He leads His Flock

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Psalms 23:2 (KJV)

    This suggests the rest into which our Good Shepherd leads His flock. Life is not all toil. God gives us many quiet resting-places in our pilgrim way.

     Night is one of these, when, after the day’s toil, struggle, and exhaustion, we are led aside, and the curtains are drawn to shut out the noise, and He giveth his beloved sleep, in sleep giving wonderful blessings of renewal. The Sabbath is another of these quiet resting-places. God would have us drop our worldly tasks, and have a day for the refreshing of both body and soul. . . . Friendship’s trysts are also quiet resting-places, where heart may commune with heart, where Jesus comes, too, unseen, and gives His blessing. All ordinances of Christian worship—seasons of prayer and devotion, hours of communion with God—are quiet resting-places.

      Far more than we are apt to realize do we need these silent times in our busy life, needing them all the more the busier the life may be. –J.R. Miller

He always has a purpose in His leading

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Psalms 23:3 (KJV)

   He always has a purpose in His leading. He knows where the bits of green pasture are, and He would lead His flock to these. The way may be rough, but it is the right way to the pasture. “Paths of righteousness” may not be straight paths; but they are paths that lead somewhere—to the right place. Many desert paths are illusive. They start out clear and plain, but soon they are lost in the sands. They go nowhere. But the paths of righteousness have a goal to which they unerringly lead. –J.R. Miller

Following Jesus is the Right Response

 

When I came to see that Jesus Christ had died for me, it didn't seem hard to give up all for Him. It seemed just common, ordinary honesty.

C. T. Studd

Gaurd Your Heart Against What Jesus Taught About Phariseeism

This content comes from our sub-ministry Advice for Young Ministers

LESSON 1

But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. 42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Luke 11:41-42 (KJV)

 

It is Right to Obey to the Last Letter, It is Wrong to Neglect Love and Justice

 

     The Pharisees’ error was not that they obeyed to the letter in tithing their smallest garden herbs. No, there error was that they neglected God’s judgment and love. They were hypocrites who loved themselves and created rules and followed teachers who said what their own itching ears wanted to hear. They followed the traditions of rabbis (of men) rather than God. In short, they justified their disobedience by creating a “way” that justified their actions, decisions, and lifestyle. They claimed holiness, but were far from holy.

      Little is said anymore about holiness and obeying even the least of the commands of the Word of God, yet Jesus said:

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matt 5:19 (KJV)

      But right after Jesus says that, the next verse in fact, he addresses the issue of phariseeism:

 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Matt 5:20 (KJV)

 

      Earlier on Jesus said:

 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matt 5:17-18 (KJV)

      Jesus is not saying to not obey the Word of God because he brought us grace through His death. No, Jesus is saying be faithful to the very last detail, but don’t neglect justice and the love of God. Keep your heart from phariseeism. Be attentive to the Lord and discerning by the Holy Spirit of God which raised Christ from the dead and lives within Christ’s disciples to see the love of God in people. Don’t discount the passionate heart of the new Christian who loves Christ and yet does not yet know His commands. Love the person and take time to teach them what Jesus taught (that = discipleship, Matt 28:19-20). Yet, also do not neglect justice. Paul taught very clearly that disorderly believers (2 Thess 3:6, 1 Cor 5) should be put out from the church if they did not repent after following Christ’s three time teaching (Matthew 18:15-35). Now, we are to forgive all men as Christ did; however, we are to hate the deeds of evil and to act justly as far as depends on us (Ex 18:21-23). Love God and do justice as well as being faithfully obedient in the littlest details.

 

LIVE UP TO WHAT THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WORD THAT YOU HAVE ATTAINED

Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

Phil 3:15-16 (KJV)

Our Resource: Important Words for Young (and Old) Ministers   (just incidentally we give this away for free as an ebook if you sign up for our monthly devotional email here)

 

College is a Business

 

This content comes from our sub-ministry A Different Approach to College

 

Colleges are businesses today. They want you to come to their school largely because they have bills to pay. Your tuition funds a lot of what they do. Yes, some schools pride themselves on strict requirements, but, I ask you, why do so many colleges try to market themselves? Simply put, college is a business. They are trying to sell you on their product: the education that they offer.

 

       In light of this understanding, getting accepted does not mean as much. Yes, perhaps a big name school like Harvard or Yale may mean something simply because of what our culture equates them with. However, there is much more than meets the eye. But even schools like Harvard and Yale are not that glamorous—because the product they are selling is largely liberal and unbiblical.

 

Find out more about CollegePlus Here

 

Our Resource: Standing for the Christian Faith in College

 

 



That Nation will not Endure

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Matt 21:43 (KJV)

     A nation will not endure which has turned its back on the Lord. God will strip away His blessings and protection from those who claim to be His when they turn their backs on Him. It happened to Israel. It is happening (unless our nation miraculously repents) to the United States of America. It happened to England. It happened to France. It happened to Nineveh. O Lord, may we be a nation (group of people) who bring forth fruits of repentance!

