Word For the Day

  Things That Pollute Your Offerings Giving Under Compulsion or Guilt “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7) Giving To Be Seen “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:1-4) Giving Deceitfully “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold ...

  Polluted Offerings The Natural Order  “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?' says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, 'How have we despised Your name?'” (Malachi 1:6) It is natural for a son to honor his father and a servant his master. Yet the people would not even honor God. Instead, they treat God’s name as something common. Routine and complacency may foster this kind of disrespect. As Christians, we should never treat God as common. He is holy, and His holiness demands our respect. God requires and deserves our best. However, the people were offering their worst. Defiled Food “You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled You?' In that you say, 'The table of the LORD is to be despised.' "But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and...

  “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary And gathered from the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; They did not find a way to an inhabited city. They were hungry and thirsty; Their soul fainted within them. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses. He led them also by a straight way, To go to an inhabited city. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men! For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good” (Psalms 107:1-9). Reading the Psalm above made me think about Paul’s conversion; in turn, one might think about his own conversion. Paul was on his way to Damascus when God arrested him, overwhelming him and causing hi...

  Are You Longing for Revival? “Because of this our heart is faint; Because of these [things] our eyes grow dim; Because of Mount Zion which is desolate, with foxes walking about on it. You, O LORD, remain forever; your throne from generation to generation. Why do you forget us forever, [And] forsake us for so long a time? Turn us back to You, O LORD, and we will be restored; Renew our days as of old, Unless You have utterly rejected us, [And] are very angry with us!” (La 5:17-22 NKJV) The people of God had come to a very low point in their history. Their nation was plagued with sin, and their temple was desolate, with wild animals using it as their own. While we no longer worship in the temple, we could make a similar cry for many of our churches that are overrun with sin and lay impotent. The writer falls back to a staple for comfort by acknowledging the Lord’s eternal nature. He knew that God had not lost control. The Father knows what is happening to you at all times; His ey...

  "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." (2 Corinthians 3:5). "We should always look upon ourselves as God's servants, placed in God's world, to do His work... not with a design to grow rich and great, but to glorify God, and to do all the good we possibly can. Never expect any satisfaction or happiness from the world. If you hope for happiness in the world, hope for it from God, and not from the world. Do not think you shall be more happy if you live to such or such a state of life, if you live to be yourself, to be settled in the world, or if you should gain an estate in it: but look upon it that you shall then be happy, when you can be constantly employed for God, and not for yourself: and desire to live in this world, only to do and suffer what God allots to you... Once more; Never think that you can live to God by your own power or strength; but always look to and rely on Him for assist...

  Faith Is What Counts Scripture “And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." Jesus *said to him, "I will come and heal him." But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place the...

  Aim To Please Scripture “So [we are] always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things [done] in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2Co 5:6-10 NKJV) Devotion The believer, having the guarantee of the Spirit, is always confident because he no longer fears death. However, there is a judgment to be faced, and it should be the aim of every believer to live circumspectly. Hopefully, our desire to please Christ comes more from our love for Him and not our fear of Him. If His commandments are a burden to us, something is amiss. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His c...

  I remember attending a prayer meeting where some weighty matters were discussed. There was a heavy spirit upon the group as each person discussed their difficulties dealing with their emotions and uncertainty.  Then a remarkable thing happened. As we prayed through the issues, our sense of hopelessness turned to hopefulness, and our fears turned to joy. After we had finished praying, the room was full of laughter as we all enjoyed fellowship with one another in Christ.  We all had experienced a great blessing from the Lord. A fresh breeze of hope blew through the room and our joy returned. The greatest blessings often come in the darkest hour. I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to...

  “In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. "It shall come about if you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. "Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God.” (Deuteronomy 8:16-20) As a powerful, wealthy nation, you always risk forgetting who made you great. God gives the power to make wealth. To forget this truth is perilous. Therefore, beloved of God, stay humble, and “In everythi...

  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.” (Isaiah 43:2) When illness strikes, or calamity looms, despair can often set in. No one is prepared to hear a doctor say, "You have cancer." Yet in these challenging times, Isaiah's words offer encouragement. The verse above contains two precious promises. First, God promises to be with us during our trials. Nothing is more comforting than having the very real presence of God in your life. It is wonderful to have brothers and sisters visiting and praying with you, but at the end of the day, you are facing the unknown alone. Only God can give the comfort needed. The second promise is for protection. That doesn’t mean that God will keep us from all calamity. Clearly, we will suffer in this world for a plethora of reasons, both physical and mental. However, the promise is that the ...

  As much as we would like to live our lives to the glory of God, we often fail to trust Him. So remember that God is at work in us for His glory. “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). Even when we sin, God does not abandon us or His purpose for us. Take Abram, for example. “The LORD appeared to Abram and said, 'To your descendants I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him” (Genesis 12:7). Even while knowing this promise, Abram, fearing the people, lied about Sarai, calling her his sister. He not only lied about Sarai, but also involved her in the deception. What was Abram thinking? His thoughts were not likely on the promise God made to him. How could God give the land to his descendants if his wife was tak...

  Acquiring Peace and Zeal for Perfection Commentary from Imitations of Christ WE SHOULD enjoy much peace if we did not concern ourselves with what others say and do, for these are no concern of ours. How can a man who meddles in affairs not his own, who seeks strange distractions, and who is little or seldom inwardly recollected, live long in peace? Blessed are the simple of heart, for they shall enjoy peace in abundance. Why were some of the saints so perfect and so given to contemplation? Because they tried to mortify entirely in themselves all earthly desires, and thus they were able to attach themselves to God with all their heart, and freely to concentrate their innermost thoughts. We are too occupied with our own whims and fancies, too taken up with passing things. Rarely do we completely conquer even one vice, and we are not inflamed with the desire to improve ourselves day by day; hence, we remain cold and indifferent. If we mortified our bodies perfectly and allo...

