James 4:13-16 “Look
here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town
and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a
profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life
is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What
you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this
or that.’ Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such
boasting is evil.”
Up
until yesterday, I read this passage of scripture as if it were telling
us not to plan ahead, because we don’t know if we’ll still be alive to
do what we’ve planned. That’s probably why I didn’t pay very much
attention to it, since I knew that Proverbs 21:5 specifically tells us
to make diligent plans for the future - “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty.” So what is it? Should we make plans or not?
I
think asking this question is beside the point. Of course we need to
make plans for our life! In two different passages in Proverbs (6:6 and
30:25), the lowly ant is considered wise because it stores food in the
summer to eat during the winter. Isn’t that planning ahead? Should the
ant give up its preparation because it doesn’t know if it’s going to be
stepped on today?
And what is our Christian walk if it’s not a plan for the future? I
don’t know about you, but my plans extend 1,000 years into the future
and beyond!
The
issue in this passage isn’t the planning itself. The issue here is,
who’s responsible for the decisions in your life - you or God? You see,
when you made Jesus your Lord - you made Him your owner, your ruler,
your boss. You no longer have the right to direct your own life anymore.
Didn’t you know this already? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Your life belongs to God now! That means, whatever He says you do!
Psalm 37:23 shows what this kind of life looks like, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.” Romans 8:14 echoes this, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” When you truly give your life to Jesus, you’re surrendering the control of every decision you make!
Sadly,
this couldn’t be any more different from the modern American ‘gospel.’
We’re being told that God’s grace allows us to add God’s forgiveness to
whatever lifestyle we want. We’ve told Jesus to be our Savior and never
really made Him Lord. The motto of this gospel is, “Jesus died so we
could live (any way we want)!”
The fact is, Jesus didn’t die so we could live our own life. He died so we could die to our own life! 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says this: “If One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” When Jesus died for us, He gave us the power to die to our will and live in His will.
No
more of this American religion! No more calling Jesus ‘Lord’ and
ignoring what He tells us! No more hearing and never doing! Listen to
how your Lord ended His most famous sermon:
Matthew 7:24-27 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it
is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the
rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat
against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”
“But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey
it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains
and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse
with a mighty crash.”
The
first type of man represents the people who hear (and read) God’s Word
and do it! Even though it’s tough, even though everyone says there’s an
easier way, even when it takes longer to get what they want - they build
their life God’s way. This kind of life, built on obedience to God’s
Word, stands up to the storm.
The
second type of man represents the people who hear God’s Word and go
about their own way. They know they should spend time in the Bible, but
they’ve got a busy life. They know that God loves cheerful givers, but
money’s tight at the moment. They know that the Bible tells parents to
discipline their kids, but they want their kids to like them! So,
instead of doing things God’s way - they decide that God will understand
if they do it their own way. After all - “God knows my heart!” So they
call Him ‘Lord’ and then act like they’re living their own life. This is
a life built on sand, my friend! Let a few raindrops fall, and
everything collapses!
I
know God’s way isn’t always easy - but it is always right! It’s time
for a true altar call this morning. It’s time, once and for all, to lay
down your life as a living sacrifice. It’s time to finally make Jesus
your Lord and Savior. Stop pretending like you can still do things your own way!
Luke 6:46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?”
Monday, June 18, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Pre-Ordained Breakup
To the uninformed, it appears as if we're breaking up. Churches are being emptied. People are running out the door in droves. Offense is running rampant throughout local congregations. It looks like we’re falling apart – but there's something much deeper going on.
This is a little more reading than I normally put in my posts, but get over it - you can never go wrong with reading God's Word, right? I want you to see that this concept is straight from God's Word - not my opinion! I don't have to interpret this story, Jesus did that for us!
In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus tells this story to His disciples: “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
A little while later, in verse 36, His disciples asked Him to explain the story. So Jesus responds with the application to the church in verses 37-43:“He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
It would be a true statement to say that this is the story of the rapture of the church – but it's also true to say that this is the story of what happens in the time before we leave. Now that we've found the key to this story in the second passage, let's go back and use it in the first.
Verse 24 - The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
The man is Jesus. The good seed are those of us who “sons of the kingdom” or who understand Jesus absolute authority over us as King. We were planted by Jesus Christ and have been been growing for about 2,000 years now.
Verse 25 - but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
It's not surprising who the enemy is, he's been the enemy of everything godly since the beginning. What is surprising to some people, is the tares. These are people who were planted by the devil “among the wheat!” Did you realize that the devil has plants (or “moles” to use a spy movie term) inside God's church? Verse 41 describes them as people “that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.” While God's leaders were sleeping, these people were slipped into our ranks.
