Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Saturday October 02, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Matthew, chapters 4-6. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-october-2
In Today's Bible Reading:
Jesus being tempted by the devil, Jesus gathers His disciples, the sermon on the Mount, His believers are compared to salt and light, Jesus teaches on the Law, divorce, oaths, giving, and fasting.
Today's Message: You Are The Light
One of the reasons Jesus came to earth was to see what it was like to carry around the flesh that we all have and show us how we can overcome the devil and sin while still in it. Jesus got tempted, just like you and I, at any time He could have forfeited His purpose to give His life as the sacrifice that would save the human race. However, He remained sinless and was able to fulfill the prophecies given long ago. How did He remain sinless? God. He never did anything without God, He studied His Word and every time He was tempted He resisted the temptation by reminding Himself that God and His Word was with Him. “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” - Matthew 4:1-4.
The devil waited until Jesus was weak and severely hungry before he tempted Him. You see, the devil waits until we are at our weakest moments to tempt us and that is how many strong Christians fall into sin. However, allowing God and His Word to be in every part of our lives gives us the strength to resist that temptation, even at our weakest moments. God never allows the devil to tempt us without giving us a way out of that temptation. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” - I Corinthians 10:13.
When Jesus began to preach, He knew He was going to need some help, so, He began gathering disciples, those who would not only be believers of the Gospel, but help preach it as well. “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.... And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” - Matthew 4:18-20,23.
While Jesus saves anyone who asks Him to save them, not everyone will go beyond knowing Him by salvation. Jesus knows this and encourages all that follow Him that there are great rewards waiting for them in the Kingdom of God. “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.” - Matthew 5:19. Amazingly, those who do choose to follow Him after their salvation become one of His disciples. Jesus chooses every one of His disciples, even today. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” -John 15:16.
Since we are chosen to be one of His disciples that means we are to follow in the footsteps of Christ, remember, we are capable of doing in our flesh whatever it is that Jesus did while He was here in the flesh. By following in Jesus' footsteps we shine, Jesus shines through us, and we shine so bright that everyone is effected by it. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” - Matthew 5:14-16.
Even those who do not know Jesus or do not want to follow Him see the light of Jesus in us. Some will embrace it right away and follow Jesus as well. Some will observe a bit until they know for sure it is Jesus that shines through us then will follow Him too. Some will run or make fun of and mock us and never follow Him. Either way we are His light, the more we do what He did the more we shine, the more we shine the more blessed we become. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him....Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” - James 1:12,17.
We have nothing to fear by following Jesus, He is our strength to withstand the devil and everything that He tempts us with. Jesus said, “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” - Matthew 6:31-34.
God knows what we are in need of and He will always provide for those who put Him first in their lives. You do not have to know the entire Bible, no one does and no one will know all of what God has to say to us, just seek Him and be the example that Jesus knows you can be. In the flesh it is humanly impossible to please God and do everything He calls us to do, but when we allow Jesus to lead us nothing is impossible. “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” - Matthew 19:26. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and weekend.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
Visit The I'm Following Jesus Website http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
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Saturday, October 2, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Bible Study: God's Purpose For You 10.01.10
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Friday October 01, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Matthew, chapters 1-3. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-october-1
In Today's Bible Reading: The ancestry of Jesus; His birth; the wise men; their flight into Egypt; the ministry of John, and the baptism of Jesus.
Today's Message: God's Purpose For You
The Book of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, the fortieth book of the Bible and it contains twenty-eight chapters. The author of the book is Matthew and it was written to all believers, although it was the first directed to the Jews to whom Jesus was presented as the Messiah, the Son of David. The purpose of the book was to present the ministry of Jesus, stressing His role as King of the Jews. What we are to learn from the book is the Gospel of Christ and to follow the final command of Jesus to His followers and that is to teach all nations the Gospel. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” - Matthew 24:14.
Matthew, a Levi, was a publican, or tax-gatherer under the Romans at Capernaum, before his conversion. The contents of this Gospel, and the evidence of ancient writers, show that it was written primarily for the use of the Jewish nation. He particularly selected such parts of our Savior's history and addresses issues that were best suited to awaken the Jewish nation to a sense of their sins, to remove their expectations of an earthly kingdom, to abate their pride and self-conceit, to teach them the spiritual nature and extent of the gospel, and to prepare them for the admission of the Gentiles into the church. Matthew is an example of how God can convert the biggest sinner and make him a disciple of Christ. The book of Matthew opens with the genealogy of Christ, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham....And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” -Matthew 1:1,16.
The genealogy of our Savior is important as it proves that our Lord Jesus is of the nation and family out of which the Messiah was to arise. It was promised to Abraham that Christ would descend from his lineage and also David's, unless we know Jesus is a son of David, and a son of Abraham, than He would not have been the Messiah. Notice that verse 16 states Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, proving that Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David. However, if Joseph had been the biological father of Jesus, he would have passed on to Him the sin nature of Adam. This would have made Jesus a sinner by nature and unable to die as the sinless substitute for our sins. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” - Romans 5:12.
Mary of Nazareth was engaged to Joseph, also of Nazareth, The Jewish custom was that a woman had to be betrothed to a man for one year before they could legally marry, a betrothal lasted for one year and there was no physical consummation until after the actual wedding. However, the betrothal was as legally binding as marriage and required a legal divorce to dissolve it. When Joseph learned Mary was pregnant, he considered divorcing her, but the angel of the Lord encouraged him to stay with her. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:18-21.
