Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
"May God's Blessing Surround You Each Day ... "
If we are to know the blessing of God in our lives, there must be a willingness to go the Lord’s way. This is emphasized in the words of the benediction chorus: “May God’s blessing surround you each day, as you trust Him and walk in His way.” We enjoy the blessing of the Lord as we trust Him and walk in His way. “May His presence within, guard and keep you from sin. Go in peace. Go in joy. Go in love.” The way of peace, joy and love is the way of being guarded and kept from sin. Let us never imagine that we will ever discover peace, joy and love whenever we are intent on going our own way, the way of sin, rather than the Lord’s way, the way of discipleship.
We Need Both - Trust And Obedience.
2 Kings 23:4-30
In 18:5, we read about Hezekiah; ‘There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him’. Here, we read about something rather different - ‘Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him’(25). This seems confusing: Which was the better king - Hezekiah or Josiah? We need to look more closely at these statements. Hezekiah is commended for his trust in the Lord - ‘’Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel’(18:5). Josiah is commended for his obedience to God. His actions were ‘according to all the law of Moses’(25). Trust and obedience belong together. Hezekiah’s faith led to obedience (18:6). By his obedience, Josiah showed that he had ‘turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might’(25). We need both - trust and obedience.
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
In 18:5, we read about Hezekiah; ‘There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him’. Here, we read about something rather different - ‘Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him’(25). This seems confusing: Which was the better king - Hezekiah or Josiah? We need to look more closely at these statements. Hezekiah is commended for his trust in the Lord - ‘’Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel’(18:5). Josiah is commended for his obedience to God. His actions were ‘according to all the law of Moses’(25). Trust and obedience belong together. Hezekiah’s faith led to obedience (18:6). By his obedience, Josiah showed that he had ‘turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might’(25). We need both - trust and obedience.
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
God Is Looking For People Who Will Stand When Everyone Else Is Falling.
2 Kings 20:1-21:18
‘Carried off to Babylon’(20:17) - There’s a real sadness about these words. In Revelation 18:2, Babylon is described as ‘a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit’. In today’s world, it seems like things are going the same way. ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’(Revelation 14:8; 18:2) - Everything seems to be falling round about us. We hear so much bad news. We wonder, ‘What does God think about all this?’. God is looking for people who will stand when everyone else is falling, people who will stand up for Him - ‘Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues’(Revelation 18:4). Even ‘in Babylon’, there were ‘the chosen’- people who belonged to the Lord (1 Peter 5:13). Let us be such people - ‘in the world’ but ‘not of the world’(John 17:11,16).
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
‘Carried off to Babylon’(20:17) - There’s a real sadness about these words. In Revelation 18:2, Babylon is described as ‘a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit’. In today’s world, it seems like things are going the same way. ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’(Revelation 14:8; 18:2) - Everything seems to be falling round about us. We hear so much bad news. We wonder, ‘What does God think about all this?’. God is looking for people who will stand when everyone else is falling, people who will stand up for Him - ‘Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues’(Revelation 18:4). Even ‘in Babylon’, there were ‘the chosen’- people who belonged to the Lord (1 Peter 5:13). Let us be such people - ‘in the world’ but ‘not of the world’(John 17:11,16).
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
‘Let Us Run With Perseverance The Race That Is Set Before Us, Looking To Jesus.’
2 Kings 18:1-37
Hezekiah ‘held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him…’(6). We give up so easily. We start well, then we lose our way. We don’t stick at it. Some people are all smiles - when things are going well. When the going gets tough, they lose their smiles - and you can’t see them for dust! What’s the problem? - They’ve taken their eyes off Jesus. They’re looking around at everyone and everything - except Jesus. Notice how different Hezekiah was! He ‘held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him’. This is what makes the difference - Keeping your eyes on Jesus. What is it that keeps us going? We are ‘kept by the power of God’- He ‘is able to keep us from falling’(1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24). ‘Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus’(Hebrews 12:1-2).
_________________
Blessings in Christ Hezekiah ‘held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him…’(6). We give up so easily. We start well, then we lose our way. We don’t stick at it. Some people are all smiles - when things are going well. When the going gets tough, they lose their smiles - and you can’t see them for dust! What’s the problem? - They’ve taken their eyes off Jesus. They’re looking around at everyone and everything - except Jesus. Notice how different Hezekiah was! He ‘held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him’. This is what makes the difference - Keeping your eyes on Jesus. What is it that keeps us going? We are ‘kept by the power of God’- He ‘is able to keep us from falling’(1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24). ‘Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus’(Hebrews 12:1-2).