I know that we have always defined offense as getting our feelings hurt. But the real meaning of “offend” in this passage is “to cause to fall away.” These are the people who cause others to leave God's kingdom. These are the people who spread strife and division in churches, destroying their reputations. These are the people who will split a church in two, carry weak believers out the doors with them, and then abandon them to the world. These tares are the people who are damaging the church by their rebellion and lawlessness.
Verse 26 - But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
Tares in the church are nothing new. The early church had to deal with them too. Both seeds were planted around the same time, but as we get closer to the end, the tares have gotten stronger and much more noticeable.
Verse 27 - So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’
According to verse 39, we know that the reaper are angels. But this is another group called “servants.” Who could it be, having a conversation with Jesus and asking Him where these “tare” people came from? These are the local church leaders. These are the men and women that God holds responsible for local congregations. And as the tares get more and more obvious, I'm sure that there's been more than a few pastors who have had this conversation with God!
Verse 28 - He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’
As soon as these local pastors learn about where the tares in their church come from, their immediate, and very understandable response is, “Do You want me to kick them out, God?” No pastor wants tares in their church; ruining the good seed!
Verse 29 - But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
God's response to these pastors is right on! A lot of times, when a Pastor confronts and tries to uproot a person who is a tare, their roots in that church pull out a lot of good seed.
But this next verse is my favorite part of this story!
Verse 30 - Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
The two types of people, represented by the good seed and the tares, share the same churches until the “time of the harvest.” This harvest has two parts:
The first part of the harvest is when God sends His angelic reapers into His kingdom to gather out the tares “into bundles”. That means some people are going to leave. This is directly opposite to the church growth principles we’ve used in our churches! These divisive people are going to leave church, escorted out by angels! They may think they’re bored. They may think they’re offended. They may think they have a valid reason. But the reality is, God’s angels are removing the tares from the wheat. They're going to be gathered together into bundles – groups of these people gathering together! Can you imagine what that must be like? A group of divisive, disgruntled, and generally unhappy church people getting together every week – not my idea of a good time!
But here's the best part! After God uproots the tares out of His kingdom, “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father!” We're gonna start seeing church – the way it was always intended to be! What will it look like to see groups of believers gathering together with no offense and no lawlessness? We're finally going to see God do what He wants done in His church!
And then, the second part of the Harvest happens...”gather the wheat into My barn.” When we finally become a “glorious church, without spot or blemish” - we'll be ready to leave!
This is a little more reading than I normally put in my posts, but get over it - you can never go wrong with reading God's Word, right? I want you to see that this concept is straight from God's Word - not my opinion! I don't have to interpret this story, Jesus did that for us!
In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus tells this story to His disciples: “Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
A little while later, in verse 36, His disciples asked Him to explain the story. So Jesus responds with the application to the church in verses 37-43:“He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
It would be a true statement to say that this is the story of the rapture of the church – but it's also true to say that this is the story of what happens in the time before we leave. Now that we've found the key to this story in the second passage, let's go back and use it in the first.
Verse 24 - The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
The man is Jesus. The good seed are those of us who “sons of the kingdom” or who understand Jesus absolute authority over us as King. We were planted by Jesus Christ and have been been growing for about 2,000 years now.
Verse 25 - but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
It's not surprising who the enemy is, he's been the enemy of everything godly since the beginning. What is surprising to some people, is the tares. These are people who were planted by the devil “among the wheat!” Did you realize that the devil has plants (or “moles” to use a spy movie term) inside God's church? Verse 41 describes them as people “that offend, and those who practice lawlessness.” While God's leaders were sleeping, these people were slipped into our ranks.
I know that we have always defined offense as getting our feelings hurt. But the real meaning of “offend” in this passage is “to cause to fall away.” These are the people who cause others to leave God's kingdom. These are the people who spread strife and division in churches, destroying their reputations. These are the people who will split a church in two, carry weak believers out the doors with them, and then abandon them to the world. These tares are the people who are damaging the church by their rebellion and lawlessness.
Verse 26 - But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
Tares in the church are nothing new. The early church had to deal with them too. Both seeds were planted around the same time, but as we get closer to the end, the tares have gotten stronger and much more noticeable.
Verse 27 - So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’
According to verse 39, we know that the reaper are angels. But this is another group called “servants.” Who could it be, having a conversation with Jesus and asking Him where these “tare” people came from? These are the local church leaders. These are the men and women that God holds responsible for local congregations. And as the tares get more and more obvious, I'm sure that there's been more than a few pastors who have had this conversation with God!
Verse 28 - He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’
As soon as these local pastors learn about where the tares in their church come from, their immediate, and very understandable response is, “Do You want me to kick them out, God?” No pastor wants tares in their church; ruining the good seed!