Joseph is told that Mary was about to bring forth the Savior of the world and that His name would be Jesus. Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, speedily, without delay, and cheerfully, without dispute. It is important that we as Christians do whatever God asks us to do without delay, and cheerfully. God has a purpose and plan for every one of us, the longer we take in doing His will the harder it will be on us. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” - II Corinthians 9:6-8.
By applying the general rules of God's Word, we should in all the steps of our lives, seek to do what God has called us to do, even through the difficulties of life. When the Son of God was pleased to take our nature, he came near to us, in our fallen, wretched condition, to save the human race. We are all blessed to know Jesus, therefore, if we truly want Jesus to be a part of our lives we need to follow God's will as Jesus did. Incidentally, whatever Jesus did, we can do, he is our example to follow, this includes getting baptized. “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” - Matthew 3:13-17.
Many people have been deceived into thinking that an infant baptism can save them or that when they get baptized they are being baptized into a particular religion. This is false, baptism does not save anyone, only accepting Jesus does, and in order for you to accept Jesus you need to believe in the Gospel and ask Him to save you. A true baptism is meant to be a public profession of your faith and acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life. “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” -Romans 6:4,5. Now, one thing I would like to point out is that infants are not held accountable for the sin debt because they are unable to ask Jesus to save them. Once a child is able to understand the Gospel and accept it that is when He is held accountable and should be saved (this is explained further in the Gospel of Luke). Jesus saves all who call upon Him, but you must ask Him into your heart. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ” - Romans 10:9. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
Visit The I'm Following Jesus Website http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
Want To Receive These Devotions in Your Email?
Subscribe By Sending A Blank Email With the Subject Subscribe to: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
Today is Friday October 01, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Matthew, chapters 1-3. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-october-1
In Today's Bible Reading: The ancestry of Jesus; His birth; the wise men; their flight into Egypt; the ministry of John, and the baptism of Jesus.
Today's Message: God's Purpose For You
The Book of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, the fortieth book of the Bible and it contains twenty-eight chapters. The author of the book is Matthew and it was written to all believers, although it was the first directed to the Jews to whom Jesus was presented as the Messiah, the Son of David. The purpose of the book was to present the ministry of Jesus, stressing His role as King of the Jews. What we are to learn from the book is the Gospel of Christ and to follow the final command of Jesus to His followers and that is to teach all nations the Gospel. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” - Matthew 24:14.
Matthew, a Levi, was a publican, or tax-gatherer under the Romans at Capernaum, before his conversion. The contents of this Gospel, and the evidence of ancient writers, show that it was written primarily for the use of the Jewish nation. He particularly selected such parts of our Savior's history and addresses issues that were best suited to awaken the Jewish nation to a sense of their sins, to remove their expectations of an earthly kingdom, to abate their pride and self-conceit, to teach them the spiritual nature and extent of the gospel, and to prepare them for the admission of the Gentiles into the church. Matthew is an example of how God can convert the biggest sinner and make him a disciple of Christ. The book of Matthew opens with the genealogy of Christ, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham....And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” -Matthew 1:1,16.
The genealogy of our Savior is important as it proves that our Lord Jesus is of the nation and family out of which the Messiah was to arise. It was promised to Abraham that Christ would descend from his lineage and also David's, unless we know Jesus is a son of David, and a son of Abraham, than He would not have been the Messiah. Notice that verse 16 states Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, proving that Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus. Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David. However, if Joseph had been the biological father of Jesus, he would have passed on to Him the sin nature of Adam. This would have made Jesus a sinner by nature and unable to die as the sinless substitute for our sins. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” - Romans 5:12.
Mary of Nazareth was engaged to Joseph, also of Nazareth, The Jewish custom was that a woman had to be betrothed to a man for one year before they could legally marry, a betrothal lasted for one year and there was no physical consummation until after the actual wedding. However, the betrothal was as legally binding as marriage and required a legal divorce to dissolve it. When Joseph learned Mary was pregnant, he considered divorcing her, but the angel of the Lord encouraged him to stay with her. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:18-21.
Joseph is told that Mary was about to bring forth the Savior of the world and that His name would be Jesus. Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, speedily, without delay, and cheerfully, without dispute. It is important that we as Christians do whatever God asks us to do without delay, and cheerfully. God has a purpose and plan for every one of us, the longer we take in doing His will the harder it will be on us. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” - II Corinthians 9:6-8.
By applying the general rules of God's Word, we should in all the steps of our lives, seek to do what God has called us to do, even through the difficulties of life. When the Son of God was pleased to take our nature, he came near to us, in our fallen, wretched condition, to save the human race. We are all blessed to know Jesus, therefore, if we truly want Jesus to be a part of our lives we need to follow God's will as Jesus did. Incidentally, whatever Jesus did, we can do, he is our example to follow, this includes getting baptized. “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” - Matthew 3:13-17.
Many people have been deceived into thinking that an infant baptism can save them or that when they get baptized they are being baptized into a particular religion. This is false, baptism does not save anyone, only accepting Jesus does, and in order for you to accept Jesus you need to believe in the Gospel and ask Him to save you. A true baptism is meant to be a public profession of your faith and acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life. “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” -Romans 6:4,5. Now, one thing I would like to point out is that infants are not held accountable for the sin debt because they are unable to ask Jesus to save them. Once a child is able to understand the Gospel and accept it that is when He is held accountable and should be saved (this is explained further in the Gospel of Luke). Jesus saves all who call upon Him, but you must ask Him into your heart. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ” - Romans 10:9. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
Visit The I'm Following Jesus Website http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
Want To Receive These Devotions in Your Email?
