September 2023

Love Or Neglect?

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
Daily Reading – Pro. 12-13 / 1 Cor. 16

GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        In my personal library is a book written by H. A. Ironside in 1907 called “Notes On Proverbs.” In my copy, published in Feb. 1946, on page 154 Dr. Ironside makes this statement when writing about Prov. 13:24; Quote; “It is not love, but the lack of it, that leaves a child to himself; to develop unchecked, tendencies and propensities which shall result in future sorrow. Ours is a day of great laxity on this point. The coming generation will reap the bitter fruit of the absence of restraint and the evident aversion to chastening, so manifest in the majority of homes.” End quote. This statement was made over one hundred years ago. I ask you to consider, was he right? 

        When people think they have a better way than God’s way, they are in essence saying God is wrong. Today we have a nation full of “me first” adults who have gotten their way for so long they believe this is how it should be. No one wants to tell anyone they might be wrong. If you do, they pout like a two-year old who never learned to handle reproof.

        God’s ways have always been correct. Any correction handed out by God is done in love for the benefit of the one He is correcting. That is the part missing from most corrections today. It is not done out of love, but rather to punish them for interrupting the adult’s life. Correction must be done with love for the child, trying to help them. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        There is a huge difference between correction and child abuse. We ought never allow or be part of child abuse. However, often by NOT making children mind, we are abusing them even more. True love will manifest itself in many ways.

Is letting a child run wild love or neglect?

Look Again!

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
Daily Reading – Pro. 10-11 / 1 Cor. 15

GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 11:22 As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        I was walking down the street the other day and saw a woman walking her dog. This was not so strange, except for the fact that the dog had on a sweater. Now it may have just been me, but it seemed like the dog was really moving fast and kept looking from left to right, right to left as if to say, “I sure hope none of my dog friends see me dressed this way.”

      Now I know, some of you dress your dogs, cats, and who knows, maybe your gerbils this way. I guess if it makes you happy to dress up your dog as children do their dolls, it does not really hurt anything. There actually might be some good to it if it is raining out and you put on a raincoat, or if it is freezing cold out or something and you dress your short haired dog in a warm sweater. However, one thing we need to keep in mind is this. Under that sweet little cardigan, this is still a dog. You can paint their toenails a rainbow of colors, give them a cute haircut which often will cost more than your hair cut costs, and put ribbons in their hair, yet when you look again you will see that they are still dogs.

        What is my point in this? We are all the same way. We can dress up the outside and clean up really nice. We might say the right things and go to the right places. Nevertheless, if we have never accepted Jesus as our Saviour, under all that, we are still lost. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Jesus addressed this issue in Luke 11:39 “And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.” It might do us well to look again.

What does God see in us?

Lead By Design

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023
Daily Reading – Pro. 8-9 / 1 Cor. 14

GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 8:20-21 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures.

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        The Vision Statement of Living In His Word Ministries, “Getting people into the Word of God… and the Word of God into people,” is not just a catchy phrase. We believe this is the foundation, on which people must live their lives in order to enjoy God’s blessings in every area of life. Our verses today point to this understanding.

        First, God’s wisdom is more valuable than anything any club or other social group can give you. You can belong to every well-meaning club out there and they may bring you enjoyment for a moment. However, what eternal value do they teach that was not first written by God in His word? The answer is none. Second, wisdom mixed with understanding creates all of life’s correct outcomes. People want to go to God’s Word like a fix-it manual when something is broken. Find the fix, apply it, and then live as they did before. That never works. What works is the constant repetitive study of God’s Word that sinks into your heart and becomes part of your life to keeps those worldly things from tearing up your life to begin with. Next, fixing what is already broken can also be found in God’s Word. However, it takes dedication to change a life and make it right. Arrogant, prideful, and selfish people will not enjoy the luxuries of God’s best, as they seldom desire to really change what they do. Finally, God’s Word is counsel. In it, you find understanding and strength for every area of life. Lead by design. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        So maybe now you understand our slogan a bit better. “Getting people into the Word of God… and the Word of God into people.” In fact, try reading our vision slogan again, only this time with your name replacing the word “people.”

