Pacified By Freedom

 April 12
 Daily Reading – Judges 3-5 / Luke 11:1-28

GOD SAID:

Judges 3:30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     Binky, Nuggie, Woo-Woo, Silencer, are a few of the many names used for a pacifier. That wonderful invention that causes the baby to stop crying for a while when placed in their mouth. It will not work long if a baby is really hungry or needs their diaper changed. However, there are many times a baby does not know what it wants, it just wants something. The pacifier seems to fit that need. Many times giving the baby a pacifier will even allow them to be lulled into sleep.

    The Children of Israel, who really acted more like the babies of Israel, were pacified with rest. God had handed Israel’s freedom over to several opposing nations. He did this it says in Judges 3:4 to see if Israel would learn to listen and obey the commands He had given their nations years before. In Judges 3:9 it says the children of Israel cried out to the Lord because of this oppression. This happens several times throughout the book of Judges. Each time God raises up a Judge to deliver them from their situation. Whenever they regain their freedom it says something like; “and the land had rest,” and it tells the number of years. During this time of rest, Israel had the freedom to make a choice. Follow and obey God and be blessed, or repeat this ridiculous trial yet another time. Over, and over again we see the years of peace and quiet lull Israel into going back and repeating their evil ways against the Lord. How soon we forget, freedom is never free, and sin is always sin.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

     As Christians, we’re free to live however we WANT TO. That freedom was purchased by Christ at Calvary. However, if we’re really saved, our “WANT TO” should have changed. The bible says we are New Creatures and old things have passed away.

Has freedom lulled you into old sins?

 

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

Playing With Fire

 April 11
 Daily Reading – Judges 1-2 / Luke 10:25-42

GOD SAID:

Judges 2:2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     Every major forest fire begins with a spark. On occasion they’ve been started by what’s called natural causes such as lightening. Very few ignite by spontaneous combustion. The majority of fires are caused by man. Most of which are not set ablaze on purpose. What’s considered to be the number one cause is carelessness. A cigarette tossed near dry vegetation. Camp fires that are not extinguished completely. Someone burning debris and it gets out of control. Once a blaze has begun, it’s often impossible to stop. Many times firefighters will create an area around the fire where there’s no trees or grass to burn called a firebreak, and will let the fire burn itself out.

    In Deut. 7:1-6 the children of Israel were told to go through the land, destroy all the idols, and drive all the inhabitants off the land. They were also warned by God what would happen if they did not. Yet, when faced with the task of obeying God, they chose what seemed easy over what was right. In Judges 1 we read over and again how they allowed many of the nations to stay. It says they made them tributaries. In other words they collected taxes from them. They thought if they took some of that money and gave it to God, it would be ok. However, it was not ok with God. By the time of New Testament, Israel finds themselves in the same situation only reversed with Rome. Not obeying God is like playing with fire. Someones going to get burned.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  Nothings changed about obeying God. Many today play in the world feeling there’s no problem. Yet in 2 Cor. 6:17 God says; “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate..” What we feel we get by with, may one day enslave our children.

Is playing with sin worth it?

 

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

Portrait Of Fear

 April 10
 Daily Reading – Joshua 23-24 / Luke 10:1-24

GOD SAID:

Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     What would be a good portrait of fear? I guess that depends on how you describe that fear. When I worked in the warehouse, we had storage racks with skids of boxes on them. Once while working on one side of the racks, I saw another guy getting ready to reach into the area I was already in from the other side of that rack. When he bent down and reached in I made a growling sound like a mad dog. He jumped back, and let out a high-pitched scream. That might be what many picture as fear. However, many times at church, I will see people bending a knee in prayer to the Lord, or lifting their voices in praise to Him in song. This is also a picture of fear.

    In Joshua 24:14 Joshua tells the people; “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.” This verse tells us how to fear the Lord. We should not live afraid of a loving God. However, we should have a reverent respect of who He is and His authority. I’m not afraid of walking near a semi-truck, but I don’t stand in front of one going 60 MPH. Joshua says, serve God with sincerity and truth. That means willingly. Because you want to, not because you have to. He also said put away all other gods. You can’t serve the world and God. The portrait becomes very clear with; “Serve ye the LORD.” 

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  The portrait of fear that the world needs to see is an undivided Holy respect for this awesome loving God. Respect for His word by living it out. Respect for our worship with adoration for His love through Christ.

What portrait of love for a Holy God does the world see through you?

 

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

Promised Our Fathers

 April 9
 Daily Reading – Joshua 21-22 / Luke 9:27-62

GOD SAID:

Joshua 21:43 And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     Over the years I have had people say things to me about my dad. They have told me about his fairness, about his work ethic, and about him being an honest man who kept his word. People, for the most part seemed to like my dad. My dad’s good name opened several doors for me in life. Who he was, is who people assumed I would be as well. I have tried to live up to that and leave a good name for my children also. However, that has not always been true. For a time in my younger years, I didn’t value the heritage of a good family name. I, like many others, thought that I was going to do it all on my own. Be my own man. Carve my own path. While it’s true that my dad and I are different in many ways, it’s also true that I am blessed because of who he was. A good family heritage is of great value.

    As we move toward the end of the book of Joshua we see that the land God had promised to Israel is now theirs. God has kept His word, as we all know, He always does. However, this did not begin with Joshua. It didn’t begin with Moses. It began with a promise that God had made to their fathers. It was the faith of Abraham in God’s word that earned them this heritage. This heritage was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There was a delay in receiving that land because of their sinfulness. Yet even the sins of an entire nation of people could not stop God from fulfilling His promise to their fathers. He promised!

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  God always completes what He sets out to do. What a blessed assurance we have in His promises of old. Phil. 1:6 says; “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

Has God began a work in you?

 

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

Putting Others First

 April 8
 Daily Reading – Joshua 18-20 / Luke 9:1-26

GOD SAID:

Joshua 19:49 When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them: 

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     It never dawned on me what was going on as a little boy. I always just saw my mom scooping food on mine and my sister’s plate. I wasn’t really paying attention to mom and dad eating, I was hungry and all I cared about was me! However, as I got older I noticed that my mom would always stay busy helping us get our food and moving food from the stove to the table, until everyone had something on their plate. Then she would sit down and get her servings. There was always enough, but mom always made sure everyone else was fed first. It really wasn’t a self-sacrificing or self-aggrandizing effort. She just genuinely cared for others first.

    Joshua has been busy over the last few chapters. He has been making sure that each and every tribe of Israel had received all that they needed and were awarded by God. I really don’t think He was putting himself last as some self-sacrificing or a “look at how humble I am,” sort of gesture. I really believe he cared for those people and wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of. Yet we find when it was all said and done, the Lord had kept a certain area set aside just for Joshua. It was the area he originally wanted. In the new testament Jesus mentions this same characteristic to the disciples when He said in, Matthew 19:30 “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” If we put others first, God will watch over us.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

  Jesus had that attitude toward us. Paul wrote of it in Phil. 2:5 when He said; “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Jesus put us first when took our sin upon Himself. Then it says in vs 9 that God highly exalted Him.

How might you put others first today?

 

     
Living In His Word Ministries
    “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12