Subscribe By Sending A Blank Email With the Subject Subscribe to: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Bible Study: Serving God 09.30.10
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Thursday September 30, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Malachi. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-30
P.S. I am going to change up the format a bit in the devotions, starting today the message will look a little different, but still have the same feel to it. Thank you and God bless.
Today's Message: Serving God
The Book of Malachi is the thirty-ninth book of the Old Testament/Bible, the final book of the Old Testament, and contains four chapters. The author of the book is Malachi and it was first written to Israel. The purpose of the book was to call the nation to repentance and return to righteousness in order to restore the nation. What we are to learn from the book is that it is not enough to repent, if we want all of God's blessings upon our lives we must show Him that we want Him in our lives. God is a loving and forgiving God, but if we are not sincere in asking Him for forgiveness God will not hear or see us. “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” - Malachi 3:16-18.
The first generation of Israelites that returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple had died, and with no direction or instruction to the new generations the people had lost sight of God and really had no idea what purpose God had for them as His people. Many had developed an attitude of religious formality toward God and began questioning God Himself. This easily lead to the toleration of evil, including witchcraft and sorcery, in the Temple. Through God, Malachi addresses these people, “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.... A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible....For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.” -Malachi 1:2,3,6,7, 11, 12.
The problem here was that the people were relying on these false religions to tell them who God was and how to live instead of seeking the answers from God Himself and now God is seen as someone who is evil and only picks a certain kind of people to be His people. This is false, God loves everyone He created and will allow anyone into His family, regardless of race or financial status, but they must first seek Him through Jesus Christ. “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:11-13.
God has something to say to the wicked religious leaders who use Him in a wicked way to prosper for their own financial gain, “And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.... For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” - Malachi 2:1-3,7. God is addressing the priesthood, the religious leaders, whom are men of God as well as those whom are spiritual priests (teachers, missionaries, prophets, etc.) They have kept His Word hidden and created their own ideas of what it means instead of letting the people read and learn for themselves. People look to these spiritual leaders for guidance and direction, but only get deceived because they are telling lies. Heads up to those religions who use other books as God's Word, if churches do not encourage you to read the Bible or read from the Bible in the church then they are deceiving you.
There is nothing more satisfying than serving God, it is amazing the feeling of accomplishment you get when you, from the bottom of your heart, serve the Lord. The word serve is defined as, to render assistance to, to be of use to someone, and to be of help. In other words, when we serve God, we are assisting Him, we are representing Him through us, and helping Him show others just how important and rewarding it is to have Him in our lives. So, if we as Christians are not living our lives as the example that God wants us to be you can imagine why so many people reject Christ and think that it is no different than living their lives the way they are living now. We are representatives of Christ, do not be ashamed of it, embrace it, God blesses all who wholeheartedly serve Him. Part of serving God means that we are to also give tithes and offerings, through Malachi God said, “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” -Malachi 3:6-10.
We are to give tithes and offerings to our church, a true church of God serves God for the spiritual needs of the people, tithing demonstrates our love and gratitude to Him as our Savior and Lord. Returning just one-tenth of all our income to God expresses our faith that all we are and all we have belong to the Him. Think you can not afford to tithe? You can not afford to tithe, God promises that He will bless us, if we put Him first, including tithing. Tithing is more than just giving money, the word tithe is also defined as a tenth or very small part of anything, in other words, tithing also means giving God a tenth your day each day. When we serve God wholeheartedly there will be so many blessings given to us that we will be overflowing with blessings. “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” - Psalm 119:2. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
Visit The I'm Following Jesus Website http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
Want To Receive These Devotions in Your Email?
Subscribe By Sending A Blank Email With the Subject Subscribe to: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
Today is Thursday September 30, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Malachi. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-30
P.S. I am going to change up the format a bit in the devotions, starting today the message will look a little different, but still have the same feel to it. Thank you and God bless.
Today's Message: Serving God
The Book of Malachi is the thirty-ninth book of the Old Testament/Bible, the final book of the Old Testament, and contains four chapters. The author of the book is Malachi and it was first written to Israel. The purpose of the book was to call the nation to repentance and return to righteousness in order to restore the nation. What we are to learn from the book is that it is not enough to repent, if we want all of God's blessings upon our lives we must show Him that we want Him in our lives. God is a loving and forgiving God, but if we are not sincere in asking Him for forgiveness God will not hear or see us. “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” - Malachi 3:16-18.
The first generation of Israelites that returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple had died, and with no direction or instruction to the new generations the people had lost sight of God and really had no idea what purpose God had for them as His people. Many had developed an attitude of religious formality toward God and began questioning God Himself. This easily lead to the toleration of evil, including witchcraft and sorcery, in the Temple. Through God, Malachi addresses these people, “I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.... A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible....For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.” -Malachi 1:2,3,6,7, 11, 12.
The problem here was that the people were relying on these false religions to tell them who God was and how to live instead of seeking the answers from God Himself and now God is seen as someone who is evil and only picks a certain kind of people to be His people. This is false, God loves everyone He created and will allow anyone into His family, regardless of race or financial status, but they must first seek Him through Jesus Christ. “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:11-13.
God has something to say to the wicked religious leaders who use Him in a wicked way to prosper for their own financial gain, “And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.... For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” - Malachi 2:1-3,7. God is addressing the priesthood, the religious leaders, whom are men of God as well as those whom are spiritual priests (teachers, missionaries, prophets, etc.) They have kept His Word hidden and created their own ideas of what it means instead of letting the people read and learn for themselves. People look to these spiritual leaders for guidance and direction, but only get deceived because they are telling lies. Heads up to those religions who use other books as God's Word, if churches do not encourage you to read the Bible or read from the Bible in the church then they are deceiving you.