Verse 29 - But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
God's response to these pastors is right on! A lot of times, when a Pastor confronts and tries to uproot a person who is a tare, their roots in that church pull out a lot of good seed.
But this next verse is my favorite part of this story!
Verse 30 - Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
The two types of people, represented by the good seed and the tares, share the same churches until the “time of the harvest.” This harvest has two parts:
The first part of the harvest is when God sends His angelic reapers into His kingdom to gather out the tares “into bundles”. That means some people are going to leave. This is directly opposite to the church growth principles we’ve used in our churches! These divisive people are going to leave church, escorted out by angels! They may think they’re bored. They may think they’re offended. They may think they have a valid reason. But the reality is, God’s angels are removing the tares from the wheat. They're going to be gathered together into bundles – groups of these people gathering together! Can you imagine what that must be like? A group of divisive, disgruntled, and generally unhappy church people getting together every week – not my idea of a good time!
But here's the best part! After God uproots the tares out of His kingdom, “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father!” We're gonna start seeing church – the way it was always intended to be! What will it look like to see groups of believers gathering together with no offense and no lawlessness? We're finally going to see God do what He wants done in His church!
And then, the second part of the Harvest happens...”gather the wheat into My barn.” When we finally become a “glorious church, without spot or blemish” - we'll be ready to leave!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Rewarded - Part 3
Isaiah 40:10 “Behold, the Lord Yahweh shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.”
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
There will be a day when every believer will stand before the throne of Jesus to be judged for what they have done after their salvation. This is not a judgement to decide Heaven or Hell - that was already decided in the moment you gave your life to Him. No, this judgement is to determine our eternal rewards.
Last time, we discovered five things that the Bible specifically says bring rewards. But there’s even more! You see, God is a very rewarding God! I believe He’s given us opportunity after opportunity to earn (that’s right, I said earn!) rewards! Salvation is free by grace, but that same grace will push us to do “good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
So here are a few more things I’ve in God’s Word that bring a reward. Again, this list is by no means exhaustive...and if you find any more, let me know! Remember, these acts bring rewards to the believer - but you cannot earn salvation by them! Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone!
#1 - When you do an act of love in secret and without recognition
Matthew 6:3-4 “But when you do a charitable deed (loving act), do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
If, after you’ve spent a lot of time and energy helping someone, you get upset because no one recognized your effort - you may want to examine your priorities! When you do a “charitable deed” without getting the credit, your reward is far greater than anything you could receive here on earth!
#2 - A sincere and diligent prayer life
Matthew 6:6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
The day’s coming when we’ll know who really had a healthy prayer life and who didn’t!
#3 - True fasting
Matthew 6:17-18 “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
The kind of fasting that brings a reward doesn’t announce itself. It doesn’t play the “rules game” - that is, “Can I drink broth? Can I eat soup? Can I keep a hard candy in my mouth? Should I only drink water?”
According to Jesus’ own words - if other people know you’re fasting, you’re doing something wrong. Don’t complain about how hungry you are. Don’t engage in theatrics when someone invites you out to lunch. Keep your fast between you and God, and you’ll get the reward from it!
#4 - Accepting a prophet (or any other minister of the Gospel) for the sake of their office, regardless of their personality
Matthew 10:41 “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.”
I believe Jesus was showing us how to receive from a preacher, even when his personality doesn’t “click” with our own. He said, “When you receive a prophet because he’s a prophet (not because you like his style) you’ll receive the same reward as he does!”
Don’t get caught up in styles and personalities in ministry. Your focus should be on Jesus Christ and His calling. When you’re sitting in a church service that’s less than exciting, refuse to let your emotions steal what’s being ministered! You don’t have to be bored - you can choose to listen to what is being said, in spite of how it’s being said.
#5 - Preaching/Spreading the Gospel
1 Corinthians 9:16-17 NIrV “But when I preach the good news, I can't brag. I have to preach it. How terrible it will be for me if I do not preach the good news! If I preach because I want to, I get a reward. If I preach because I have to, I'm only doing my duty.”
Firstly, you have to open your mouth and preach the Gospel. You can’t stay silent! Your friends, your family, your coworkers may die today...where would they go? If they end up in Hell, would it be because they’ve never heard the good news of Jesus Christ?
Secondly, you have to preach the Gospel willingly. Don’t keep putting it off and putting it off until you finally feel so guilty and convicted that you have to tell them about Jesus. That may be good for them (they finally get to hear the message of Jesus!), but what’s the reward in that? That’s only doing your duty.
Instead, you should be excited to tell others about Jesus! And why wouldn’t you be? This is the greatest thing the world has ever known, and anyone can get in on it! So let’s do this because we want to, not because we have to!
