Following What’s Wrong

August 3 & 4
August 3 – Daily Reading – Psa. 11-17 / Acts 28:1-16
August 4 – NO Daily Reading

GOD SAID:

Psalm 16:4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    Is Football wrong? Is NASCAR sinful? Is owning a boat a sign of someone who is morally bankrupt? The answer is NO! (WOW, I imagine right now some of you are glad to hear that.) However, when they become what we worship over the one true God, then yes. You see, items, material goods, hobbies, sports, etc. are not in themselves sinful. None of these things can make us sin. Yet, any of these things, or anything, can be used by the Satan to distract our attention away from God. David in today’s Psalm said; “Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god:” Oh how often I have witnessed this to be true. What started out as a simple pass time or hobby, became an obsession, and it has taken people away from church, family, and even God.

Several years ago a young youth pastor at the church I attended shared a message entitled “The God Shelf.” The main concept was that everyone has a shelf in their life on which they keep what they worship most. The rule was, there could only be one thing on that shelf at a time. Whatever held that prominent position was then your god. If your car became your obsession, then you had to remove God from His place on that shelf and put your car there. It could be a job, hobbies, sport, or anything at all. However you were only allowed one thing on that God shelf. All too often we end up following after what’s wrong.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

      In Col. 1:18 Paul wrote of God; “…that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Is God preeminent, first place in your life? Does the worship of God, or the worship of something else have your attention, and consume your thoughts and time?

What’s On Your God Shelf?

 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

      Everything in the Christian life revolves around one word, one inner peace and security, and that is FAITH. It is that faith in God that sees us through situations like we saw this week in:

● Future Of All Man
● Final Exam
● Forgetting Nothing
● Fearful, Or Foolish
● Falling In Your Own Trap
● Following What’s Wrong

      That’s why Gal 3:11 is so true when it says, “the just shall live by FAITH.”

SUNDAY:

        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

August 5, 2019	Psa. 18-21	Acts 28:17-31
August 6, 2019	Psa. 22-26	Rom. 1
August 7, 2019	Psa. 27-32	Rom. 2
August 8, 2019	Psa. 33-36	Rom. 3
August 9, 2019	Psa. 37-41	Rom. 4
August 10, 2019	Psa. 42-47	Rom. 5
August 11, 2019	No Passages Assigned

Hebrews 11:6
But without FAITH it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

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

Falling In Your Own Trap

 August 2
 Daily Reading – Psa. 6-10 / Acts 27:21-44

GOD SAID:

Psalm 9:15-16 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

       The saying goes, “If you give a man enough rope, he’ll hang himself.” It has proven time and again to be true. Law Enforcement knows this to be true and proves it with lengthy interrogations. I know that some have told lies to get people to confess. However, if you just let someone talk long enough, they most often will get around to incriminating themselves. Lawyers practice this principle when they have a witness on the stand. They keep asking questions until someone slips up and tells them what they need to know. Politicians often are their own worst enemy. They look good getting ready for the debates, that is until they open their mouth and say something really dumb. What they had sat out to do to the others, someone turned it around and has done it to them. People often fall into their own traps.

      David exclaims in this Psalm that the Lord is known by His judgments. That often, while allowing sinful man enough time to repent, they don’t, and they continue until they actually hurt themselves. Adam and Eve wanted more out of life and bit of the forbidden fruit and lost their life. Judas was all about the money, until he sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Then conviction overtook him and he took his own life. I guess one of the best biblical examples would be Haman who built a gallows to hang Mordecai and ended up being hanged there himself. Sin is a trap. Play in it long enough, and it will get you.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    God does not set traps for people. He does not dig pits for us to fall into. In fact, He’s constantly warning us of these snares in life. Yet, man himself sets so many sinful traps in life that he forgets where they are, and falls headlong into his own trap.

Are you aware of Sins snares?