_________________
Christ in all the Scriptures http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Pleasing God - Nothing Matters More Than This.
2 Kings 13:1-14:16
We love making comparisons. ‘This one’s better’. ‘That one’s better’. Some kings were better than others. What’s the difference between a bad king and a good king? It’s really very simple. The good king does what is ‘right in the eyes of the Lord’(14:3). The bad king does what is ‘evil in the eyes of the Lord’(13:11). This is not a matter of popularity. It is a matter of obedience. It’s possible to be popular among the people without being obedient to God. Obedience is more important than popularity. We must choose obedience - even when popularity doesn’t come into it. There is one King who stands head and shoulders above all other kings. Jesus Christ is ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’(Revelation 19:16). How does your life look ‘in the eyes of the Lord’? Pleasing Him - Nothing matters more than this.
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
We love making comparisons. ‘This one’s better’. ‘That one’s better’. Some kings were better than others. What’s the difference between a bad king and a good king? It’s really very simple. The good king does what is ‘right in the eyes of the Lord’(14:3). The bad king does what is ‘evil in the eyes of the Lord’(13:11). This is not a matter of popularity. It is a matter of obedience. It’s possible to be popular among the people without being obedient to God. Obedience is more important than popularity. We must choose obedience - even when popularity doesn’t come into it. There is one King who stands head and shoulders above all other kings. Jesus Christ is ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’(Revelation 19:16). How does your life look ‘in the eyes of the Lord’? Pleasing Him - Nothing matters more than this.
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Make A New Beginning With God - Right Now!
2 Kings 4:1-44
The situation seemed hopeless - ‘The child was lying dead on his bed’(32). What did Elisha do? - He ‘prayed to the Lord’(33). What are we to do when everything seems hopeless? Pray: ‘Restore us again, O God of our salvation… Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?’(Psalm 85:4,6). When we are at our lowest ebb, God is waiting to hear from us. Our prayer may not be eloquent - but it must come from the heart! Perhaps, we can hardly put our prayer into words. God looks beyond our inadequate words. He looks into our hearts. If, in our hearts, we are saying to Him, ‘Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and provide me with a spirit of willing obedience’, He will hear and He will answer (Romans 8:26-27; Psalm 51:12). You can make a new beginning with God - right now!
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
Let Us Pray, 'Our Father In heaven… Your Will Be Done.'
1 Kings 22:15-53
Ahab’s repentance (21:27) didn’t last long! He continued to live in sin (22:8). He died in shame (37-38). Ahab’s son - Ahaziah - was just like his father - ‘a chip off the old block’: ‘He … provoked the Lord, the God of Israel to anger in every way that his father had done’(51-53). Jehoshapat was a different type of king - ‘he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord’(43). Here, we catch a glimpse of our Lord Jesus Christ - ‘I do as the Father commanded Me’(John 14:31). Don’t be like Ahaziah -‘he walked in the ways of his father… the ways of sin’(52). Let’s be like Jesus - Walking in the ways of our Heavenly Father. God says to us, ‘This is the way; walk in it’(Isaiah 30:21). Let us say, ‘As for God, His way is perfect’(2 Samuel 22:31). Let us pray, 'Our Father in heaven… Your will be done' (Matthew 6:9-10).
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Ahab’s repentance (21:27) didn’t last long! He continued to live in sin (22:8). He died in shame (37-38). Ahab’s son - Ahaziah - was just like his father - ‘a chip off the old block’: ‘He … provoked the Lord, the God of Israel to anger in every way that his father had done’(51-53). Jehoshapat was a different type of king - ‘he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord’(43). Here, we catch a glimpse of our Lord Jesus Christ - ‘I do as the Father commanded Me’(John 14:31). Don’t be like Ahaziah -‘he walked in the ways of his father… the ways of sin’(52). Let’s be like Jesus - Walking in the ways of our Heavenly Father. God says to us, ‘This is the way; walk in it’(Isaiah 30:21). Let us say, ‘As for God, His way is perfect’(2 Samuel 22:31). Let us pray, 'Our Father in heaven… Your will be done' (Matthew 6:9-10).