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
There will be a day when every believer will stand before the throne of Jesus to be judged for what they have done after their salvation. This is not a judgement to decide Heaven or Hell - that was already decided in the moment you gave your life to Him. No, this judgement is to determine our eternal rewards.
Last time, we discovered five things that the Bible specifically says bring rewards. But there’s even more! You see, God is a very rewarding God! I believe He’s given us opportunity after opportunity to earn (that’s right, I said earn!) rewards! Salvation is free by grace, but that same grace will push us to do “good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
So here are a few more things I’ve in God’s Word that bring a reward. Again, this list is by no means exhaustive...and if you find any more, let me know! Remember, these acts bring rewards to the believer - but you cannot earn salvation by them! Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone!
#1 - When you do an act of love in secret and without recognition
Matthew 6:3-4 “But when you do a charitable deed (loving act), do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”
If, after you’ve spent a lot of time and energy helping someone, you get upset because no one recognized your effort - you may want to examine your priorities! When you do a “charitable deed” without getting the credit, your reward is far greater than anything you could receive here on earth!
#2 - A sincere and diligent prayer life
Matthew 6:6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
The day’s coming when we’ll know who really had a healthy prayer life and who didn’t!
#3 - True fasting
Matthew 6:17-18 “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
The kind of fasting that brings a reward doesn’t announce itself. It doesn’t play the “rules game” - that is, “Can I drink broth? Can I eat soup? Can I keep a hard candy in my mouth? Should I only drink water?”
According to Jesus’ own words - if other people know you’re fasting, you’re doing something wrong. Don’t complain about how hungry you are. Don’t engage in theatrics when someone invites you out to lunch. Keep your fast between you and God, and you’ll get the reward from it!
#4 - Accepting a prophet (or any other minister of the Gospel) for the sake of their office, regardless of their personality
Matthew 10:41 “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.”
I believe Jesus was showing us how to receive from a preacher, even when his personality doesn’t “click” with our own. He said, “When you receive a prophet because he’s a prophet (not because you like his style) you’ll receive the same reward as he does!”
Don’t get caught up in styles and personalities in ministry. Your focus should be on Jesus Christ and His calling. When you’re sitting in a church service that’s less than exciting, refuse to let your emotions steal what’s being ministered! You don’t have to be bored - you can choose to listen to what is being said, in spite of how it’s being said.
#5 - Preaching/Spreading the Gospel
1 Corinthians 9:16-17 NIrV “But when I preach the good news, I can't brag. I have to preach it. How terrible it will be for me if I do not preach the good news! If I preach because I want to, I get a reward. If I preach because I have to, I'm only doing my duty.”
Firstly, you have to open your mouth and preach the Gospel. You can’t stay silent! Your friends, your family, your coworkers may die today...where would they go? If they end up in Hell, would it be because they’ve never heard the good news of Jesus Christ?
Secondly, you have to preach the Gospel willingly. Don’t keep putting it off and putting it off until you finally feel so guilty and convicted that you have to tell them about Jesus. That may be good for them (they finally get to hear the message of Jesus!), but what’s the reward in that? That’s only doing your duty.
Instead, you should be excited to tell others about Jesus! And why wouldn’t you be? This is the greatest thing the world has ever known, and anyone can get in on it! So let’s do this because we want to, not because we have to!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Rewarded - Part 2
I left you last time with the words from Jesus out of Revelation 22:12 - “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” While I was writing, I started to think: Are we left in the dark concerning what these rewards are for? Does the Bible show us what exactly will be rewarded at the judgement seat of Christ? I began to look through the different passages where the Bible promises a reward and began to discover some things.
To review, we’ve already found out that we will stand before Jesus one day to account for the things we’ve done. We learned that, for a believer, this isn’t about destination - it’s about rewards. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 makes this clear: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
What I’ve found in my study is that there are two types of rewards for godly behavior:
There are certain passages that speak of rewards in this life. For example, “Honor your father and mother...that it may go well with you and that you’ll live long on the earth.” This is clearly a reward for here on earth - not necessarily before the throne of Jesus. “Give and it will be given to you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over; it will be poured into your lap.” Again, this is a reward that’s received in this life. This isn’t to say that honoring your parents and being generous won’t be rewarded in eternity, just that those specific rewards (i.e. life going well for you, people giving back to you) are given out on this side of eternity.
The other type of rewards are eternal. We’re not told what they are exactly, but we are told what kind of actions they will be given out for. This isn’t an exhaustive list - there are probably others that you could find (if you do find some, please tell me in the comments!), but here are some of the things I’ve discovered that carry eternal rewards.
#1 - Clinging to, holding tightly, and treasuring God’s Word
Psalm 19:7-11 “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.”
