able to make us stand – Rom. 14:4

6. He is Able to Save us – Hebrews 7:25

6 - HE IS ABLE TO SAVE US – Hebrews 7:25

Isaiah 2:22

Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

"If only I had a friend." "If only my father hadn't left." "If only she was more supportive." "If only..." People can fail us, but we still pin so many of our hopes on them. They are fallible and mortal just like we are.

So while we are involved in the lives of other people, let's also remember to keep our hopes connected to the Son of God, who "defeated death and brought immortality and life to light" and who will "never leave or forsake" us.

George Whitefield

What W. walker said about him -

George Whitefield was probably the greatest preacher that England had ever known. 

His message was the Gospel of God’s forgiving grace, and of peace through acceptance of Christ by faith, and a consequent life of joyful service. His few printed sermons give little sense of his power. Dramatic, pathetic, appealing, with a voice of marvelous expressiveness, the audiences of two continents were as was melted before him.

C. H. Spurgeon said about him …

Years on years, Whitefield continued his arduous labors, never resting. In the intervals of preaching, he was riding, or walking, and composing sermons. He wrote letters, conversed with enquirers, visited sick beds, - attended to the Orphan House, published various works, preached during his voyages, - and at all times, even till the hour of death, was earnest and fervent .. In his sermons one perceives coals of juniper and hot thunderbolts … He lived. Other men seem to be only half – alive; but Whitefield was all life, fire, wing, force.

God’s Plan

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. — 2 Corinthians 11:14

While we wait for God's great victory for us to be fully realized, we also need to know that we are in a battle. God will win this battle through Jesus Christ. The final outcome is certain. Christ has already won the decisive battle.

However, let's not be fooled; the evil one will do everything he can to deceive all people and confuse the lost. Let's stick with God's plan — living his truth, listening for his voice in Scripture, and following the lead of his Spirit.

Love for the Least

 “Anything you did even for the least of my people here, you did also for me.”  Matthew 25:40
What is the sign of the saved? Their scholarship? Their willingness to go to foreign lands? Their ability to amass an audience and preach? Their skillful pens and hope-filled volumes? . . . No.
The sign of the saved is their love for the least . . .

No fanfare. No hoopla. No media coverage. Just good people doing good things. For when we do good things to others we do good things to God.

The Sources of God’s Calling

God the Father.

1 Corinthians 1:9

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Lord Jesus.

Luke 5:32

I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

The Holy Spirit.

Acts 13:2

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Through the Gospel.

2 Thessalonians 2:14

To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through Godly Man.

Acts 16:3-4

Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 

As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.

By the Grace.

Galatians 1:6

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel

God’s Specific Calling

Apostolic calling

Galatians 1:14-15

And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.  But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,

Prophetic calling

1 Corinthians 14:1

 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

1 Corinthians 14:3-4

 The other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their up building and encouragement and consolation.  The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

Evangelistic Calling

Acts 8:5-6

Went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.  And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did.

Shepherd’s calling

1 Peter 5:2-3

Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

Teacher’s calling

Acts 18:24-25

Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures.  He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John.

Generally Calling of God

To fellowship with Jesus

1 Corinthians 1:9

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Peace of Christ to rule

Colossians 3:15

 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Called to be free

Galatians 5:13

 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another

Called to one hope

Ephesians 4:4

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call
To live a Holy life

1 Thessalonians 4:7

That each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

To eternal life

1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

To suffer

1 Peter 2:21

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

To bless

1 Peter 3:9

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing

To His kingdom and glory

1 Thessalonians 2:12

We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

To live in peace

1 Corinthians 7:15

But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

Facts about God’s Calling

God calls many

Matthew 22:14

For many are called, but few are chosen.

Calling is according to His purpose:

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

The called ones are justified:

Romans 8:30

And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

We are to retain our call:

1 Corinthians 7:17

 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

We are to live worthy of it:

Ephesians 4:1

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

The one who called is faithful:

1 Thessalonians 5:24

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

We should know our calling:

Ephesians 1:18

the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

We must make sure of it.:

2 Peter 1:10

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

God calls the weak and foolish.:

1 Corinthians 1:26

 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

God’s calling is irrevocable.:

Romans 11:29

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

He Expected Fruit

The disciples come upon a fig tree which is showing a burst of new leaves. But Jesus looks among them, and says that there is no fruit. He expected fruit. It is the condemnation of promise without fulfillment. Charles Lamb told of a certain man in whose life, he said, there were three stages. When he was young, people said of him, "He will do something."

As he grew older and did nothing, they said of him, "He could do something if he tried." Towards the end of his life they said of him, "He might have done something, if he had tried." That could be the epitaph of too many Christians...and too many churches.

2 Corinthians 11:14

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

While we wait for God's great victory for us to be fully realized, we also need to know that we are in a battle. God will win this battle through Jesus Christ. The final outcome is certain. Christ has already won the decisive battle.

