Weekend Review

October 31 & November 1, 2020

Proverbs 26:20

Where no wood is,
there the fire goeth out:
so where there is no talebearer,
the strife ceaseth.

Work Week Devotions
Through the Book of Proverbs

      As you know by now, with WORK WEEK DEVOTIONS, we only publish our Devotional Thoughts on Monday – Friday. On Saturday we suggest you re-read the entire chapter we have been studying this past week, and if we will be going into the following chapter the next week, we encourage you to read that chapter as well.       

There are never Devotions on Sunday. 

Thank you for joining us as we
journey together
Through Proverbs in 2020.

WEEK 43 – Day 6

     On Saturday, we suggest you re-read the Proverb we have written from this past week and the week to come.

Proverbs 26-27

WEEK 43 – Day 7

     Today we suggest you read and study whatever the Lord has laid on your Pastor’s heart. Whatever Scripture he uses for today’s messages were given to him by God for your specific needs.

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS

November 2, 2020    John 8     –   John 10        Proverbs 27:1 – 3
November 3, 2020    John 11   –   John 12        Proverbs 27:4 – 6
November 4, 2020    John 13   –   John 15        Proverbs 27:7 – 10
November 5, 2020    John 16   –   John 18        Proverbs 27:11 – 13
November 6, 2020    John 19   –   John 21        Proverbs 27:14 – 17
November 7, 2020    Proverbs 27 – 28                    
November 8, 2020   No Passages Assigned    

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY

November 2, 2020     Jeremiah 32-34             Philemon
November 3, 2020     Jeremiah 35-37             Hebrews 1-2
November 4, 2020     Jeremiah 38-41             Hebrews 3
November 5, 2020     Jeremiah 42-45             Hebrews 4-5
November 6, 2020     Jeremiah 46-48             Hebrews 6
November 7, 2020     Jeremiah 49-50             Hebrews 7
November 8, 2020   No Passages Assigned

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY

October 31, 2020       Jeremiah 30-31              Titus 2-3
November 1, 2020   No Passages Assigned

Do You Smell Like Smoke?

October 30, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 26:23-28 Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     How many of you are campers? You just love to get out there, set up a tent, or drags your RV or trailer out and go camping. I will have to admit that my idea of roughing it is being booked into the sixth floor of a motel and finding out that the elevator has quit working. The great outdoorsman I am not.

     I do love to sit by a campfire and visit others though. I have one problem. Whenever I get near enough to the fire to melt chocolate and marshmallows together on a gram cracker, no matter how hard I try to find which way the wind is blowing, I always seem to attract the smoke from the fire. If I move, it follows me. My eyes burn and water, and I cannot see a thing. What started out sounding like fun ends up more like torture.

     Our verses today give several comparisons of what it is like to be around a person who is deceitful. Verse 23 says, “Like a potsherd covered with silver dross.” A potsherd is cheap clay or earthen vessel. The silver dross is the scum that forms on the surface of the molten metal pot. It may appear silver, but it is as phony and worthless as the pot it covers. Verse 25 says, “When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.” Simply stated, there are more lies where that one came from. However, as I come to verse 27 it reminded me of the smoke that follow you at a campfire when it said, “he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.” Just like the smoke that follows you, burns your eyes, and causes discomfort, so is a friendship with a dishonest person. They are just not a joy to be around. You can never be sure of anything they say. Most others know of their lying ways and do not want to be around them either. It is just like that smoke; you just do not want to be there.

         
THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     Friendships are important. However, a bad friendship can do more harm than good. It becomes like the stone rolling back to crush us, or the smoke that follows us around. Pray for them, love them, witness to them, but do not hang around them. If you hang around the fire too long, soon you smell like smoke.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  October 30, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  John 6 – 7    / Proverbs 26:23-28

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Jeremiah 26-29          /   Titus 1

Living In His Word Ministries

Do They Need Your Help?

October 29, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 26:17-22 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears. As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, So is the man that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport? Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     “Keep to yourself and mind your own business.” I can remember my dad telling me those words time and time again. I guess he had to keep telling me because I didn’t seem to listen well the first time. Most often, I would find him telling me this for the umpteenth time right after I had stuck my nose into yet one more situation in which I really had no business.