God’s law, testimony, statutes, commandments, and judgements are all contained in one place - His Word! Keeping God’s Word means so much more than obeying it! To keep it means to guard it, to treasure it, to give it a greater place in your life than anything else. There is a real reward that will be given to those who honor the Bible. I’m not talking about reading it once in awhile. I’m not talking about taking it to church with you. I’m not even talking about saying how much you honor it! There is a reward given to those who treasure every page of this book.
#2 - Living a righteous lifestyle
Proverbs 11:18 “The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.”
Psalm 58:11 “So that men will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is God who judges in the earth.’”
We know that we have been made righteous by Jesus’ death and resurrection. Now we stand before God blameless - righteous in position. But that is only the beginning! The more a believer grows, the more they should become righteous in behavior. This is where the reward lies.
Being made righteous is its own reward - in this life and in eternity. But a righteous lifestyle will bring other rewards when you’re standing before Jesus’ throne.
#3 - Being persecuted for the name of Jesus
Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Luke 6:23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.”
You shouldn’t get so upset when people pick on you, lie about you, and treat you wrongfully because you’re a believer. They’re actually doing a good thing for you - you’re going to be rewarded in heaven for what they’re doing! No wonder Acts 5:41 says that the apostles were “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name”!
#4 - How you treat your enemies
Proverbs 25:21-22 “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”
We no longer have the luxury of nursing grudges. When we see our enemy (those who hate us, those who make our lives harder) in need, our response can’t be, “they deserved it.” When we’re humble enough to repay good to those who are evil toward us, it brings a reward! Sadly, this is one reward that many don’t want to pay the price for...
#5 - Ministering to kids
Matthew 10:42 NIrV “Suppose someone gives even a cup of cold water to a little one who follows me. What I'm about to tell you is true. That one will certainly be rewarded.”
As a kids pastor, this one is near to my heart. Over the course of many years I’ve seen people come and go from the kids ministry - a few have been faithful to stay, you know who you are! One thing I’ve always heard through the years is, “I don’t want to miss what’s going on in the main service.” If they really thought about it, they would understand: there isn’t one service going on in the sanctuary and another going on in the classroom! Those kids are part of the church of Jesus Christ!
So...to all you who have been faithful and persevering in your class, even when you’re the only one
To everyone who feels forgotten in an ocean of dirty diapers and loud lungs
To every volunteer who prepares for class in their personal time
To every minister who has bought juice and cookies from their own wallet
Don’t give up! Keep being faithful! God’s Word promises you this - there is a special reward that’s given to someone who cares for a child in Jesus’ name!
I had six or seven more to go...but this post is getting too long! To be continued...
To review, we’ve already found out that we will stand before Jesus one day to account for the things we’ve done. We learned that, for a believer, this isn’t about destination - it’s about rewards. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 makes this clear: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
What I’ve found in my study is that there are two types of rewards for godly behavior:
There are certain passages that speak of rewards in this life. For example, “Honor your father and mother...that it may go well with you and that you’ll live long on the earth.” This is clearly a reward for here on earth - not necessarily before the throne of Jesus. “Give and it will be given to you, pressed down, shaken together, and running over; it will be poured into your lap.” Again, this is a reward that’s received in this life. This isn’t to say that honoring your parents and being generous won’t be rewarded in eternity, just that those specific rewards (i.e. life going well for you, people giving back to you) are given out on this side of eternity.
The other type of rewards are eternal. We’re not told what they are exactly, but we are told what kind of actions they will be given out for. This isn’t an exhaustive list - there are probably others that you could find (if you do find some, please tell me in the comments!), but here are some of the things I’ve discovered that carry eternal rewards.
#1 - Clinging to, holding tightly, and treasuring God’s Word
Psalm 19:7-11 “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.”
God’s law, testimony, statutes, commandments, and judgements are all contained in one place - His Word! Keeping God’s Word means so much more than obeying it! To keep it means to guard it, to treasure it, to give it a greater place in your life than anything else. There is a real reward that will be given to those who honor the Bible. I’m not talking about reading it once in awhile. I’m not talking about taking it to church with you. I’m not even talking about saying how much you honor it! There is a reward given to those who treasure every page of this book.
#2 - Living a righteous lifestyle
Proverbs 11:18 “The wicked man does deceptive work, but he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.”
Psalm 58:11 “So that men will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is God who judges in the earth.’”
We know that we have been made righteous by Jesus’ death and resurrection. Now we stand before God blameless - righteous in position. But that is only the beginning! The more a believer grows, the more they should become righteous in behavior. This is where the reward lies.
Being made righteous is its own reward - in this life and in eternity. But a righteous lifestyle will bring other rewards when you’re standing before Jesus’ throne.