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Our Strength Is Not In Ourselves. It Is In The Lord.
1 Kings 20:1-43
Sometimes we say, ‘I can’t’, when we mean, ‘I won’t’! We are ‘busy here and there’- too busy for God, for doing His will, for obeying His Word. Is this a case of ‘I can’t’? No! It is ‘I won’t’. We choose. We decide how we will use our time. God looks at our life. He sees what is most important to us and He says, ‘You yourself have decided it’. He sees that our choices have been self-centred rather than Christ-centred. He says, ‘So shall your judgment be’(40). Can we change? Yes! God says, ‘Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do’(12). There is a decision to be made. We must be obedient to God’s Word: ‘Be strong in the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:10). Our strength is not in ourselves. It is in the Lord. Wait on the Lord and renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31). ‘Strengthen yourself’- in the Lord.
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Sometimes we say, ‘I can’t’, when we mean, ‘I won’t’! We are ‘busy here and there’- too busy for God, for doing His will, for obeying His Word. Is this a case of ‘I can’t’? No! It is ‘I won’t’. We choose. We decide how we will use our time. God looks at our life. He sees what is most important to us and He says, ‘You yourself have decided it’. He sees that our choices have been self-centred rather than Christ-centred. He says, ‘So shall your judgment be’(40). Can we change? Yes! God says, ‘Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do’(12). There is a decision to be made. We must be obedient to God’s Word: ‘Be strong in the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:10). Our strength is not in ourselves. It is in the Lord. Wait on the Lord and renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31). ‘Strengthen yourself’- in the Lord.
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Let's Honour God - In Our Attitudes And Actions.
1 Kings 15:9-16:28
A lot of kings are mentioned here. We soon lose track of their names. With one solitary exception, they are all better forgotten than remembered. Thank God for the one glimmer of light: ‘Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord… The heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days’(15:11, 14). We need more people like Asa. God is looking foe people who will stand out from the crowd, people who will dare to be different. Pleasing the Lord is more important than pleasing people. It is so easy to forget this. We want to be popular. This is all that matters to us. If we are serious about following Jesus, we must be prepared to go it alone: ‘Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow’(Mission Praise, 272). Let’s honour God - in our attitudes and actions.
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
A lot of kings are mentioned here. We soon lose track of their names. With one solitary exception, they are all better forgotten than remembered. Thank God for the one glimmer of light: ‘Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord… The heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days’(15:11, 14). We need more people like Asa. God is looking foe people who will stand out from the crowd, people who will dare to be different. Pleasing the Lord is more important than pleasing people. It is so easy to forget this. We want to be popular. This is all that matters to us. If we are serious about following Jesus, we must be prepared to go it alone: ‘Tho’ none go with me, I still will follow’(Mission Praise, 272). Let’s honour God - in our attitudes and actions.
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
"Let The Word Of Christ Dwell In You Richly."
1 Kings 2:1-46
God’s purpose does not stand still. It moves forward. This was a new beginning for God’s people. Solomon was not to do his own thing. He was to do God’s will: ‘Keep the charge of the Lord your God’(3). He was to serve God’s purpose: ‘that the Lord may establish His Word’(4). There are to be no comparisons between one man and another. God’s servants are not to be in competition with one another. Some may have been looking back to the past - ‘How will we manage without David? God had already moved on from there. He was pressing on to the future - ‘If your sons…’(4). God’s blessing would not come easily. There were obstacles to be removed (13-46). If ‘the Word of Christ’ is to ‘dwell in us richly’, we must ‘put to death what is earthly in us’(Colossians 3:5,16). God will not bless us if we do not obey Him.
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
God’s purpose does not stand still. It moves forward. This was a new beginning for God’s people. Solomon was not to do his own thing. He was to do God’s will: ‘Keep the charge of the Lord your God’(3). He was to serve God’s purpose: ‘that the Lord may establish His Word’(4). There are to be no comparisons between one man and another. God’s servants are not to be in competition with one another. Some may have been looking back to the past - ‘How will we manage without David? God had already moved on from there. He was pressing on to the future - ‘If your sons…’(4). God’s blessing would not come easily. There were obstacles to be removed (13-46). If ‘the Word of Christ’ is to ‘dwell in us richly’, we must ‘put to death what is earthly in us’(Colossians 3:5,16). God will not bless us if we do not obey Him.