The Heaviness of Riches

Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.…When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Matt 19:23,25-26 (KJV)

     It is hard for a rich man to admit his need and come to Christ. O how they trust in riches though their hearts are sorrowed by it! But there is hope for even the rich man—with God nothing is possible! May you always remember that the phrase “with God all things are possible” was a direct answer of Jesus to His disciples questions of if it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven then who can be saved?

The Cities Jesus told to Repent

Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Matt 11:20-21 (KJV)

       Jesus told the cities that He did His mightiest works in that judgment was coming because they did not repent. Have we repented? ….may we not hear this chastisement of our Lord…but “well done, ….you have come to Me and been faithful.”

Pursuing God

Pursuing God

 

Ryan Marks, DB article June 2011

 

         In these last days, we need, more than ever, to draw close daily to God. We need to have regular devotion times during which we learn from the Holy Spirit and meditate on the Word. We need to pursue, even when it’s tough, we need to persevere and keep seeking God’s presence, face, and will, even though we may seem to have a spiritual wall blocking us. Dwell on this:

 “For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” Jeremiah 29:10-14 KJV

Do you sense that you are in a spiritual desert? Rest assured my friends, that even in those deserts, God will make streams and that one day He will bring you out of your spiritual “exile” (James 4:8; Isaiah 41:17-18, 43:18-21)

 Trust in the Lord, remain humble and teachable, draw near and focus on Him.

A Thought from Adrian Rogers

A Thought from Adrian Rogers

"When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them." Acts 5:33 KJV

   Suppose you were on the battlefield and someone’s coming at you. You warn him, “Don't come any further! I'll shoot!” He answers, “I don't believe in your gun. As a matter of fact,” he says, “I don't believe in guns at all.” That's not going to change anything, is it?

    Likewise, the Bible is the Sword of the Spirit. Someone may say, “Well, I don't believe the Bible.” But it will cut him anyway! The apostles preached the Bible, and when the people heard it, they were cut to the heart. The Word cuts even an unbeliever. It's a two-edged sword. It cuts to heal, or it cuts to judge. But it will cut—believe it or not.

    Before going into battle, soldiers are dedicated to training in the use of their weapons. How foolish to go into battle without training. How familiar are you with your Sword?

    God has given you a weapon for spiritual battles…the Sword of the Spirit. In the armor of God, it is the only offensive weapon—the rest are defensive. To have the victory God wants for you, you must see the sharpness of your sword, the Bible, and you must be trained in it.

www.lwf.org

Adrian Rogers was the pastor of a 29,000 member church and went home to be with the Lord almost a decade ago. But God is still using the ministry every day. Praise God for a faithful man of God whose ministry has exceeded his brief stay on earth!

What the Law of Love means…in Jesus own words

What the Law of Love means…in Jesus own words

 

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. 30  Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37  Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. 39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. 43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Luke 6:27-49 (KJV)

It’s About God, Not Mary

And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Luke 11:27-28 (KJV)

 

It’s About God, Not Mary

 

    Too all my catholic friends out there, I know that the title may be a bit offensive; however, that title simply summarizes the teaching of these two verses. It is not Mary who we should bless and exalt for being the mother of Jesus. No, instead, we those who are blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it. Jesus said elsewhere:

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:15 (KJV)

     If you love Christ, you will hear and keep His Words and you will be blessed by a relationship with Him. It is not about Mary or anyone else—it is about Jesus, the Lord!

The Lineage of Christ Part 2

3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar;

     There are few women mentioned in genealogies so it is very significant which ones are included in the lineage of Jesus. The first we see is Tamar. She was the Judah’s daughter in law whom he slept with (not knowing she was but thinking she was a prostitute, either way it shed’s doubt on his integrity) and she bare a son by him who then went on to get married and have his own son. Judah, however, made things right once he discovered his wrong and never came into Tamar again.

 

and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab;

         The next woman we see is Rehab. Now get this, the prostitute Rehab marries into Israel! And she becomes the mother of Boaz!

 

and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king;

      Boaz then marries the Ruth, a Moabite! Ruth is a Canaanite, whom God forbid the Israelites to marry; however, Ruth converts herself to Judaism as she devotes herself to Naomi. Ruth then bares the privilege of becoming the mother of Obed, who begat Jesse—the father of King David!

