Thursday, July.9 Ride in the cause of truth and humility. Ps..45:4. The Warrior-King, Jesus Christ, wages a righteous war with noble objectives. He rides “in the cause of truth and humility.” The greatest truth that must be defended is that of God's universal sovereignty. Satan challenged the legitimacy of God's rulership when he rebelled against Him. Since then, that fundamental truth has been disputed by both demons and humans. Now the time has come for God's anointed King to ride forth to establish the truth of God's sovereignty once and for all. The King also rides ‘in the cause of humility.’ As God’s only-begotten Son, he himself has provided a sterling example of humility and loyal subjection to his Father’s sovereignty. (Isa. 50:4, 5; John 5:19) All loyal subjects of the King must follow his example and humbly submit to God's sovereignty in all things. Only those who do so will be allowed to live in God’s promised new world. Zech. 14:16, 17.
I use a wide variety of research tools (various bible translations, concordance, bible encyclopedias and study aids). I certainly dont take credit for coming up with what I share on my own. These are things I have learned through my study of the scriptures. If there is a particular verse or subject you would like to discuss I'd be more than happy to research it
Are you ordained? My dad is a pastor from a non-denominational church and I have grown up there and done two years of seminary. It's cool to see awesome stuff like this on this website.
Yes I've been an ordained minister since 1999. but I am not a pastor, reverend, or any other type of clergy title. Titles have a tendency to detract from the message being given and can make some people view clergy members as being "above" what they actually are.. regular people, sinners, just like everyone else. The only one truly deserving of "reverence" is God himself...the best the rest of us can hope to be is humble servants
Friday July 10 Zec 9:17 For how great his goodness is, In many modern languages, “goodness” is a somewhat bland word. As revealed in the Bible, though, goodness is far from bland. Primarily, it refers to virtue and moral excellence. In a sense, then, we might say that goodness permeates God. All his attributes—including his power, his justice, and his wisdom—are good through and through. Still, goodness might best be described as an expression of God's love. Why? Goodness is an active, outgoing quality. The apostle Paul indicated that in humans it is even more appealing than righteousness. (Romans 5:7) The righteous man can be counted on to adhere faithfully to the requirements of the law, but a good man does more. He takes the initiative, actively seeking ways to benefit others. Our God is certainly good in that sense. Clearly, such goodness springs from his boundless love.
Saturday, July 11 Declare among the nations: "God has become King!” 1 Chron. 16:31. Israel’s second human king, David, brought the sacred ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. During this joyous occasion, the Levites sang a song of praise that contained a noteworthy statement, as mentioned in today’s text. One might wonder, ‘Since God is the King of eternity, how is it that he became King at that time?' God becomes King when he expresses his rulership or establishes an agency to represent him at a certain time or to deal with a specific situation. This aspect of God's kingship has far-reaching significance. Before David died, God promised him that his kingship would continue indefinitely: “I will raise up your offspring after you, your own son, and I will firmly establish his kingdom.” (2 Sam. 7:12, 13) This “offspring” of David, Jesus the Messiah, appeared more than 1,000 years later.
Sunday, July 12 Practice carrying out the kingly law according to the scripture: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” Jas. 2:8. The Christian Greek Scriptures (new testament) are full of reminders for us to show love for one another. Jesus said that the second greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:39) The apostle John wrote: “Beloved ones, I am writing you, not a new commandment, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning.” (1 John 2:7, 8) To what was John referring as the “old commandment”? He was referring to the command to love. It was “old” in the sense that Jesus had given it decades earlier, “from the beginning.” But it was also “new” in that it called for self-sacrificing love, which the disciples might need as they faced new circumstances. As disciples of Christ, do we not appreciate warnings that help us to guard against developing the selfish spirit so characteristic of this world, which can erode our love of neighbor?
Monday, July 13 The thing proved to be very displeasing to Abraham as regards his son. Gen. 21:11. Even the happiest marriages are not perfect unions, and a loving couple may not always see eye to eye. Abraham and Sarah did not always agree with each other. (Gen. 21:9, 10) Yet, their differences did not drive a wedge between them. Why not? They treated each other with dignity and respect. For instance, Abraham said “please” to Sarah. (Gen. 12:11, 13) She, on the other hand, obeyed Abraham and thought of him as her “lord.” (Gen. 18:12) When a couple lack respect for each other, this usually becomes evident in their pattern of speech or tone of voice. (Prov. 12:18) If they do not address the underlying problem, their marriage may be headed for tragedy. (Jas. 3:7-10, 17, 18) Newlyweds should work especially hard to speak kindly and respectfully to each other, thus creating an atmosphere of free and honest communication.
John 6:35 - Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Tonight as I was reading my bible, I decided to read the last two chapters of Joshua. As I studied, I read Joshua 23:6, which reads, “So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left.". As I started to think of how I worship and serve God, I started to wonder if it's enough. I mean, I pray (even if it's just a quick Thanks to God for whatever, or those deep prayers for friends, family, coworkers, etc.), I spend time daily in the Word (I have a couple of devotionals on the Bible App, and this), I'm an elder at my church, I'm the youth leader (people say youth pastor, I'll stick with leader) and am heavily involved with the AWANA ministry at my best friend's church. Even as I listed all those things, I still felt like it wasn't enough. I tend to listen to music when I read. Most of it is Christian artists with songs focused at the Gospel. As I sat there and doubted, I changed the song to "Superhuman" by Andy Mineo and he says "I don't have to be great, because my God is". This really rang out to me, especially after doubting myself. There is a line earlier in the song that ties to the verse out of John that reminded me of who I serve and what my "mission" is. "I'm just another beggar pointin' y'all to where the bread is" is the line. Hence, the passage out of John. I just wanted to share on how my study out of Joshua helped me think of Jesus tonight.