Are you being led by the design of God’s Word?

Kind Of Sickening 

 SEPTEMBER 9 & 10, 2023
 SEPTEMBER 9 – Daily Reading – Pro. 6-7 / 1 Cor. 13
 SEPTEMBER 10 – NO READING

 GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        As Christians, we all retain the old sin nature. It is possible for anyone to be tempted by sin and give in. Living daily in known sin however should never be the lifestyle of a Christian. Believers desire to be more like their Saviour Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:9 speaks to the redeemed who has given into sin’s temptation. It tells us how to get back in fellowship with God where we should be.

 

        In Proverbs 6:16-19 there are seven things mentioned which God hates. In fact, it progresses from hate to abomination. Abomination is the Bibles strongest expression of hate. In a list of this type, the last item is considered the most sickening of them all.

 

        Of the first six things the Lord hates, we find lying to be part of two of them. God hates lying. Even more so, falsely accusing or lying against another person. Not only have you sinned, but you have also defamed the character of another. These lies damage something which God holds dear, the testimony of their life. We should guard our testimony as if it were gold. The last in the list turns from hate to abomination. Abomination carries the meaning of something that stinks and will turn your stomach. What turns God’s Stomach? People gossiping, slandering, exaggerating, lying, and dividing the brethren. People whom He loves, and we should love too. God says, it is kind of sickening. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        God is a God of reconciliation to himself and to one another. He has never been the God of division. Jesus died on Calvary to make peace with God for our sin, not His own.

If we are to be more like Christ,
shouldn’t we be more about healing than dividing too?

 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

        When I was in sales, we had a slogan. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Super Simple). For Christians it means Love God, and Love others. We saw that this week in:

  ● Kinfolk Care
  ● Know Me!
  ● Kingdom Praise
  ● Kept Secure In The Lord
  ● Keep Away From There
  ● Kind Of Sickening

      If we truly Love God, we will love what and who God loves. Which means we will love all of God’s people. Just K.I.S.S.

 

       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.

September 11, 2023	Pro. 8-9	1 Co. 14
September 12, 2023	Pro. 10-11	1 Co. 15
September 13, 2023	Pro. 12-13	1 Co. 16
September 14, 2023	Pro. 14-15	2 Co. 1
September 15, 2023	Pro. 16-17	2 Co. 2-3
September 16, 2023	Pro. 18-19	2 Co. 4
September 17, 2023	No Passages Assigned

K.I.S.S.

Keep Away From There

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023
Daily Reading – Pro. 4-5 / 1 Cor. 12

GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 5:7-8 Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Over the years, I have heard so many people tell of a house in their neighborhood that seemed spooky. For some, it was an old abandon house, and the story goes that people may have been killed there, and the house is filled with ghosts. For others it was a house where an elderly couple lived. Somehow, they seemed angry and upset most of the time. (Could it possibly have been because of the loud, pesky, and annoying neighborhood kids?) Nevertheless, stories start to go around of how they are mean old people who will do you harm if you go near the house. For whatever reason there always seemed to be, in every neighborhood, a house kids did not want to go near. Although the stories of these places were likely made up and highly exaggerated, the fear of these houses was very real. No one had to beg children to get away from there; they just did not go there. The fear of what might happen was all it took to keep them away.

        Solomon begs his son not to turn away from his sayings. Unlike the stories of haunted houses and mean older people, these sayings are not made up. These are life’s tried and true words of wisdom. Solomon wanted his son to have that childlike fear of the ways of sin. Let the fear of what might happen keep you from it. Behind the door of sin there is waiting dishonor, disease, despair, and even doom. You will never go inside the place of sin, if you never go to sin’s door. 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Knock knock. Who’s there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad you did not fall for sins tricks. Ok, so that is a really old and bad joke. However, it is a joy to be right. Right with man and right with God. RIGHT?

Will you listen to Solomon’s, and God’s warnings today?