There is nothing more satisfying than serving God, it is amazing the feeling of accomplishment you get when you, from the bottom of your heart, serve the Lord. The word serve is defined as, to render assistance to, to be of use to someone, and to be of help. In other words, when we serve God, we are assisting Him, we are representing Him through us, and helping Him show others just how important and rewarding it is to have Him in our lives. So, if we as Christians are not living our lives as the example that God wants us to be you can imagine why so many people reject Christ and think that it is no different than living their lives the way they are living now. We are representatives of Christ, do not be ashamed of it, embrace it, God blesses all who wholeheartedly serve Him. Part of serving God means that we are to also give tithes and offerings, through Malachi God said, “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” -Malachi 3:6-10.
We are to give tithes and offerings to our church, a true church of God serves God for the spiritual needs of the people, tithing demonstrates our love and gratitude to Him as our Savior and Lord. Returning just one-tenth of all our income to God expresses our faith that all we are and all we have belong to the Him. Think you can not afford to tithe? You can not afford to tithe, God promises that He will bless us, if we put Him first, including tithing. Tithing is more than just giving money, the word tithe is also defined as a tenth or very small part of anything, in other words, tithing also means giving God a tenth your day each day. When we serve God wholeheartedly there will be so many blessings given to us that we will be overflowing with blessings. “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” - Psalm 119:2. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Bible Study: Piece By Piece 09.29.10
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Wednesday September 29, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Zechariah, chapters 8-14. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-29
Today's Message: Piece By Piece
Did you ever see a house being built? First the foundation is laid, then the frame is built, then the bricks or wood is put in place for the exterior of the building, and so forth until piece by piece the house is complete. Every day I pass by this house that is being built, it is something that the owner is building on his own. He has been working on it for about five years now and is still not done, but he keeps going piece by piece he builds a great work upon that foundation. The Christian life is built in this same manner, Jesus said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” -Matthew 7:24-27. We need a good, strong, foundation, which only comes from knowing Christ as your Savior, and once the foundation is laid, piece by piece we do a great work for God.
God stressed to the Israelites the importance of a good foundation, but also urged them to continue building the Temple. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built....And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong...Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD..” - Zechariah 8:7-9,13,22. God assures His people that if they believe in Him and His Words He will always be with them and they will be safe. Today, we are God's Temple, through every trial, circumstance, and test, piece by piece He is building upon the foundation and we are becoming stronger and more confident in God's ability to help us through any of Satan's attacks. However, if we do not do anything to build upon the foundation we will never have that strength to withstand him.
Sometimes it takes a while to build upon our Temple, some of the circumstances we go through seem to never come to pass, but we can never stop trusting in God. The hardest part about being faithful to God is patience, we anticipate things to happen quickly, however, God hardly ever makes things happen that fast. Although his prophetic message was fulfilled centuries later, in great anticipation, Zechariah foretells the coming of Christ. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.” - Zechariah 9:9,10. Five hundred and fifty years passed when this prophecy was fulfilled as Jesus entered Jerusalem during the last week before His crucifixion. “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.” - Matthew 21:5. This was Jesus' formal presentation as King to His loyal supporters and the common people. Today, we have the anticipation of waiting on His return, until that time comes we need to be prepared because He is going to come when we least expect it. Although it can take a while for something to come to pass, God always follows through on His promises. Just keep pressing forward in faith and He will allow all your circumstances to come to pass.
While our works do not get us to heaven, they do help us to build upon our foundation. God is pleased with those who are eager to do His will and when He is please nothing or no one can stop His blessings from pouring in. Piece by piece we build upon our foundation by reading His Word, obeying His commands, and communicating with Him through prayer. The more we learn about Him the more we want to do for Him, the more we want to do for Him the more our trust and faith in Him builds up our Temple. The more our trust and faith in Him builds up our Temple the more we do a good work for Him. Trust God, trust in His Word and His Son, and piece by piece He will build us up into strong, God fearing Christians, blessed beyond anything the world can offer. “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”- I Timothy 6:17-19. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
Visit The I'm Following Jesus Website http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
Want To Receive These Devotions in Your Email?
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Today is Wednesday September 29, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Zechariah, chapters 8-14. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-29
Today's Message: Piece By Piece
Did you ever see a house being built? First the foundation is laid, then the frame is built, then the bricks or wood is put in place for the exterior of the building, and so forth until piece by piece the house is complete. Every day I pass by this house that is being built, it is something that the owner is building on his own. He has been working on it for about five years now and is still not done, but he keeps going piece by piece he builds a great work upon that foundation. The Christian life is built in this same manner, Jesus said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” -Matthew 7:24-27. We need a good, strong, foundation, which only comes from knowing Christ as your Savior, and once the foundation is laid, piece by piece we do a great work for God.
God stressed to the Israelites the importance of a good foundation, but also urged them to continue building the Temple. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built....And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong...Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD..” - Zechariah 8:7-9,13,22. God assures His people that if they believe in Him and His Words He will always be with them and they will be safe. Today, we are God's Temple, through every trial, circumstance, and test, piece by piece He is building upon the foundation and we are becoming stronger and more confident in God's ability to help us through any of Satan's attacks. However, if we do not do anything to build upon the foundation we will never have that strength to withstand him.