Tuesday, July 14 [God’s] will is that all sorts of men should be saved. 1 Tim. 2:4. The further time moves on, the greater our need to rely on God's Word. The counsel we draw from it helps us to correct bad habits and to control our sinful tendencies. With its encouragement and comfort, we will pass the tests that Satan and his world bring on us. With the guidance God provides in his Word, we will stay on the road to life. God’s will is that “all sorts of men should be saved.” God's servants are among “all sorts of men.” So are those whom we might help through our preaching and teaching work. But all who wish to attain to salvation must gain “an accurate knowledge of truth.” Thus, surviving the last days goes hand in glove with reading the Bible and applying its inspired instructions. Yes, our daily Bible reading shows how highly we esteem God's precious Word of truth. John 17:17
Wednesday, July 15 You must show honor to an older Lev. 19:32. God never intended for humans to suffer the debilitating effects of aging. On the contrary, his purpose was that men and women enjoy perfect health in Paradise. But now “all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain.” (Rom. 8:22) How do you think God must feel when he observes the ravages of sin in humans? Moreover, many elderly ones experience neglect at a time in their lives when they need more assistance. (Ps. 39:5; 2 Tim. 3:3) God's people are grateful that there are elderly ones in the congregations. We benefit from their wisdom and are inspired by their example of faith. Whether we are related to elderly brothers and sisters or not, we take an interest in their welfare. (Gal. 6:10; 1 Pet. 1:22) Yes, honoring the older ones in the congregation was a serious responsibility when the words of today’s text were written, and it is down to this day.
The way we should live our life is always to end the day with did I do enough for the father? The more we group and deeper our relationship is with Jesus the more we want for him and the kingdom of God. Enjoyed this brother God Bless
Thursday, July 16 I bend my knees to the Father, to whom every family in heaven and on earth owes its name. Eph. 3:14, 15. All of us have certain things in common. We suffer the consequences of Adam’s disobedience and have inherited imperfection, sin, and death. (Rom. 5:12) Even so, as true worshippers, we can rightly address God as “our Father.” Referring to God’s chosen people of ancient times, Isaiah 64:8 states: “O Jehovah, you are our Father.” Moreover, Jesus opened his model prayer with the words: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.” (Matt. 6:9) Our heavenly Father provides the care and protection we need as a people calling on his name in faith. The psalmist quotes him as saying: “Because he [a true worshipper] has affection for me, I will rescue him. I will protect him because he knows my name.” (Ps. 91:14) Yes, God lovingly provides escape from our enemies and protects us as his people, so that we are not wiped out.
Friday July 17 “She is his mother.”—1 Kings 3:16-27. IT WAS a difficult case—two women arguing over a baby. The women shared a home, and each had given birth to a son, just days apart. One of the babies had died, and now each woman claimed to be the mother of the living baby. There were no other witnesses to what had happened. The case had likely been heard in a lower court but not resolved. Finally, the dispute was taken to Solomon, the king of Israel. Would he be able to uncover the truth? After listening for a while as the women argued, Solomon called for a sword. Then, with seeming conviction, he ordered that the child be cut in two, with half given to each woman. At once, the real mother pleaded with the king to give the baby—her precious child—to the other woman. But the other woman kept insisting that the child be cut in two. Solomon now knew the truth. He had knowledge of a mother’s tender compassion for the child of her womb, and he used that knowledge to settle this dispute. Imagine the mother’s relief when Solomon awarded her the baby. Extraordinaire wisdom, was it not? When the people*heard how Solomon had resolved the case, they were in awe, “for they saw that the wisdom of God was within him.” Yes, Solomon’s wisdom was a divine gift. God had given him “a wise and understanding heart.” (1 Kings 3:12, 28) But what about us? May we too receive godly wisdom? Yes, for under inspiration, Solomon wrote: “God himself gives wisdom.” (Proverbs 2:6) God promises to give wisdom—the ability to put knowledge, understanding, and discernment to good use—to those who sincerely seek it.
Saturday, July 18 [Hezekiah] decided ... to stop up the waters of the springs.—2 Chron. 32:3. What Hezekiah did next was of even greater value than stopping up the waters or fortifying the city walls. (2 Chron. 32:5) Concerned shepherd that he was, Hezekiah gathered the people and encouraged them spiritually with the words: “Do not be afraid nor be terrified because of the king of Assyria..., for with us there are more than there are with him. With him there is an arm of flesh, but with us there is Jehovah our God to help us and to fight our battles.” What a faith-strengthening reminder. God would fight for his people! Upon hearing this, the Jews “began to brace themselves upon the words of Hezekiah the king of Judah.” Notice that it was “the words of Hezekiah” that caused the people to take heart. He and his princes and mighty men, as well as the prophets Micah and Isaiah, proved to be effective shepherds, just as God had foretold.—2 Chron. 32:7, 8;.Mic. 5:5, 6.
Sunday, July 19 Be transformed by making your mind over.—Rom. 12:2. The “mind” relates to our thinking faculties. But as used in the Bible, it includes our mental inclination, attitude, and power of reason. Earlier in his letter to the Romans, Paul described people who reflected “a disapproved mental state.” Such ones were given to “unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, badness, being full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,” and other hurtful things. (Rom. 1:28-31) Sadly, we are surrounded by people in the world who fit Paul’s description. For us not to be fashioned, or molded, by the world any longer, we need to make an honest appraisal of our innermost attitudes and feelings, our goals, and our values. Such things may be hidden from public view. Others may tell us that we are doing well. Yet, we alone know if we really have allowed what we have learned from the Bible to transform us in these critical areas. Jas. 1:23-25