     It just seems to me that all too often, when trying to help two people out of tense situation with one another, before long they are both friends again, but for some reason one or both of them have turned on you! Why, could it be that they never asked for any help? Could it be that a nose once again was somewhere it did not have any business? Well, probably.

     That is what our verses today are saying. They are not saying we should not help if asked to help. However, sticking our nose in where it does not belong is wrong.

     Solomon said it like this. “He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.” In other words, it will usually come back to bite you.

     I always wondered how my dad got so smart. Maybe he remembered these verses from  Proverbs. Watch out where you stick your nose, you might get it bitten off! 

     
THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     The Bible tells us as Christians to help one another, and if possible, to keep a brother or sister from falling into sin. However, it also says to do so in truth, and in love. Before we get involved in a problem, we should be sure to get God involved. It just might be, with a little patience and prayer, God will do it alone. If He needs our help, He will let us know.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  October 29, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  John 4 – 5      /    Proverbs 26:17-22

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Jeremiah 23-25           /   2 Timothy 3-4

Living In His Word Ministries

Groundhog Day

October 28, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 26:14-16 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed. The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

     I once watched a movie called, “Groundhog Day.” In this movie, what seemingly was the worst day of this Anchorman’s life, started over every single day. The alarm would go off at the same time, the same song played on the radio, and everything was the same. However, he was the only one who knew it.

     After a few days of this repetition and no one believing or remembering the next day what had happened, he decided to make the best of it. He asked a certain girl questions one day, and then used the information to impress her the next day. He used every bit of yesterday to help him have a better tomorrow. What seemed to be the worst day of his life, turned out to be a day he looked forward to, as every morning for him began brand new. However, not one other person changed a thing unless he was involved in their life and made a change happen. The following day those people would go back to doing exactly what happened on the first day if he did not get involved again.

     We all know people just like that. They live the same life day after day, never changing anything. They keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Why do they do that?

     The Bible says these people continually go back to their old ways. “As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.” Nevertheless, we do not have to live that way. God can change our life and make all things new. We also know people who take their yesterdays and use what they have learned to have a better tomorrow. They are excited to see what tomorrow may bring. They anxiously waiting to see how God will use them the next day. Question is, into which group do you fall?

     
THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

     For those of us who know Christ, every day should be a new day filled with anticipation of what God will do with us today. It is a brand-new day given to us by God. Let’s use what we learned in the past, to live a better life for the Him today.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  October 28, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  John 1 – 3    / Proverbs 26:14-16

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Jeremiah 20-22           /   2 Timothy 1-2

Living In His Word Ministries

Sitting In The Garage

October 27, 2020

DAILY PROVERBS:

Proverbs 26:11-13 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him. The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

OUTLOOK ON THE IN BOOK:

         One of the saddest phenomena’s in the world today is the rotating doors of the church. As I have been blessed and given the opportunity to speak in several churches over the years, I am often saddened to hear of people who once appeared to be so on fire for God, now are back living in the world.

      In the church I pastor, and in churches all across America we find the same thing happening time and again. You will see someone come to the church, get all excited about being there with so many loving people, join everything they can join, and do all types of great work in the church. They talk the talk of the born-again and go to every function that comes along. Then, some little detail of church or outside influence comes their way, and off they go back into the world, living as they did before they came to church.

     Ask them are they saved, and they say, “Oh yes, I’m saved. I remember the date.” However, salvation is not a date, and is not some magic words you once said. Salvation is a real relationship with the Jesus Christ. Once you have a that relationship with Him, the world’s sinfulness will taste bad.

      The Bible says a dog returns to his vomit, and a fool to his folly. The lost will always long for the world, but when a person is really saved, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Some say the people who go back into the world have lost their salvation. Friend, you cannot lose what you most likely never had.

     
THE WORD WALKING IN ME:

       Enjoying church fellowship does not save you anymore than sitting in a garage makes you a car. True Christianity is not about fellowship, it’s about relationship. A real relationship with Jesus will make you desire the church fellowship. Do you have a relationship with Jesus or just a membership with church?

GOD TALKING TO ME:  October 27, 2020

THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH DAILY PROVERBS
  Luke 23 – 24    /    Proverbs 26:11-13

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
  Jeremiah 16-19     /   1 Timothy 6

Living In His Word Ministries