However, let's not be fooled; the evil one will do everything he can to deceive all people and confuse the lost. Let's stick with God's plan — living his truth, listening for his voice in Scripture, and following the lead of his Spirit.

Integrity

Integrity as "doing what's right when no one is looking".

Does God really bless us when we prove ourselves to be faithful?  You better believe He does!
In fact, Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says, "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God."

Quotes from Billy Graham

- It's sometimes comical to hear the younger generation ask their peers to repeat themselves.

- Over the years I've seen people lose a spouse and then withdraw and lose interest in life, and I believe we need to resist that.

- People have a negative impression of New York that I don't think is quite fair.

- The most eloquent prayer is the prayer through hands that heal and bless.

A Vast Army

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” 2 Chronicles 32:7-8a
What an amazing story and a great example of God’s power! Are you overwhelmed by circumstances in your life today? Do you feel like a “vast army” has your life under siege? The God who provided relief to Judah is with you today.

God I choose to trust you, and I thank you for your presence with me. I present my life in all its circumstances to you. I believe that you have a good plan for me. I ask you for wisdom to recognize what I must do and to understand what is in your hands to do on my behalf. Amen.

Christianity at its best …

. It is at its best socially when men are leaping at earth other’s throats.

. It is at its best spiritually when men have lost the sense of the Presence of God.

. The crisis finds the Christian religion with the word of mastery.

. And if that word is heard and heeded, the crisis will be a crisis no longer.

Hebrews 11:13

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

I'm not good at waiting for much of anything. I'm like the kids who have seen the catalogues for Christmas toys and are anxious for the big gift day. God does have a great Gift Day ahead for us. On that wonderful day, all our waiting will be over and our faith will become sight. Let's follow the example of these great heroes of faith, and welcome that day from afar, by anticipation, praising God for his victory through Jesus Christ in our lives.

Thoughts 

- Christ showed His love by dying for us; we show our love by living for Him.

- Beware! Error often rides to its deadly work on the back of truth!

- We are never as empty as when we are full of self.

The Tomb Is Easier than the Cross

 In just a matter of days Holy Week takes us from the mountain of festive palms to the mountain of Golgatha's despair. And that is why we resist it so. I mean, do we really need the emotional rollercoaster of Holy Week? What's so wrong with just jumping from one parade to the next and skipping all the sacrifice and death stuff? What's wrong with simply moving on to the joy of Easter, with its white bonnets, Easter eggs, family, friends, big ham dinner, and of course the empty tomb.
 Well, I think we know the answer to that. For starters, an empty tomb, at face value, is a lot easier to deal with than a dying, bleeding Savior on a cross. Add to that all the pain and suffering that comes with Holy Week, is it any wonder that the human tendency is to try and ignore the events of the week and simply move on to the Easter celebration?

But as much as we'd like to skip Holy Week we know that the only way to Easter is through the cross. We know where the parade of Palm Sunday leads and we also know that we're part of that parade. That is to say, we know this intellectually. Our hearts are another story. Our hearts may be more in sync with the disciples and the fear and disbelief that led them to run away. It would seem that 2000 years later Jesus' disciples are still running away.

Ephesians 3:16-17

For this reason I kneel before the Father... I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

What's the greatest thing we can do to bless those we love in Christ Jesus? What is the most helpful thing we can do when a brother or sister in Christ, or even a whole congregation of God's people is facing a major challenge from the Evil One? What is one of the greatest gifts we can give to our children or our parents as they seek to live for Jesus today? The apostle Paul just showed us. We can ask God to strengthen his people with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in their inner being. Then we can let them know that we have prayed this for them, and that we will continue to pray it until their storm is past.

Faith Quote

Smith Wigglesworth - “You must every day make higher ground. You must deny yourself to make progress with God. You must refuse everything that is not pure and holy. God wants you pure in heart. He wants you to have an intense desire after holiness.”

What Is Good For Us Is Hidden

 Martin Luther often spoke of this aspect of the theology of the cross, concerning how God works in a hidden way through contrasts. In a series of lectures that Luther gave in 1515 and 1516 on the Book of Romans, he wrote: "For what is good for us is hidden, and that so deeply that it is hidden under its opposite. Thus our life is hidden under death, love for ourselves under hate for ourselves ... salvation under damnation, heaven under hell ... And universally our every assertion of anything good is hidden under the denial of it, so that faith may have its place in God, who is a negative essence and goodness and wisdom and righteousness, who cannot be touched except by the negation of all our affirmations."