Sometimes it takes a while to build upon our Temple, some of the circumstances we go through seem to never come to pass, but we can never stop trusting in God. The hardest part about being faithful to God is patience, we anticipate things to happen quickly, however, God hardly ever makes things happen that fast. Although his prophetic message was fulfilled centuries later, in great anticipation, Zechariah foretells the coming of Christ. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.” - Zechariah 9:9,10. Five hundred and fifty years passed when this prophecy was fulfilled as Jesus entered Jerusalem during the last week before His crucifixion. “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.” - Matthew 21:5. This was Jesus' formal presentation as King to His loyal supporters and the common people. Today, we have the anticipation of waiting on His return, until that time comes we need to be prepared because He is going to come when we least expect it. Although it can take a while for something to come to pass, God always follows through on His promises. Just keep pressing forward in faith and He will allow all your circumstances to come to pass.
While our works do not get us to heaven, they do help us to build upon our foundation. God is pleased with those who are eager to do His will and when He is please nothing or no one can stop His blessings from pouring in. Piece by piece we build upon our foundation by reading His Word, obeying His commands, and communicating with Him through prayer. The more we learn about Him the more we want to do for Him, the more we want to do for Him the more our trust and faith in Him builds up our Temple. The more our trust and faith in Him builds up our Temple the more we do a good work for Him. Trust God, trust in His Word and His Son, and piece by piece He will build us up into strong, God fearing Christians, blessed beyond anything the world can offer. “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”- I Timothy 6:17-19. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
Visit The I'm Following Jesus Website http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
Want To Receive These Devotions in Your Email?
Subscribe By Sending A Blank Email With the Subject Subscribe to: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Bible Study: The Fig Tree 09.28.10
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Tuesday September 28, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Zechariah, chapters 1-7. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-28
Today's Message: The Fig Tree
The fig tree is mentioned forty times in the Bible, a fig tree is a hearty tree that produces fruit as long as it is taken care of. Much care needs to be given in order for it to produce good, edible fruit. A fig tree requires a warm climate, water, sunlight for at least eight hours a day, and needs to be pruned when the tree is dormant (at rest). Fig trees are easily damaged, so, extreme care should be given to make sure these trees remain healthy and producing fruit. The Bible says, “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:..That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; ” - Colossians 1:5,6,10. As Christians, we are like fig trees, extreme care is needed to keep us healthy and fruitful spiritually. We need God's Word to keep us warm, Christ's living waters to quench our thirst, to walk with Christ, who is our light, and we need to be pruned once in a while to get us going again.
The Book of Zechariah is the thirty-eighth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains fourteen chapters. The author of the book is Zechariah and it was written to the Israelites who returned from Babylon. The purpose of the book was to further urge them to complete the Temple, to renew a spiritual commitment with God, and to warn them of the coming judgment. What we are to learn from the book is that God is in control of all affairs of the nations and that it is important to keep out spiritual commitment with God before Jesus returns. Zechariah was a prophet of the remnant of Jerusalem whom have been released from the captivity of Babylon seventy years later and are now in the midst of rebuilding the Temple. “Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD. Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.” -Zechariah 1:3-6. The Lord of hosts means that God is mighty and in power and in control of everything. God is telling the new generation not to be like their fathers whom have ignored His Word and commands. He is encouraging them to repent and turn from their wicked ways and says He is going to deal with them regardless of whether or not they repent or not. We are all going to face Christ one day, regardless of whether or not we received Him as our Savior, and He is going to deal with us accordingly.
God assures the new generation that He will be with them and they will be blessed by committing themselves to Him. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.” - Zechariah 2:10-12. Often we come to the end of our resources and lose confidence in our own abilities before we learn to trust in the Lord. However, no matter how uncertain things look God is always there, He will take care of His people, we just have to endure some pain at times in the midst of them. Remember, God will do some pruning on us to renew our spirit when it gets dormant.
Through Zechariah, God assures all of us that He forgives and forgets all our iniquities, “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment....Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.” -Zechariah 3:3,4,8-10. Amazingly, the second we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior the filthy garments of sin are removed from us and we are given new clothes of righteousness. “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness,” -Isaiah 61:10. Praise God!
Through Zechariah, God also foretells the second coming of Christ, “And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both....And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God. ” - Zechariah 6:12,13,15. Jesus is the BRANCH, He is also the vine that branches off of God. Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” - John 15: 4-7. The only way that we are going to be fruitful and flourish like a healthy fig tree is to abide in Christ. Renew your spirit, commit to Jesus, and when we do all the blessings just keep pouring in. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
Visit The I'm Following Jesus Website http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
Want To Receive These Devotions in Your Email?
Subscribe By Sending A Blank Email With the Subject Subscribe to: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
Today is Tuesday September 28, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Zechariah, chapters 1-7. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-28
Today's Message: The Fig Tree
The fig tree is mentioned forty times in the Bible, a fig tree is a hearty tree that produces fruit as long as it is taken care of. Much care needs to be given in order for it to produce good, edible fruit. A fig tree requires a warm climate, water, sunlight for at least eight hours a day, and needs to be pruned when the tree is dormant (at rest). Fig trees are easily damaged, so, extreme care should be given to make sure these trees remain healthy and producing fruit. The Bible says, “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:..That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; ” - Colossians 1:5,6,10. As Christians, we are like fig trees, extreme care is needed to keep us healthy and fruitful spiritually. We need God's Word to keep us warm, Christ's living waters to quench our thirst, to walk with Christ, who is our light, and we need to be pruned once in a while to get us going again.