  This One Is From Several Years Ago A Better Understanding of the Lord’s Love Scripture “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things [are] naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we [must give] account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all [points] tempted as [we are, yet] without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:13-16 NKJV) Commentary I had to take my son to the dentist yesterday morning. He has braces, and there were a couple of baby teeth that needed to be extracted so the orthodontist could close the gap where these baby teeth would eventually fall out if not removed. I purposely didn’t tell him when his appointment was because I didn’t want him to worry about it ...

  “For the choir director, for Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, "I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle while the wicked are in my presence." I was mute and silent, I refrained even from good, And my sorrow grew worse. My heart was hot within me, While I was musing the fire burned; Then I spoke with my tongue: "LORD, make me to know my end And what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. "Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah. "Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them. "And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You. "Deliver me from all my transgressions; Make me not the reproach of the foolish. "I have become mute, I do not open my mouth, because it is You who hav...

  “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" Having said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:54-60) Stephen, after recounting the Jews’ history, ends his message with this condemnation. “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in...

  “. . . My feet came close to stumbling, my steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalms 73:2-3). Maybe you have thought, “Why do I have to live this way?” “Why do the lost prosper while God’s people suffer?” Don’t envy the wicked; they have their reward, and it is fleeting. Listen to the Psalmist and learn. “When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form. When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterwar...

  Leading God's people can be challenging, as they often express complaints when faced with difficulties. Leaders must maintain a loving attitude while addressing these objections. This matters because teachers face a stricter judgment (James 3:1). Moses was tested when God’s people complained about a lack of water (Numbers 20:2-9). God told him to speak to the rock, and it would give out water (Numbers 20:8). He let his frustration get the better of him. He did more than speak. “And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, "Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?" Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank” (Numbers 20:10-11). God’s people can be difficult at times, but as a leader, it is important to maintain decorum among the people. You are to be an example. Not doing so may levy a heavy toll. T...

  The Law of Faith “Where [is] boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or [is He] the God of the Jews only? [Is He] not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since [there is] one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” (Romans 3:27-31 NKJV) Here Paul concludes that justification is by faith apart from the deeds of the law. This is crucial since God’s grace is for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. By faith, a person becomes a child of God, a child of promise. Later in this same book, Paul addresses the confusion the Jews had about God’s promises. They looked for an earthly kingdom, and missed the true kingdom of God. However, for now Paul concerns himself with the law.  Paul wanted us to know...

  Worship in Spirit Scripture “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with [their] lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching [as] doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:8-9 NKJV) Commentary This is a no-brainer, but it's a serious problem. It's easy to slip into external worship. Just stop reading and praying; stop depending upon God, being thankful to God, and you are there. Obviously the situation to which Christ refers in the above passage has gone beyond mere slothfulness. These men were teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. They would put aside the commandments of God to satisfy their greed. Notice the context. “For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, Whatever profit you might have received from me [is] a gift [to God] —— then he need not honor his fathe...

  A Steadfast Heart Scripture “To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. In the LORD I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, "Flee [as] a bird to your mountain"? 2 For look! The wicked bend [their] bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do? 4 ¶ The LORD [is] in His holy temple, The LORD’S throne [is] in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. 5 The LORD tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind [Shall be] the portion of their cup. 7 For the LORD [is] righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.” (Ps 11:1-7 NKJV) Commentary How Can You Say Flee? There may be times in your life when everyone says to you, “Give up or give in.” That was the case for David. His friends saw how harm sought af...

  The Field of Blessing Scripture “So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. Then she took [it] up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied. And her mother-in-law said to her, "Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, "The man’s name with whom I worked today [is] Boaz." Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed [be] he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!" And Naomi said to her, "This man [is] a relation of ours, one of our close relatives." Ruth the Moabitess said, "He also said to me, ‘You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’" And Naomi said t...

  “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:8-11). The greatest joy a believer can have is to glorify the Father. We glorify the Father by keeping the commandments. Why? Because it is an act of love.  Many of us, at some point in our lives, have experienced legal repentance. That is repenting for fear of judgment. This kind of repentance is born not of love but of fear. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love” (1Jn 4:18). Beloved, if you learn to obey out of love and gratitude for what God has done for you, your heart will be f...

  “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY’” (1Peter 1:13-16). Peter outlines three steps or conditions for overcoming sin as we await the Lord's return. First, we are to prepare our minds for action, signifying that we need to be ready to respond and move forward. The metaphor here is pulling up one’s loose clothing in preparation for work or running. In this case, have your mind saturated with truth. It is the same idea found in Romans chapter twelve. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect...

  “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1Ti 6:8-10). Here is another sin that leads to more sin. The greatest sin mentioned here is apostasy. However, the love of money may manifest itself in other ways. Examples include selfishness, greed, envy, and stealing. These are all rooted in idolatry. Valuing anything more than God is idolatry. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). Furthermore, read what Jesus said to this rich man who desired salvation.  “And he said to Him, 'Teacher, I have kept all these t...

  “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (Jas 1:14-15). James teaches us about the nature of lust. Fundamentally, serves as a stepping stone to other sins. It entices like fish bait. This could be called a breeder sin, as it gives birth to sin. This sin targets two main areas of our lives: the lusts of the flesh and the lusts of the eyes. Consider King David. “Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, ‘Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’ David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house” (...