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
We Are Blessed Because God Loves Us And Christ Died For Us.
Leviticus 26:1-46
'Every spiritual blessing' is 'in Christ' (Ephesians 1:3). The moment you begin to feel superior - 'I am blessed because I am obedient' (There is too much of 'I' in this!) - , remember: 'in Christ'. We are blessed because God loves us and Christ died for us. It is His grace which changes us. Without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). Our obedience comes from Him. Our disobedience comes from ourselves. We do not deserve His blessing. We deserve His judgment. There is only one way to blessing: Humbly confess your sin, turning to the Lord in whom alone there is blessing. We must not 'be proud' of our 'obedience'. There is only one thing about which we should 'boast': 'the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' (Galatians 6:14). Thank God for His 'new covenant' (42,44-45; Hebrews 8:8-13; 1 Corinthians 11:25).
Leviticus 27:1-34
'Every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord' (28). We are loved by the holy God. We are precious in His eyes. In love, He has reached out to us - through the Cross of Christ (Romans 5:8). We are 'greatly beloved' (Daniel 9:23). The Lord takes great joy in every sinner who returns to Him (Luke 15:7,10). 'Most holy to the Lord' - This is how the holy God looks upon those who have 'faith in Jesus' (Romans 3:26). We are to be 'devoted' to the Lord: The Lord must come first - 'All the tithe... is the Lord's' (30). The bringing of the tithe (tenth) to God was an outward sign of an inward commitment. Do you love God? - Let it show in your living and giving. Let it be Thanksgiving (I want to) - not Grudge Giving (I have to) or Duty Giving (I ought to): 'God loves a cheerful giver' (2 Corinthians 9:7).
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
'Every spiritual blessing' is 'in Christ' (Ephesians 1:3). The moment you begin to feel superior - 'I am blessed because I am obedient' (There is too much of 'I' in this!) - , remember: 'in Christ'. We are blessed because God loves us and Christ died for us. It is His grace which changes us. Without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). Our obedience comes from Him. Our disobedience comes from ourselves. We do not deserve His blessing. We deserve His judgment. There is only one way to blessing: Humbly confess your sin, turning to the Lord in whom alone there is blessing. We must not 'be proud' of our 'obedience'. There is only one thing about which we should 'boast': 'the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' (Galatians 6:14). Thank God for His 'new covenant' (42,44-45; Hebrews 8:8-13; 1 Corinthians 11:25).
Leviticus 27:1-34
'Every devoted thing is most holy to the Lord' (28). We are loved by the holy God. We are precious in His eyes. In love, He has reached out to us - through the Cross of Christ (Romans 5:8). We are 'greatly beloved' (Daniel 9:23). The Lord takes great joy in every sinner who returns to Him (Luke 15:7,10). 'Most holy to the Lord' - This is how the holy God looks upon those who have 'faith in Jesus' (Romans 3:26). We are to be 'devoted' to the Lord: The Lord must come first - 'All the tithe... is the Lord's' (30). The bringing of the tithe (tenth) to God was an outward sign of an inward commitment. Do you love God? - Let it show in your living and giving. Let it be Thanksgiving (I want to) - not Grudge Giving (I have to) or Duty Giving (I ought to): 'God loves a cheerful giver' (2 Corinthians 9:7).
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Rejoicing In Christ - The Perfect Sacrifice For Sin - , Let Us Bring Our Sacrifice Of ‘Thanksgiving.’
Leviticus 7:1-38
As we read about the sacrifices, rejoicing in Christ - the perfect Sacrifice for sin - , let us bring our sacrifice of ‘thanksgiving’(12-13,15). ‘Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God’(Hebrews 13:15). Let it be ‘a living sacrifice’, the sacrifice of our lives - this is ‘our spiritual worship’(Romans 12:1). God’s salvation is ‘to the praise of His glorious grace’(Ephesians 1:6). ‘We bring the sacrifice of praise... We offer up to You the sacrifices of thanksgiving... the sacrifices of joy’. ‘Fill Thou my life, O Lord my God, In every part with praise... Not for the lip of praise alone nor e’en the praising heart, I ask, but for a life made up of praise in every part’(Mission Praise, 722; Church Hymnary, 457). Still ‘in the wilderness’(38), let us learn to worship as we travel to ‘the promised land’!
