TODAY’S DAILY READING:Job 1-2  & 1 Corinthians 8

Old Testament: Job 1= For Nothing

Job 1:9-10
“So Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.’”

Job is described as the greatest man in all the East. His greatness was measured by his success and his character. He is described as a man… Read More

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 8- Liberty

1 Corinthians 8:13
“Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

One of the controversies the Church in Corinth faced had to do with diet. Animals were offered to pagan gods, then the meat was sold at the local butcher shops. This created a real problem for… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Esther 9-10 & 1 Corinthians 7

Old Testament: Esther 9- Purim

Esther 9:26
“So they called these days Purim, after the name Pur.”

Feasts were an important part of Israel’s annual worship. In the Law, God established seven feasts which occurred during three different seasons of their calendar year. These feasts were a reminder… Read More

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 7- Relationships

1 Corinthians 7:2
“A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.”

The Corinthian Christians wrote a letter to Paul asking him some basic questions about how to live out their… Read More

Esther 10:3
“For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.”

Psalms 75:6-7
For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another.

The book of Esther illustrates this point in a graphic way. We read of how Esther and her uncle Mordecai were exalted from obscurity to places of position, power and influence. We see not only that their exaltation came from the Lord but also how they used their position to honor the Lord. Esther used her influence to provide a way for her people to be saved and Mordecai used his to seek their good and their peace.

Whatever station we have in life we should see it as from the Lord. Our position gives us unique opportunities to influence others. Your job may have you working with a backslidden person whose family has been praying for them for years. While you have been wishing for a new position, that family has been praying diligently for the Lord to bring a godly, loving believer into their son or daughter’s life. You are the believer they have been praying for! Your position allows you access into a life that no one else has.

You may be a stay at home mom. Sometimes you wonder if what you are doing really matters. You might feel like you are living out Groundhog Day because everyday seems the same. You feed the kids, dress the kids, feed the kids, pick up after the kids, referee fights between the kids, put the kids to bed and start the cycle over the next morning. It is important to see your position as from the Lord. You have the unique opportunity to train your children in the ways of God. They will learn how to love, follow and serve Jesus by watching you. Your spiritual habits will one day be reflected in their lives.

Let’s seek to use whatever position we have been given as a means to enhance the spiritual well being of those around us. Who knows how greatly your life might impact that of another.

Pastor Jim

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Esther 7-8  & 1 Corinthians 6

Old Testament: Esther 7- Mind The Gap

Esther 7:3
“Then Queen Esther answered and said, ‘If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.’”

When the chance arose for Esther to make her request known to the king, she pleaded on the behalf of others. This is… Read More

 

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 6- Filter

1 Corinthians 6:12
“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

There are certain things that God’s Word clearly encourages, and other things that are clearly condemned. Earlier in the chapter, Paul gave a list of actions… Read More

Esther 8:9-10
“So the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds.”

The book of Esther records how the lives of the Jewish people were in great danger. Haman, one of the highest ranking officials in Persia had enacted a law that allowed the Persian people to kill the Jews and confiscate their land. As the day in which this law would be set in motion quickly approached Esther and her uncle Mordecai realized they must act quickly. They consulted the king and he allowed them to forge another law that would counteract the first one. This law allowed the Jewish people to arm themselves and gather together to resist anyone who tried to come against them. Once this law was set in motion proclaiming it to others became their number one priority. They sought to translate it in every language and send it out using every modern means available to them.

It is not difficult to see a parallel between Esther’s situation and the call of God upon the church today. The Bible teaches us that because of sin the whole world sits under the judgment of the God. But there is another law that was enacted at the cross. This law states that anyone who trusts Christ will have their sins forgiven and be saved from judgment. It is his message that has been given to the church as a whole and to the individual Christian. Like Esther and her team we must seek to use every method available to us to proclaim this message as quickly as we can. In Paul’s day he traveled across the land on the Roman highways and over the seas using their shipping lanes. When he could not make a personal visit, he wrote letters and sent them through the hands of couriers. All of this was an expression of seeking to take the gospel as far as he could as fast as he could using each and every means available to him.

Today we have platforms for proclaiming the gospel that no one could have ever imagined. The internet and social media, remove borders and allow the gospel to be heralded like never before. A message proclaimed from our living room has the potential to reach the world. In light of this I think we should consider at least three things. First, how are we using our resources to help support the proclamation of the gospel? Second, how are we using our social media platforms? Are they simply a way for us to show off how great our life is, what we had for lunch or to ramble about how dissatisfied we are with the politics? Or do we see them as a way to be a witness to others? Finally, we need to realize that although these are methods for proclaiming the gospel, they do not replace the one on one, face to face sharing Jesus with others. God gives us open doors into the lives of others so we can win them to Christ and help them grow. Continue to pray and look for opportunities to impact others for the kingdom of God.

Time is running out

Jim