 Martin Luther had one more observation about why God operates this way - under contrasts and opposites. In another of his sermons, he put it this way: "He thrusts us into death and permits the devil to pounce on us. But it is not his purpose to devour us; he wants to test us, to purify us, and to manifest himself ever more to us, that we may recognize his love. Such trials and strife are to let us experience something that preaching alone is not able to do, namely, how powerful Christ is and how sincerely the Father loves us. So our trust in God and our knowledge of God will increase more and more, together with our praise and thanks for his mercy and blessing.

 Otherwise we would bumble along with our early, incipient faith. We would become indolent, unfruitful and inexperienced Christians, and would soon grow rusty."

Evangelist

The evangelist is a man with a driving urgency, not a man with two minds.
The Gospel and nothing else on earth matters, neither fame, money, popularity nor life itself.

Proverbs 11:12

A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.
Wise folks don't have to prove their wisdom by disrespecting others and putting them down. Instead, they hold their tongues and let their lives speak what is good, honorable, righteous, and true.
In a world of sarcasm and in a culture that is attracted to the person who can put down others with quick and razor-sharp "put downs," we are called to bring a blessing with our words (Ephesians 4:29).

Psalm 37:16-17

Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

What do we want to be the basis of our security? Will it be what we can do, accomplish, achieve, earn, and hoard? Or will it be our God, who has shown himself faithful throughout generations upon generations? We get to choose! So what will be your choice? In what will you find your security?

Proverbs 10:7

The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

Thoughts on Today's Verse....

Sometimes the wisdom of God is short, succinct, and sweet for those who seek to do his will. I want my children and grandchildren to remember me with sweet thoughts because their dad, and granddad, sought to be righteous and love the Lord with all his heart.

I refuse to live the kind of life that poisons the lives of those I touch and leaves rot in the heritage of my descendants.

Romans 8:11

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Thoughts on This Verse....

If we belong to Christ, we know the Spirit of God lives in us (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). Because of the Spirit's presence, we know that we are eternal! The Spirit is God's down payment guaranteeing that our future is with him (2 Cor. 1:21-22; 2 Cor. 5:5). What's more, even while we're living for Christ now, the Spirit gives us life in our physical bodies as we use them for God's glory (cf. Rom. 12:1).

Quotes 

.. If you see another stumble or fall, let your first thought be that, of all men, you are most likely to stumble or fall in that same manner. - Thomas Kempis

.. The situation today is:

Lots of knowledge, but little understanding.

Lots of means, but little meaning.

Lots of know-how, but little know-why.

Lots of sight, but little insight. - Robert Short

Effectiveness of Word

The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. -

Hebrews 4:12

How often do you let God do major surgery on your spirit as his Spirit uses the Word to encourage, judge, motivate, convict, instruct, and inspire? With such a great tool so readily at hand for most of us, let's not let a day go by that we don't let God use his word on hearts.

Proverbs 29:25

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe

Thoughts on This Verse....

Jesus told us not to fear other human opponents (Lk. 12:4-5). When we try to please others, when we fear what others may say or do to us, we place ourselves in a position of great vulnerability. Our lives no longer remain our own. We become captive to what others think, want, or threaten. We are only to trust the LORD and reverence him. In God is our safety, both now, and forevermore.

Thought 

. The hope we have in Christ is an absolute certainty.  We can be sure that the place Christ is preparing for us will be ready when we arrive, because with Him nothing is left to chance.  Everything He promised He will deliver…Billy Graham

. How often do we attempt work for God to the limit of our incompetency, rather than the limit of God's omnipotence? … J. Hudson Taylor

. This is how idolatry grows in our hearts.  We want things and we aren’t sure God will give them to us, so we put our trust in other gods. This is THE problem of the human heart—misplaced trust. We value, love, and trust something in creation more than the Creator, and since there is nothing in creation that is intended to bear the weight of our trust, we are bound to live in fear.  All other loves must be subordinate to your love for Christ.   Edward T. Welch

Faith Quotes

Fred Rogers - “I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.”

Smith Wigglesworth - “Can demons remain in your presence? You have to be greater than demons. Can disease lodge in the body that you touch? You have to be greater than the disease.” 1 Jn. 4:4

Facts about the Grace of Christ

God of all grace calls us to his eternal glory:

1 Peter 5:10

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Ephesians 2:7

So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

God gives the administration of his grace:

Ephesians 3:2

Assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you,

God’s grace is given us before the beginning of time:

2 Timothy 1:9

Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

God’s true grace is given in order to stand fast in it:

1 Peter 5:12

By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.

God’s grace is given so that we grow in it:

2 Peter 3:18

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble:

James 4:6

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Misusing the Grace of Christ

Receiving in vain:

2 Corinthians 6:1

Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 

Setting aside:

Galatians 2:21

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

Falling away:

Galatians 5:4

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

By changing:

Jude 1:4

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

By sinning:

Romans 6:1

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?

By insulting:

Hebrews 10:29

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?

By missing it:

Hebrews 12:15

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;