The Book of Zechariah is the thirty-eighth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains fourteen chapters. The author of the book is Zechariah and it was written to the Israelites who returned from Babylon. The purpose of the book was to further urge them to complete the Temple, to renew a spiritual commitment with God, and to warn them of the coming judgment. What we are to learn from the book is that God is in control of all affairs of the nations and that it is important to keep out spiritual commitment with God before Jesus returns. Zechariah was a prophet of the remnant of Jerusalem whom have been released from the captivity of Babylon seventy years later and are now in the midst of rebuilding the Temple. “Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD. Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.” -Zechariah 1:3-6. The Lord of hosts means that God is mighty and in power and in control of everything. God is telling the new generation not to be like their fathers whom have ignored His Word and commands. He is encouraging them to repent and turn from their wicked ways and says He is going to deal with them regardless of whether or not they repent or not. We are all going to face Christ one day, regardless of whether or not we received Him as our Savior, and He is going to deal with us accordingly.
God assures the new generation that He will be with them and they will be blessed by committing themselves to Him. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.” - Zechariah 2:10-12. Often we come to the end of our resources and lose confidence in our own abilities before we learn to trust in the Lord. However, no matter how uncertain things look God is always there, He will take care of His people, we just have to endure some pain at times in the midst of them. Remember, God will do some pruning on us to renew our spirit when it gets dormant.
Through Zechariah, God assures all of us that He forgives and forgets all our iniquities, “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment....Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.” -Zechariah 3:3,4,8-10. Amazingly, the second we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior the filthy garments of sin are removed from us and we are given new clothes of righteousness. “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness,” -Isaiah 61:10. Praise God!
Through Zechariah, God also foretells the second coming of Christ, “And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both....And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God. ” - Zechariah 6:12,13,15. Jesus is the BRANCH, He is also the vine that branches off of God. Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” - John 15: 4-7. The only way that we are going to be fruitful and flourish like a healthy fig tree is to abide in Christ. Renew your spirit, commit to Jesus, and when we do all the blessings just keep pouring in. Praise God!
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
Visit The I'm Following Jesus Website http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
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Monday, September 27, 2010
Bible Study: Twisted Roads 09.27.10
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Monday September 27, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Books of Zephaniah & Haggai. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-27
Today's Message: Twisted Roads
The Christian life is like a highway, it will lead you along roads that can have so many twists and turns that is seems that you will never reach your destination, but as long as you keep going and follow the signs you will get there. There is a road near my home that looks straight, but about a mile into it it literally stops and does not pick up again until you follow the sign, go down another road, then turn, it does that at least four times that I can remember. It is a road that I only went on once and do not care to go down again, but I know I may have to again, at least, the next time I will know what to expect. The Bible says, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day....All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. ” -Psalm 25:4,5,10. As long as we keep following the sign that leads us in God's truth we can travel down the twisted roads of life and not get lost, but you can be sure if you take a wrong turn that you are going to get lost.
The Book of Zephaniah is the thirty-sixth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains three chapters, the author of the book is Zephaniah and it was written to the people in Israel during the time that king Josiah reigned in Judah. The purpose of the book was to warn Israel and all nations of the coming judgment of God. What we are to learn from the book is that God rather save then destroy us and is mighty to save all who come to Him. Through Zephaniah, God says, “I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD. I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD. I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.” -Zephaniah 1:2-6. God is addressing all the heathen nations, those who never sought Him, and those who worship the false gods or worship Him and them as well. He is saying that He will destroy everything and everyone who worships these false gods and or never sought Him. You can pray a thousand times a day and spend 24/7 in church, but unless you seek the Lord through Jesus Christ you are going to join those whom have turned their backs on Him. God will not acknowledge anyone who does not acknowledge His Son.
Zephaniah encourages the people to put their trust in God and assures them that He will save them. “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.” - Zephaniah 3:17-20. God willingly saves and rejoices over anyone who comes to Him. He promises that although we have been afflicted He will save us and even take away the pain. Praise God!
Sometimes, a person is going to get lost along those twisted roads, but amazingly God is right there to show us the right roads to take to get us back on the right path. He will wait until we ask Him for directions, but that does not stop Him from at least pointing us in the right direction. “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” - Revelation 7:17.
Although God did allow the destruction of Jerusalem to take place and had all the people taken into captivity by Babylon, He used the experience to get them pointed them in the right direction, at least some of them. Now, they are back in Jerusalem and in the process of rebuilding the Temple. Of course they had opposition and because of that it caused them to slack off on the repairs, eventually stopping all together. Now, God is encouraging them to get back to work.
The Book of Haggai is the thirty-seventh book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains two chapters, the author of the book is Haggai and it was written to Israel, after the exile; particularly the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. The purpose of the book was to inspire Israel to have a new zeal for God and make the leaders aware of their responsibility to rebuild the Temple of worship. What we are to learn from the book is that building God's Kingdom should be the priority of every true believer. Haggai was among the first exiles to return from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the high priest. Their purpose was to rebuild the Temple. “Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes....Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD....And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, ” - Haggai 1:3-6,8,14. God was saying, all your labor is going to waste because you have not put me first, stop laboring for things that you waste your money on, get back to rebuilding the Temple and you will be taken care of and upon hearing the Word of God, the people renewed their commitment to rebuilding the Temple.
Sometimes we get lost as we try to bring in the money to pay the bills and keep a roof over our heads, but God knows what we are in need of and He will provide us with them as long as we put Him first. Of course, we need to work, God rewards us for our labor, but everything we do in life from a homemaker, to a cashier, to a bus driver, needs to be laid on the foundation of Christ. “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ” -I Corinthians 3:8-11. As we enter the world planted on the foundation of Christ we will be able to stay on the right path of life's twisted roads.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and have a great week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
Visit The I'm Following Jesus Website http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
Want To Receive These Devotions in Your Email?