#3 - Being persecuted for the name of Jesus
Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Luke 6:23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.”
You shouldn’t get so upset when people pick on you, lie about you, and treat you wrongfully because you’re a believer. They’re actually doing a good thing for you - you’re going to be rewarded in heaven for what they’re doing! No wonder Acts 5:41 says that the apostles were “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name”!
#4 - How you treat your enemies
Proverbs 25:21-22 “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for so you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”
We no longer have the luxury of nursing grudges. When we see our enemy (those who hate us, those who make our lives harder) in need, our response can’t be, “they deserved it.” When we’re humble enough to repay good to those who are evil toward us, it brings a reward! Sadly, this is one reward that many don’t want to pay the price for...
#5 - Ministering to kids
Matthew 10:42 NIrV “Suppose someone gives even a cup of cold water to a little one who follows me. What I'm about to tell you is true. That one will certainly be rewarded.”
As a kids pastor, this one is near to my heart. Over the course of many years I’ve seen people come and go from the kids ministry - a few have been faithful to stay, you know who you are! One thing I’ve always heard through the years is, “I don’t want to miss what’s going on in the main service.” If they really thought about it, they would understand: there isn’t one service going on in the sanctuary and another going on in the classroom! Those kids are part of the church of Jesus Christ!
So...to all you who have been faithful and persevering in your class, even when you’re the only one
To everyone who feels forgotten in an ocean of dirty diapers and loud lungs
To every volunteer who prepares for class in their personal time
To every minister who has bought juice and cookies from their own wallet
Don’t give up! Keep being faithful! God’s Word promises you this - there is a special reward that’s given to someone who cares for a child in Jesus’ name!
I had six or seven more to go...but this post is getting too long! To be continued...
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Rewarded
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
We’ve been saved by grace - aren’t you glad! When we came to Jesus for salvation, He didn’t tell us that we were too far in sin and needed to clean up first! Salvation was the last thing we deserved, but it was the only thing that was in God’s plan for us! When we were saved, it was a free gift of grace!
I am a grace man. I love the freedom we have in grace. I do everything I can to live out Ephesians 5:1 - “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” I know that my salvation was, and continues to be, a free gift of grace. I’m not striving for grace, I’m not trying to earn grace, and I refuse to forget that this grace cost God everything He had.
Having said that...I wonder sometimes why people don’t finish Paul’s thought in Ephesians 2:8 and 9. Let’s read the whole context: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Too many believers have the mindset that grace has made obedience unnecessary. What we need to realize is that we weren’t saved by works, but we were saved for works. Jesus saved us for a reason, He had things for us to do “prepared beforehand.” So, even though your salvation is absolutely free, you can’t expect to live your own life and let grace cover it. That’s not what grace is about!
Do you realize that every believer is going to stand before Jesus’ judgement seat one day? It’s true! 2 Corinthians 5:10 makes this very clear: “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Don’t be confused, this isn’t the white throne judgement of Revelation 20. That’s a judgment to decide eternal destination - that’s already decided for us! The judgement seat of Christ is to decide eternal rewards.
Pay attention to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
Jesus Christ is the author of our salvation. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection secured our place with Him in eternity. This salvation is the foundation of our new lives. But a foundation isn’t the finished project, is it? Salvation is the start, but now we must build on it. And we can see from this passage, rewards will be given based on what we do after we’re saved. I do not want to be one of those who “makes it in” to Heaven but still suffers the loss of any reward. I want my life to be worth something for the Kingdom of Heaven!
Thankfully God didn’t leave us by ourselves, to try to be obedient on our own. The very same grace that brought us into God’s kingdom also causes us to live “soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” (Titus 2:12) We don’t have to obey God by our own strength. Paul told Timothy where his strength came from in 2 Timothy 2:1 - “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Hebrews 12:28 echoes this thought, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
Why do we serve God with fear? Let’s read 2 Corinthians 5:10 again, this time including verse 11 - “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.” The fear of the Lord comes when we realize this, everything we do in this life will be seen on our judgement day and rewarded!
Remember these words from Jesus out of Revelation 22:12. This is from the closing chapter of the Bible, one of the last things Jesus had to say in His Word. “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” I don’t know about you, but I want all of Jesus’ reward that I can get!
We’ve been saved by grace - aren’t you glad! When we came to Jesus for salvation, He didn’t tell us that we were too far in sin and needed to clean up first! Salvation was the last thing we deserved, but it was the only thing that was in God’s plan for us! When we were saved, it was a free gift of grace!
I am a grace man. I love the freedom we have in grace. I do everything I can to live out Ephesians 5:1 - “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” I know that my salvation was, and continues to be, a free gift of grace. I’m not striving for grace, I’m not trying to earn grace, and I refuse to forget that this grace cost God everything He had.