Leviticus 8:1-36
‘This is the thing which the Lord has commanded to be done’(5): For us, it must be ‘as the Lord commanded’(4,9,13,17,21,29,36). God calls us to serve Him (Hebrews 5:4-5). Obedience to God, love for God - These are to be our priorities (1 Samuel 15:22; 1 Corinthians 13:3). Christ is to be our ‘first love’(Revelation 2:4). Washed, robed, anointed(6-7,12): Our robes washed in the blood of the Lamb, we have this anointing - ‘to preach the Gospel...’(Revelation 7:14; Luke 4:18-19). Ears, hands and feet: Consecrated by the blood of Christ to hear the Word of the Lord, do the work of the Lord and walk in the way of the Lord (24), we must pray for a change of heart- ‘O for a heart to praise my God, a heart from sin set free; a heart that always feels Thy blood so freely shed for me’(Church Hymnary, 85).
Leviticus 9:1-10:20
Aaron had to make atonement for himself and for the people (9:7). Christ did not need to make atonement for Himself - He was ‘without sin’(Hebrews 4:15). In Christ, we are ‘accepted’. In Him there is blessing, glory and joy(9:22-24; Ephesians 1:6,3; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Peter 1:8). God has given us ‘holy fire’. Let us not try to do His work with ‘unholy fire’(10:1-2; Acts 2:3-4). To those who seek to live ‘as the Lord has commanded’(9:7; 10:15), God promises to reveal His holiness, nearness and glory(10:3). Do you want to draw near to God, to become ‘mature’ in Christ? - Learn ‘to distinguish between the holy and the common... the unclean and the clean... good and evil’(10:10; Hebrews 5:14). God reveals the glory of His holiness. Let us confess our sins, be forgiven and be obedient. (Isaiah 6:3-8).
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
As we read about the sacrifices, rejoicing in Christ - the perfect Sacrifice for sin - , let us bring our sacrifice of ‘thanksgiving’(12-13,15). ‘Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God’(Hebrews 13:15). Let it be ‘a living sacrifice’, the sacrifice of our lives - this is ‘our spiritual worship’(Romans 12:1). God’s salvation is ‘to the praise of His glorious grace’(Ephesians 1:6). ‘We bring the sacrifice of praise... We offer up to You the sacrifices of thanksgiving... the sacrifices of joy’. ‘Fill Thou my life, O Lord my God, In every part with praise... Not for the lip of praise alone nor e’en the praising heart, I ask, but for a life made up of praise in every part’(Mission Praise, 722; Church Hymnary, 457). Still ‘in the wilderness’(38), let us learn to worship as we travel to ‘the promised land’!
Leviticus 8:1-36
‘This is the thing which the Lord has commanded to be done’(5): For us, it must be ‘as the Lord commanded’(4,9,13,17,21,29,36). God calls us to serve Him (Hebrews 5:4-5). Obedience to God, love for God - These are to be our priorities (1 Samuel 15:22; 1 Corinthians 13:3). Christ is to be our ‘first love’(Revelation 2:4). Washed, robed, anointed(6-7,12): Our robes washed in the blood of the Lamb, we have this anointing - ‘to preach the Gospel...’(Revelation 7:14; Luke 4:18-19). Ears, hands and feet: Consecrated by the blood of Christ to hear the Word of the Lord, do the work of the Lord and walk in the way of the Lord (24), we must pray for a change of heart- ‘O for a heart to praise my God, a heart from sin set free; a heart that always feels Thy blood so freely shed for me’(Church Hymnary, 85).
Leviticus 9:1-10:20
Aaron had to make atonement for himself and for the people (9:7). Christ did not need to make atonement for Himself - He was ‘without sin’(Hebrews 4:15). In Christ, we are ‘accepted’. In Him there is blessing, glory and joy(9:22-24; Ephesians 1:6,3; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Peter 1:8). God has given us ‘holy fire’. Let us not try to do His work with ‘unholy fire’(10:1-2; Acts 2:3-4). To those who seek to live ‘as the Lord has commanded’(9:7; 10:15), God promises to reveal His holiness, nearness and glory(10:3). Do you want to draw near to God, to become ‘mature’ in Christ? - Learn ‘to distinguish between the holy and the common... the unclean and the clean... good and evil’(10:10; Hebrews 5:14). God reveals the glory of His holiness. Let us confess our sins, be forgiven and be obedient. (Isaiah 6:3-8).
_________________
Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)