Subscribe By Sending A Blank Email With the Subject Subscribe to: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
Today is Monday September 27, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Books of Zephaniah & Haggai. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-27
Today's Message: Twisted Roads
The Christian life is like a highway, it will lead you along roads that can have so many twists and turns that is seems that you will never reach your destination, but as long as you keep going and follow the signs you will get there. There is a road near my home that looks straight, but about a mile into it it literally stops and does not pick up again until you follow the sign, go down another road, then turn, it does that at least four times that I can remember. It is a road that I only went on once and do not care to go down again, but I know I may have to again, at least, the next time I will know what to expect. The Bible says, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day....All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. ” -Psalm 25:4,5,10. As long as we keep following the sign that leads us in God's truth we can travel down the twisted roads of life and not get lost, but you can be sure if you take a wrong turn that you are going to get lost.
The Book of Zephaniah is the thirty-sixth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains three chapters, the author of the book is Zephaniah and it was written to the people in Israel during the time that king Josiah reigned in Judah. The purpose of the book was to warn Israel and all nations of the coming judgment of God. What we are to learn from the book is that God rather save then destroy us and is mighty to save all who come to Him. Through Zephaniah, God says, “I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD. I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD. I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.” -Zephaniah 1:2-6. God is addressing all the heathen nations, those who never sought Him, and those who worship the false gods or worship Him and them as well. He is saying that He will destroy everything and everyone who worships these false gods and or never sought Him. You can pray a thousand times a day and spend 24/7 in church, but unless you seek the Lord through Jesus Christ you are going to join those whom have turned their backs on Him. God will not acknowledge anyone who does not acknowledge His Son.
Zephaniah encourages the people to put their trust in God and assures them that He will save them. “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.” - Zephaniah 3:17-20. God willingly saves and rejoices over anyone who comes to Him. He promises that although we have been afflicted He will save us and even take away the pain. Praise God!
Sometimes, a person is going to get lost along those twisted roads, but amazingly God is right there to show us the right roads to take to get us back on the right path. He will wait until we ask Him for directions, but that does not stop Him from at least pointing us in the right direction. “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” - Revelation 7:17.
Although God did allow the destruction of Jerusalem to take place and had all the people taken into captivity by Babylon, He used the experience to get them pointed them in the right direction, at least some of them. Now, they are back in Jerusalem and in the process of rebuilding the Temple. Of course they had opposition and because of that it caused them to slack off on the repairs, eventually stopping all together. Now, God is encouraging them to get back to work.
The Book of Haggai is the thirty-seventh book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains two chapters, the author of the book is Haggai and it was written to Israel, after the exile; particularly the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. The purpose of the book was to inspire Israel to have a new zeal for God and make the leaders aware of their responsibility to rebuild the Temple of worship. What we are to learn from the book is that building God's Kingdom should be the priority of every true believer. Haggai was among the first exiles to return from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the governor, and Joshua, the high priest. Their purpose was to rebuild the Temple. “Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes....Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD....And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, ” - Haggai 1:3-6,8,14. God was saying, all your labor is going to waste because you have not put me first, stop laboring for things that you waste your money on, get back to rebuilding the Temple and you will be taken care of and upon hearing the Word of God, the people renewed their commitment to rebuilding the Temple.
Sometimes we get lost as we try to bring in the money to pay the bills and keep a roof over our heads, but God knows what we are in need of and He will provide us with them as long as we put Him first. Of course, we need to work, God rewards us for our labor, but everything we do in life from a homemaker, to a cashier, to a bus driver, needs to be laid on the foundation of Christ. “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ” -I Corinthians 3:8-11. As we enter the world planted on the foundation of Christ we will be able to stay on the right path of life's twisted roads.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and have a great week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
Visit The I'm Following Jesus Website http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
Want To Receive These Devotions in Your Email?
Subscribe By Sending A Blank Email With the Subject Subscribe to: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Bible Study: Remain Faithful 09.26.10
Hello My Friend/Guest,
Today is Sunday September 26, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Books of Nahum & Habakkuk. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-26
Today's Message: Remain Faithful
We all want the best for our children, often, we use our own experiences to teach them, the Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” - Proverbs 22:6. It is important that we as Christians train our children to fear the Lord, not be afraid of Him, but fear (honor & respect) Him. I have only one regret in my life over the years and that is that I did not have God's Word in me as a child. I imagine life could have been a lot easier and I would have stayed away from some of the trouble I caused myself had I learned from it when I was younger, but praise God He got me to see the truth when He did because He truly saved me from making one of the biggest mistakes that I would have ever made. God is amazing, in the midst of our worst errors in life He is right there to help us and get us out of trouble. However, we can not expect God to get us out of any trouble unless we humbly come to Him, ask Him for help, and remain faithful to Him.
The Book of Nahum is the thirty-forth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains three chapters. The author of the book is Nahum and it was written to the city of Nineveh. The purpose of the book was to warn them of the coming judgment on Nineveh, the capitol of the Assyrian empire which took God's people into captivity. What we are to learn from the book is that we need to be aware that God avenges all evil. Nahum prophesied during the reign of Hezekiah, about 150 years after the great revival of Jonah's day when the city of Nineveh repented in dust and ashes. They had come to know the One True God through Jonah's preaching. However, the people failed to keep Him in their lives, nor did they give their children the opportunity to know who God was and now they are facing judgment for returning to their idolatrous and sinful ways. “The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” - Nahum 1:1-3. God will not spare any nation or person that continues to live wickedly. He is slow to wrath and ready to forgive, but He will by no means acquit the wicked, therefore there will be tribulation and anguish for every soul that does evil.