Having said that...I wonder sometimes why people don’t finish Paul’s thought in Ephesians 2:8 and 9. Let’s read the whole context: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Too many believers have the mindset that grace has made obedience unnecessary. What we need to realize is that we weren’t saved by works, but we were saved for works. Jesus saved us for a reason, He had things for us to do “prepared beforehand.” So, even though your salvation is absolutely free, you can’t expect to live your own life and let grace cover it. That’s not what grace is about!
Do you realize that every believer is going to stand before Jesus’ judgement seat one day? It’s true! 2 Corinthians 5:10 makes this very clear: “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Don’t be confused, this isn’t the white throne judgement of Revelation 20. That’s a judgment to decide eternal destination - that’s already decided for us! The judgement seat of Christ is to decide eternal rewards.
Pay attention to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
Jesus Christ is the author of our salvation. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection secured our place with Him in eternity. This salvation is the foundation of our new lives. But a foundation isn’t the finished project, is it? Salvation is the start, but now we must build on it. And we can see from this passage, rewards will be given based on what we do after we’re saved. I do not want to be one of those who “makes it in” to Heaven but still suffers the loss of any reward. I want my life to be worth something for the Kingdom of Heaven!
Thankfully God didn’t leave us by ourselves, to try to be obedient on our own. The very same grace that brought us into God’s kingdom also causes us to live “soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.” (Titus 2:12) We don’t have to obey God by our own strength. Paul told Timothy where his strength came from in 2 Timothy 2:1 - “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Hebrews 12:28 echoes this thought, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
Why do we serve God with fear? Let’s read 2 Corinthians 5:10 again, this time including verse 11 - “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.” The fear of the Lord comes when we realize this, everything we do in this life will be seen on our judgement day and rewarded!
Remember these words from Jesus out of Revelation 22:12. This is from the closing chapter of the Bible, one of the last things Jesus had to say in His Word. “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” I don’t know about you, but I want all of Jesus’ reward that I can get!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Preaching Tonight!
I’m so grateful for a senior pastor that trusts me enough to let me stand in his pulpit!
If you wanna watch, here’s the link:
Service starts with praise and worship @ 7pm - then an offering message by the great Pastor Bill Ellenwood II - then I’m going to be teaching on the fruit of faithfulness!
You don’t wanna miss it! (unless you have your own church service tonight - in that case, you better miss it!)
Monday, June 4, 2012
Do You Realize What You're Holding?
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
First of all, let me start with this: If you’re reading this before you’ve spent time in God’s Word, stop it right now. Don’t put it off; don’t keep reading on. First go and get your nose in the Bible for a while, then you can come back and finish this, ok?
The biggest problem the church has had in the last 200 years is the turning away from God’s Word. We simply haven’t realized what we’ve held in our hands what we’ve carried to church (or at least what we used to carry to church), and what we’ve left on the kitchen table week after week. Read John 1:1 again very slowly...do you see it? Those words on those pages are more than ink on paper....those words are God Himself, revealed to us!
You see, Jesus is the Word made flesh. But if you remember, Jesus is God! So, if Jesus is the word that became flesh and blood and dwelled among us (John 1:14), and Jesus is God Himself...what does say about that book you’ve been ignoring?
The Bible is so much more than what we’ve made it out to be! God’s exact nature is revealed to us on every page. Every time God speaks to us, works through us or meets with us - it always begins with His word! How many Christians are out there crying about wanting to hear God speak to them, yet never open His Word? Every aspiring disciple needs to remember this one thing, God always speaks to us through His Word before He speaks to us through His Spirit.
Every believer knows about the power of the name of Jesus. It’s the only name given under heaven that saves us (Acts 4:12). Hebrews 1:4 tells us that Jesus’ name is far above even the most powerful angel’s name. Philippians 2:10 goes even further and says that every knee bows itself at the name of Jesus. So we can see that His name is a very powerful thing, right? But in Psalm 138:2, David declares “For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” In God’s eyes, it is more important for a believer to hold on to His Word than it is to confess His name!
In Acts 17:28, Paul said this about God, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” But it says in Deuteronomy 8:3, “Man shall not live by bread alone but [man lives] by every Word of God.” Do you see this? God’s own life-giving attributes are in our hands when we hold our Bible!
Just look at what Psalm 119 says about the Bible. It cleanses us (verse 9). It frees us from sin (verse 11). It revives us (verse 25). It strengthens us (verse 28). It establishes us (verse 38). It gives us every answer (verse 42). It comforts us (verse 50). It gives us mercy (verse 58). It guides us (verse 105). It gives us hope (verse 114). It gives us understanding (verse 130). It brings joy (verse 162). Do you realize what that book you’re holding is?
