July 2023

 

Destiny

  July 19, 2023
  Daily Reading – Esther 1-4 / Acts 16:25-40

 GOD’S WORD:

Esther 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        What is your destiny? That might be considered a tough one for us to answer. Some might even say that it would depend a little bit on how old we are at the time we are asked that question. If you are getting up in years, you might say my destiny is to retire and enjoy what years of life I have left here on this earth. While, if you are a younger person, you might say you are not sure what your destiny in life is. You have not settled yet on a career. I do understand those answers, however it does not really answer the question. What is your density. Esther faced this dilemma and had to face her real destiny. 

        All the Jewish people had been condemned to die at Haman’s decree, by permission of the King. This left the King’s wife in a tough spot. She was a Jew, but the King did not know it. Now her cousin Mordecai who raised her, is asking her to go before the king and ask for this decree to be lifted. The first problem is, no one, not even the Queen is allowed to just go talk to the king without an invitation. If the King does not approve of your visit, you may be put to death. The second problem is, she will have to tell the King that she is also a Jew. Again, because of the decree, she could be put to death. Her cousin says this might be the reason God has you here at this time as queen. This might be your destiny. Still, Esther deals with the true destiny of us all. She said, “If I perish, I perish.” You see, we will all face this final destiny of death. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        What you do here on earth is not truly your destiny. It is a calling. Your destiny is the same as everyone else. Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” That is the destiny we all face.

Are you prepared for that destiny?

Declaration

  July 18, 2023
  Daily Reading – Neh. 13 / Acts 16:1-24

 GOD’S WORD:

Nehemiah 13:22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Nehemiah was a man of his word. Back in Nehemiah 2:6, when he asked the king for permission to go a build the walls around Jerusalem, King Artaxerxes asked, “…For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.” We are not told then exactly how long the time set would be. However, in the last chapter of Nehemiah we find that he had kept his word. In Nehemiah 13:6 it says, “But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:” It was a declaration of honesty on his part, and a testimony of the God he served to the world around him.

        When he returned to Jerusalem, things were already in a mess. People were not worshiping in the temple they had built. Instead, they were buying and selling on the Sabbath. The priest who was to conduct the worship had gown back to work in the fields because no one was bringing in the offerings they had promised that was used to support the work. Some people had married outside their faith again, not heeding the laws of God. When Nehemiah returned, he took firm action to rectify all these situations. It was a declaration of integrity on his part before God, and a testimony of the God he served to Israel. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        What kind of declaration are we making with our lives? Does the world around us see our trust in the God we claim to serve. Do people in general see us as honest and people of integrity? Our lives all declare something to someone, whether we mean to or not.

What does your life declare?

 

Dedication

  July 17, 2023
  Daily Reading – Neh. 11-12 / Acts 15:28-41

 GOD’S WORD:

Nehemiah 12:27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        WOW! Does that not sound like an exciting and joyful time? Read today’s verse again. This dedication was going to be the event everyone would want to be at. They got some really good Spiritual leaders to lead in worship, to offer up prayers, to sing and play instruments. It sounds like this dedication stuff is exciting. They are celebrating the walls being built again that protects the city and the place of worship to their God. These are not just any old walls. These walls are being dedicated to serve the Lord, His people, and His cause. There were walls all over the world. However, these walls were different. They were there for the express purpose of serving God and his people. What a time of rejoicing this dedication would be.

        How wonderful would it be if Christians became that excited about dedicating their lives to the Lord? There would be this joyful worship of the God they are called to serve. Exuberant prayers of praise and joy would be offered to Him, as He joins them daily in ministry. Christian music would be played daily over and over again. Singing would fill each heart and flow from them like the air they breathe. Sure, there are people everywhere, but Christian people are different. Their lives and purpose are to serve the Lord with joy and gladness. These are not just people. These are people dedicated to lifting up the name of Jesus in all they do. What a time of rejoicing this dedication should be. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        As Dedicated Christians we should live out Ps. 100:1-2 which says, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” Dedication should be a daily cause for rejoicing.

Are you joyfully dedicated?

 

 Creation’s Foundational

 July 15 & 16, 2023
 July 15 – Daily Reading – Neh. 9-10 / Acts 15:1-27
 July 16 – NO READING

 GOD’S WORD:

Nehemiah 9:6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        When thinking about God’s authority over our lives, where do we begin? We might begin on the day that we realized our sinfulness and cried out to this Holy, merciful God to save us, and He did. On that day, we turned all our future over to Him, and gave Him authority over the paths of our lives. Yet, God’s authority over us goes back further than that. We might even go back to the day of our birth. When God gave us physical life, He also gave with that life the option of eternal life through His Son Jesus. Job realized this as it says in Job 1:21 “And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” However, God’s authority stretches further back than that. 

        When the children of Israel were finally back in Jerusalem, things became pretty clear to them. God brought them from Egypt to a land He had promised to Abraham many hundreds of years before. God had fought for them, sustained them, blessed them, and been merciful toward them. It was their sin that caused God to remove them from this promised land. Still, in this chapter they begin their prayer where they see God’s authority begin. He is, “Lord alone.” All of everything is His. Creation is foundational to His authority over everything and everyone. It was then, it is today, and will be throughout eternity. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        I like how Paul said it in Eph. 2:10 where he says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” If we walk according to His design, life is just better.

How is your walk with Him?

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

      Life is just so much better when we remain Clearly Focused on God. The people of Israel saw this in:

  ● Counterfeit Friends
  ● Confused Faithfulness
  ● Contagious Following
  ● Conscious Free
  ● Considered Fortunate
  ● Creation’s Foundational

      With all that is happening in the world around us, it is good to know there is peace of heart and mind still available if we will remain Clearly Focused on God.

       Enjoy today with your church and hear what God has prepared in the heart of His man for you this week.

   See you tomorrow.  

 SUNDAYS:

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

Clearly Focused

 

Considered Fortunate

  July 14, 2023
  Daily Reading – Neh. 7-8 / Acts 14

 GOD’S WORD:

Nehemiah 8:12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        While the children of Israel had been in captivity for seventy plus years, they were taught to use the Aramaic language used by the Babylonians and the Persians. They had stopped using the Hebrew language, in which the Books of the Law were written, for daily conversation. So when Ezra stood to read the Books of the Law, not everyone understood all the wording. In Nehemiah 8:9 it says, “And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.” Once they understood what was said, verse 12 says they were rejoicing, “because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.” They considered themselves so fortunate to have the words of God, that verse 13 says the family’s fathers and the leadership came back the next day for more. Not only did they read it, but also did what it said.

      With all the arguing today over the different versions of the Bible, do we ever stop and just consider ourselves fortunate to even have the very words of God to read, and to study. The Jewish scholars still have those first five books in their original language. Yet, there are sixty-one more books following them we have today.

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Most people know, I use the King James Bible. I am old and still believe it is the closest Bible we have to the original manuscripts in the English language. That said, I consider people fortunate today to have God’s Word so readily available to read.

Do you consider yourself fortunate?