 

and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7 

       Then we see David. Even King David, the man who God himself said was a man after His own heart, committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. It is interesting to me that Bathsheba’s name, at least in the English language identifies how David saw her (taking a bath). But even though David committed a grievous sin, in Psalm 51 we have the record of David’s repentance. And we see God’s forgiveness yet again in that Bathsheba goes on to have a son named Solomon who is also named Jedidiah (2 Samuel 12:25, “Beloved of the Lord”—Hitchcock’s) by Nathan the Prophet.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

Today, I want to share with you some concepts that I found in a book I was reading before bed one night. These are principles that we can apply to our own lives a ministers of a covenant of reconciliation as well.

 

Christ initiated reconciliation with mankind.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Cor 5:17-19 (KJV)

 

Christ humbled Himself.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Phil 2:5-8 (KJV)

 

Christ destroyed the walls of separation though His Love and Truth.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 1:11-14 (KJV)

 

Christ made restitution.

 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot

1 Peter 1:18-19 (KJV)

 

Christ anguished over our reconciliation.

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Luke 22:44 (KJV)

 

Christ demonstrated unconditional love and complete forgiveness over our sin.

We love him, because he first loved us.

1 John 4:19 (KJV)

Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Eph 4:8 (KJV)

 

Christ strengthens fellowship through the Body of Christ.

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ

Eph 4:13 (KJV)

 

 

Other verses to consider

It is of the Lord'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Lam 3:22-23 (KJV)

 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

1 Tim 2:5-6 (KJV)

 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end

Isaiah 9:6-7 (KJV)

 

Stay the Course Jeremiah 13:15-17

“Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.”       

  Jeremiah 13:15-17 KJV

    This verse depicts our salvation accurately, although this was not the original intent. As we refuse to seek the Lord and to listen to Him we invariably embrace ourselves, our pride. We must give glory to God or we will find darkness and we will stumble; yea, we may even fall. In this struggle, we may look frantically for the Lord’s light, but in correction, He only shows us the shadows of death. If you won’t listen to God, Believers will grieve for you. They grieve because they know that you have ceased listening to and pursuing and the Lord, you are in darkness and because of this have been taken captive either for a season, to learn and be disciplined; or for eternity. . . .

 

Thought 353: Faithfulness to God and Spouse from Ryan's devotional book Thoughts

 

 

Thought 353

Faithfulness to God and Spouse

    Often mankind struggles with being faithful. Israel many times walked away from God. Yet, God is the ultimate role model of faithfulness, because He never leaves us or forsakes us. Just as God demonstrates heavenly loyalty, commitment, and love through His faithfulness, earthly marital faithfulness illustrates them.

    Today “relationships” are often built largely upon feeling. Some “Christians” will only stay ‘true’ to the Lord when they feel all bubbly inside. Likewise, many marriages are built on an attitude that is all for divorce. When dating was previously played as a game—simply switching relationships as fast as you can tie your shoes—one (hopefully unknowingly) lines himself up for a future divorce, because his marriage relationship is based only on a feeling that he has and as soon as a little unwanted heat starts to rise, he takes to his heels wanting out and after awhile, begins looking for another “romantic feeling.” Feelings are great, don’t get me wrong, but it is the faithfulness of Christ that should be lived out through you, because He faithfully lives in His children. Faithfulness demonstrates true love (1 Corinthians 13), not emotional mountaintops.

I pray that today, God convicts you if there is any indication of unfaithfulness to your spouse or your relationship with God; and that from your conviction, you would repent and be transformed into a faithful follower of Christ and marriage partner.

 

Thought 350: Evangelism from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

 

 

Thought 350

Evangelism

Simply live and share your Faith in Jesus.     

 That is evangelism in a nut shell.

 

Why evangelize? Because Jesus said to.

 

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:19-20 KJV

     Evangelism as displayed in Acts is simply following the prompting of the Holy Spirit to share Jesus. Christ is asking, “Will you allow me to use you? You are just the instrument that I want to work through in ________ particular instance, but I won’t force you to do the job: you must willingly choose to.”

Are you willing, but don’t feel effective?

        Don’t worry about what you can see. God can use you without your knowledge. It may appear that your obedience is fruitless, but God can still work! Some sow, some nurture the growing seed, and some harvest. If your desire and actions are to spread the message of Jesus, just keep on diligently working.

Feel paralyzed by fear?

        Ask the Lord to give you His strength and opportunities to share your Faith. Then be obedient as the Holy Spirit prompts you—you may be asked to move out of your comfort zone, but that is a way that you will conquer fear. We are in a battle against the World, the Flesh, and the Devil so it will not always going to be easy to obtain victory. Sometimes, perhaps, but be prepared and ready for challenges that require Faith, Patience, Longsuffering, and Intense Battle.

 

Thought 349: Let yes be yes and no be no from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

 

 

 Thought 349

Let yes be yes and no be no

 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Matthew 5:33-37  NKJV

     How many times have you said something other than yes or no? Have you ever said maybe? Take a moment and pray that the Lord helps you to apply this passage of Scripture to your life.