     
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

Fearful, Or Foolish

 August 1
 Daily Reading – Psa. 1-5 / Acts 27:1-20

GOD SAID:

Psalm 5:4-5 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

       Looking around the world today, in fact, in any day and age, we see sinfulness all around. David saw it, and was grieved by it way back in his era. Your grandma and grandpa complained of the sinfulness during their time on earth. It may appear that sin is more rampant today than ever before, but any sin and all sin is an affront to God. Imagine if you will that I were to set a delicious plate of food before you that looked and smelled delicious. Then I said, “Eat up and enjoy. Oh, and just so you know, there is only one small dot of poison in there somewhere, but don’t worry about it, it’s just one drop.” Would you eat that plate of food? Most reasonable people would be fearful of that one drop of poison and refuse it. Only a foolish person would just dive in, imagining that somehow it would not hurt them.

      David, in Psalm 5 speaks of two groups of people. Those who fear God and reverence Him, and those who foolishly ignore Him. In verses 4 and 5 of this Psalm he says that God takes no pleasure in wickedness. That means even a dot of wickedness. Also, evil does not dwell near God. So then, how is a Christain allowed entrance into heaven? We all know that even Christians sin sometimes. It’s the difference of being fearful, or foolish. The foolish just don’t care. The fearful accept that God sent His Son to die for our sin and fall daily at the mercy of God. The foolish will play in their sin. The fearful try to run from it.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    God does not hate people. God hates sin. It’s when a person will not admit their sinfulness and willfully refuse God’s mercy and grace that they are considered foolish. The fearful, are simply sinners, who have been saved by God’s grace through His Son Jesus.

Which are 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

Forgetting Nothing

 July 31
 Daily Reading – Job 39-42 / Acts 26

GOD SAID:

Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

       Did God forget something? Our verse today, Job 42:10 says; “And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.” When Job prayed for the forgiveness of his friends, (who had been somewhat miserable friends,) God released him from the oppression he was under. This does teach us about the need and the power of forgiving. However, it also says that God gave Job twice as much as he originally lost. Twice as many sheep, camels, oxen, and donkey’s. Yet Job was only blessed with seven sons and three daughters. Granted that is a large family, but it is the same number of children he had to begin with. Job 1:2 says; “And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.” That is not double, it’s the same. Did God forget something?

      Oh no my friend, God didn’t mess up here. You see God blessed Job with another ten children. However, in Job 19:25 Job said; “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” Job knew that in the resurrection which he spoke of he would see those first ten children again. Even Job’s life was twice as long as Psalm 90:10 says a natural man’s days should be when it said. “The days of our years are threescore years and ten;…” Oh no dear friend, God is forgetting nothing.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    You can trust in God’s word when He says something. The blessings and promises in His word all happen just as God says they will. That also means that when God speaks of judgement for the lost, well, that will happen like He said as well.

What promises are you anticipating?

     
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

Final Exam

 July 30
 Daily Reading – Job 35-38 / Acts 25

GOD SAID:

Job 38:2-3 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

       The words from the lips of any instructor that most every student dreads, “There will be a test on this material.” Not a test! OK, So now we know there is a test, what kind of test will it be? Multiples choice, where at least I may have a chance of guessing the right answer? Fill-in-the-blank, so that maybe the sentence will help me to remember? No, this is the worst kind of test ever. It is an essay test, where a question is asked and you’re required to write an essay on the topic. Then it is up to the person grading that test to decide if they like the story you wrote or not. YUK!!!! Ok Let’s make it even more interesting. There will be a series of several questions on the same topic and the examiner is expecting one answer from all who take this test. The essay is expected to be only one sentence long. It’s the final exam, and you need it to pass.

      Job has listened to his earthly friends, who have not been a lot of help at all. Finally at the end of the book, the one everyone has been talking about speaks up. God tells Job; “Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.” Get ready for a test. Then God proceeds to ask Job a series of questions like, did you make the earth, do you feed the wild animals, can you control the weather, and do you control the oceans, seas and rivers. All these have one right answer. “No Sir.”

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    God was not trying to stump Job into giving a wrong answer. He simply was making known the obvious truth. There is only one God. Furthermore, this God, created and maintains all of life. Who then are we to question His decisions?

How would answer this Final Exam?

     
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