I don’t think we get this yet. God’s Word is more than letters written on paper - it’s alive. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The reason this Book is more than any other book is because it’s not some lifeless thing - it is a living Spirit! Look at what Jesus said in John 6:63: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
We started by reading in John 1:1 that the Word is God. What we need to see is that, while Jesus is God’s Word in human flesh, the Bible is God’s Word in written form. They both have the same nature! Jesus is God the Son, but He is also God the Word! This is why Jesus could say John 14:15, “If you love me, keep (hold to, cling to, never let go of) My commands.” Those two - Jesus and His commands - are one!
This is extremely important for every believer to understand, the way you treat your Bible is the way you’re treating God! The believer who lives his life in God’s Word - reading, studying, meditating and guiding his decisions by it - is living in a close relationship with God! But the believer who forgets about his Bible, never opens it just to read, leaves it sitting on the table from Sunday to Sunday is neglecting the very One he’s claiming to serve. Think about this - do you realize that your relationship with the words on those pages equals your relationship with God Himself?
Psalm 50:16-18 - Message Bible
"What are you up to, quoting My laws,
talking like we are good friends?
You never answer the door when I call;
you treat My Word like garbage.”
First of all, let me start with this: If you’re reading this before you’ve spent time in God’s Word, stop it right now. Don’t put it off; don’t keep reading on. First go and get your nose in the Bible for a while, then you can come back and finish this, ok?
The biggest problem the church has had in the last 200 years is the turning away from God’s Word. We simply haven’t realized what we’ve held in our hands what we’ve carried to church (or at least what we used to carry to church), and what we’ve left on the kitchen table week after week. Read John 1:1 again very slowly...do you see it? Those words on those pages are more than ink on paper....those words are God Himself, revealed to us!
You see, Jesus is the Word made flesh. But if you remember, Jesus is God! So, if Jesus is the word that became flesh and blood and dwelled among us (John 1:14), and Jesus is God Himself...what does say about that book you’ve been ignoring?
The Bible is so much more than what we’ve made it out to be! God’s exact nature is revealed to us on every page. Every time God speaks to us, works through us or meets with us - it always begins with His word! How many Christians are out there crying about wanting to hear God speak to them, yet never open His Word? Every aspiring disciple needs to remember this one thing, God always speaks to us through His Word before He speaks to us through His Spirit.
Every believer knows about the power of the name of Jesus. It’s the only name given under heaven that saves us (Acts 4:12). Hebrews 1:4 tells us that Jesus’ name is far above even the most powerful angel’s name. Philippians 2:10 goes even further and says that every knee bows itself at the name of Jesus. So we can see that His name is a very powerful thing, right? But in Psalm 138:2, David declares “For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” In God’s eyes, it is more important for a believer to hold on to His Word than it is to confess His name!
In Acts 17:28, Paul said this about God, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” But it says in Deuteronomy 8:3, “Man shall not live by bread alone but [man lives] by every Word of God.” Do you see this? God’s own life-giving attributes are in our hands when we hold our Bible!
Just look at what Psalm 119 says about the Bible. It cleanses us (verse 9). It frees us from sin (verse 11). It revives us (verse 25). It strengthens us (verse 28). It establishes us (verse 38). It gives us every answer (verse 42). It comforts us (verse 50). It gives us mercy (verse 58). It guides us (verse 105). It gives us hope (verse 114). It gives us understanding (verse 130). It brings joy (verse 162). Do you realize what that book you’re holding is?
I don’t think we get this yet. God’s Word is more than letters written on paper - it’s alive. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The reason this Book is more than any other book is because it’s not some lifeless thing - it is a living Spirit! Look at what Jesus said in John 6:63: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
We started by reading in John 1:1 that the Word is God. What we need to see is that, while Jesus is God’s Word in human flesh, the Bible is God’s Word in written form. They both have the same nature! Jesus is God the Son, but He is also God the Word! This is why Jesus could say John 14:15, “If you love me, keep (hold to, cling to, never let go of) My commands.” Those two - Jesus and His commands - are one!
This is extremely important for every believer to understand, the way you treat your Bible is the way you’re treating God! The believer who lives his life in God’s Word - reading, studying, meditating and guiding his decisions by it - is living in a close relationship with God! But the believer who forgets about his Bible, never opens it just to read, leaves it sitting on the table from Sunday to Sunday is neglecting the very One he’s claiming to serve. Think about this - do you realize that your relationship with the words on those pages equals your relationship with God Himself?
Psalm 50:16-18 - Message Bible
"What are you up to, quoting My laws,
talking like we are good friends?
You never answer the door when I call;
you treat My Word like garbage.”
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