Why is God jealous? The word jealous from God's point of view means that He is intolerant of ones disloyalty or infidelity. He is not speaking here to those who just do not know who He is, He is speaking to those who know Him and are ignoring Him. “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.... And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” - Acts 17:28,30. God will forgive anyone who repents He always forgives even the most sinful person who truly repents and has received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives.
The Book of Habakkuk is the thirty-fifth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains three chapters. The author of the book was Habakkuk and it was written to the people of Judah. The purpose of the book was to Awaken Judah to their spiritual needs and warn of impending judgment from God. What we are to learn from the book is that the just shall live by faith alone. Habakkuk prophesied in the latter years of Josiah, he was more concerned with the holiness of God than Israel's escape from chastisement. “The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.” - Habakkuk 1:1-3. Habakkuk expresses the attitude that many righteous people have. He is outraged at the violence and injustice in his society. There was sin, wickedness, destruction and violence, no justice in the courts, and the wicked outnumbered the righteous. He asked God how much longer will we have to suffer and keep praying for things to change when they keep getting worse.
Since we do not know all the facts, in the midst of our numerous, perplexing injustices, where too often evil seems to triumph, we should not express doubt in the One and Only True God. He is just as uncompromising toward sin today as He was then. God is telling us that no wickedness will go unpunished, we may not see things happening, but He is watching and listening to everything that is going on. He also assures us that no matter what we are going through or how long it seems to take to receive an answer He is at work and will bring all to pass. He is going to do something so marvelous that we as Christian's will find it hard to understand and believe. Through the tribulations of this day and age we can join in with Habakkuk and say, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.” - Habakkuk 3:18,19.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and have an awesome week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
Visit The I'm Following Jesus Website http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
Want To Receive These Devotions in Your Email?
Subscribe By Sending A Blank Email With the Subject Subscribe to: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com
Today is Sunday September 26, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Books of Nahum & Habakkuk. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-26
Today's Message: Remain Faithful
We all want the best for our children, often, we use our own experiences to teach them, the Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” - Proverbs 22:6. It is important that we as Christians train our children to fear the Lord, not be afraid of Him, but fear (honor & respect) Him. I have only one regret in my life over the years and that is that I did not have God's Word in me as a child. I imagine life could have been a lot easier and I would have stayed away from some of the trouble I caused myself had I learned from it when I was younger, but praise God He got me to see the truth when He did because He truly saved me from making one of the biggest mistakes that I would have ever made. God is amazing, in the midst of our worst errors in life He is right there to help us and get us out of trouble. However, we can not expect God to get us out of any trouble unless we humbly come to Him, ask Him for help, and remain faithful to Him.
The Book of Nahum is the thirty-forth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains three chapters. The author of the book is Nahum and it was written to the city of Nineveh. The purpose of the book was to warn them of the coming judgment on Nineveh, the capitol of the Assyrian empire which took God's people into captivity. What we are to learn from the book is that we need to be aware that God avenges all evil. Nahum prophesied during the reign of Hezekiah, about 150 years after the great revival of Jonah's day when the city of Nineveh repented in dust and ashes. They had come to know the One True God through Jonah's preaching. However, the people failed to keep Him in their lives, nor did they give their children the opportunity to know who God was and now they are facing judgment for returning to their idolatrous and sinful ways. “The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” - Nahum 1:1-3. God will not spare any nation or person that continues to live wickedly. He is slow to wrath and ready to forgive, but He will by no means acquit the wicked, therefore there will be tribulation and anguish for every soul that does evil.
Why is God jealous? The word jealous from God's point of view means that He is intolerant of ones disloyalty or infidelity. He is not speaking here to those who just do not know who He is, He is speaking to those who know Him and are ignoring Him. “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.... And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” - Acts 17:28,30. God will forgive anyone who repents He always forgives even the most sinful person who truly repents and has received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of their lives.
The Book of Habakkuk is the thirty-fifth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains three chapters. The author of the book was Habakkuk and it was written to the people of Judah. The purpose of the book was to Awaken Judah to their spiritual needs and warn of impending judgment from God. What we are to learn from the book is that the just shall live by faith alone. Habakkuk prophesied in the latter years of Josiah, he was more concerned with the holiness of God than Israel's escape from chastisement. “The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.” - Habakkuk 1:1-3. Habakkuk expresses the attitude that many righteous people have. He is outraged at the violence and injustice in his society. There was sin, wickedness, destruction and violence, no justice in the courts, and the wicked outnumbered the righteous. He asked God how much longer will we have to suffer and keep praying for things to change when they keep getting worse.
Since we do not know all the facts, in the midst of our numerous, perplexing injustices, where too often evil seems to triumph, we should not express doubt in the One and Only True God. He is just as uncompromising toward sin today as He was then. God is telling us that no wickedness will go unpunished, we may not see things happening, but He is watching and listening to everything that is going on. He also assures us that no matter what we are going through or how long it seems to take to receive an answer He is at work and will bring all to pass. He is going to do something so marvelous that we as Christian's will find it hard to understand and believe. Through the tribulations of this day and age we can join in with Habakkuk and say, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.” - Habakkuk 3:18,19.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night and have an awesome week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going to Heaven? http://www.godsprice.com
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