There are many things that we can see are lacking in the lives of many professed believers. Things that if they were changed would bring revolution to the body of Christ.
Today I would like to look at the word of God, and how it should be valued by we who believe in Jesus Christ.
Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11 NASB
My soul is crushed with longing after Your ordinances at all times.
Psalm 119:20 NASB
I shall delight in Your commandments, which I love.
Psalm 119:47 NASB
Therefore I love your commandments above gold, yes, above fine gold.
Psalm 119:127 NASB
To treasure something is to place a high value upon it. Thing of the things that you value. Think about how much you are willing to spend on something, how desperate you are to get something, how carefully you keep and protect the things that you treasure.
Now ask yourself this. Do I treat the word of God in this same way? Do I highly esteem it? Do I long for it in the same way I long for things, do I spend as much time in it and meditating on it as I do other things that I love?
I would dare to say that many if not most of us would find that our televisions, computers, homes and vehicles, hobbies, and entertainment hold a higher place of value in our hearts than the word of God! It is no wonder that we see so much weakness and compromise within the professing body of Christ today!
If we do not value God's word above the things of this world, I would venture to say that we also do not value God above all either!
To place a proper value upon the word, we must first esteem God above all. The psalmist said " With all my heart I have sought You. Do not let me wander from your commandments" (Psalm 119:10 NASB). If we love God, truly love Him as our highest treasure, we will naturally love and cherish His word. It is His revelation of Himself to us. By it we learn how We can be reconciled to Him, how we can please Him, and how we can avoid offending Him.
This is worth so much more than gold or material possessions. It is worth so much more than our hobbies and entertainment. If we can spend hours watching Hollywood entertainers, and sports figures, who are embroiled in scandals, but cannot spend more than a few minutes in the Bible, something is wrong with our love for Christ. It is growing cold, if not dead!
Repent, and return to how it was when you first trusted Christ (Rev 2:5). We must make Christ our all, and value His word accordingly! Put aside all that hinders, and pursue Him! Get into the word of God, and treat it as the word of God. It is to be taken in, meditated upon, and obeyed. It is worth more than anything else you possess. Time spent in it is far more valuable than time wasted in vain pursuits.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Contending for the Faith: Repentance.
Contending for the Faith: Repentance.: Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here He stayed and many people cam...
Monday, September 8, 2014
Our God Is A Consuming Fire.
Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:28-29 NASB
Friday, September 5, 2014
Longing For the Presence of God.
Are you stuck in a spiritual rut? Are you tired of the same old religious way of doing things? Is your Christianity empty? Does it leave you with an aching void?
I believe countless numbers of people can relate to questions like these. They believe in Christ, they go to church, they call themselves Christians, but they are empty.
Look at the very beginning. Adam and Eve fellowshipped with God. It was sin, their disobedience that caused them to hide from His presence (Genesis 3:8). God's presence was with the nation of Israel in a pillar of fire by night, and a cloud by day (Exodus 13:21). He met with Moses at the tent of meeting (Exodus 33:9-11).
When the Israelites made the golden calf and worshipped it, God was angered and threatened to destroy them. Moses intervened on their behalf and God spared them, however He would not go with them any longer. His presence meant so much to Moses, that if God would not go with them, it was over! They would not go (Exodus 33:15-16).
Throughout the history of Israel God's presence was with them, symbolized by the ark of testimony, which was placed in the most holy place. It was only when they turned from God to worship idols that He departed from them (Ezekiel 10:18-19). The glory of God filled the tent of meeting in the wilderness. It also filled the temple in the days of Solomon (2 Chronicles 7:1-2).
This is what was important! This is what really mattered. The presence of God, the manifestation of His glory, in the midst of His people. Without this everything else was really meaningless. Worship was empty. The rituals were only rituals.
This is what we need today! Worship is empty, sermons are dry, religious things are meaningless without the presence of God in our midst!
We need to get back to the worship of God in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). The way to the most holy place has been opened for us (Hebrews 10:19-25). We can enter into the very presence of God. We can daily live in His presence as we live each moment of every day in His strength and for His glory.
Knowing and serving Christ was never meant to be empty and dry. It is a vibrant life full of purpose and joy, as we go on in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
I believe countless numbers of people can relate to questions like these. They believe in Christ, they go to church, they call themselves Christians, but they are empty.
Look at the very beginning. Adam and Eve fellowshipped with God. It was sin, their disobedience that caused them to hide from His presence (Genesis 3:8). God's presence was with the nation of Israel in a pillar of fire by night, and a cloud by day (Exodus 13:21). He met with Moses at the tent of meeting (Exodus 33:9-11).
When the Israelites made the golden calf and worshipped it, God was angered and threatened to destroy them. Moses intervened on their behalf and God spared them, however He would not go with them any longer. His presence meant so much to Moses, that if God would not go with them, it was over! They would not go (Exodus 33:15-16).
Throughout the history of Israel God's presence was with them, symbolized by the ark of testimony, which was placed in the most holy place. It was only when they turned from God to worship idols that He departed from them (Ezekiel 10:18-19). The glory of God filled the tent of meeting in the wilderness. It also filled the temple in the days of Solomon (2 Chronicles 7:1-2).
This is what was important! This is what really mattered. The presence of God, the manifestation of His glory, in the midst of His people. Without this everything else was really meaningless. Worship was empty. The rituals were only rituals.
This is what we need today! Worship is empty, sermons are dry, religious things are meaningless without the presence of God in our midst!
We need to get back to the worship of God in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). The way to the most holy place has been opened for us (Hebrews 10:19-25). We can enter into the very presence of God. We can daily live in His presence as we live each moment of every day in His strength and for His glory.
Knowing and serving Christ was never meant to be empty and dry. It is a vibrant life full of purpose and joy, as we go on in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Following Judah's Lion: THE HOLY GOD
Following Judah's Lion: THE HOLY GOD: THE HOLY GOD A pastor is a spiritual shepherd who feeds and protects the sheep. Joel and Victoria Osteen claim to be pastors bu...
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Contending for the Faith: The fear of the Lord.
Contending for the Faith: The fear of the Lord.: We are told in the scriptures, that the fear of the Lord is the begining of wisdom (Prov 1:7). The concept of fear takes on several mea...
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