Who Will Lead

 April 15
 Daily Reading – Judges 8-9 / Luke 12:1-34

GOD SAID:

Judges 8:22-23 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

     Whenever there was an activity in school where there were team competitions, you always had some kids jumping up and down, hands waiving in the air, yelling to the top of their lungs, “PICK ME, PICK ME!” Some children, who were not as enthusiastic, would stand in the back of the pack of jumping beans and just wait to see if they were going to be the last to be chosen… again. Then there were the captains. The shinning stars who, it seemed, were good at everything. The ones who were always elected to do the choosing. Why were they chosen to be the pickers and grinners? It was normally because they were good at the activity we were preparing to do. Now let me ask you a question. Does the ability to do something well automatically make you a good leader, or just a good player?

      In today’s passages, Gideon was asked to be the ruler of Israel. Possibly their King. Sure, God had chosen him to lead the battle against the Midianites. However, we need to remember, Gideon did not win that battle. Gideon simply followed God’s directions to the letter and God won the battle. Gideon even reminded them of that fact in Judges 8:3 when He said “God hath delivered into your hands…” Nonetheless, the children of Israel could not see God, but they could see Gideon. They wanted a flesh and blood leader that they could see. Gideon wisely said, NO, “the LORD shall rule over you.”

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

     Respect for others is one thing. God’s word even says we are to respect those He has placed in authority over us. The trick for us however, is to never lose sight of who is really doing the leading. God must be leading our life.

Who is leading your life?
You, God, or someone else?

 

     
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

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Picking a Few

 April 13 & 14
 April 13 – Daily Reading – Judges 6-7 / Luke 11:29-54
 April 14 – NO Daily Reading

GOD SAID:

Judges 7:2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

       What gets all the attention? The tiny little church in the middle of what may be considered obscurity, or the Mega Church with thousands of members and high-profile preacher? We all know the answer is the Mega church. I’m in no way slamming large churches, their pastors, nor the congregations. I do want to shine a light on the fact that God can, and does use less recognized groups of believers with their faithful God-fearing pastor as well. While larger congregations may have more resources devoted to ministries they take part in, it still comes down to this. Each soul is saved individually. A soul saved in a small town church that gets little or no attention globally, is just as important to God as someone saved at a well-attended crusade.

     In our scripture reading today, God has called Gideon to lead His over through of the Midianites. Gideon was not the bravest man, not a warrior, not a preacher. God found him hiding from the Midianites in Judges 6:11 threshing wheat. Yet God calls Gideon a “mighty man of valour” in vs 12. Not what Gideon was, but what God would use him to be. Gideon repeatedly tests God to be sure it was God. Then in chapter seven when Gideon is ready to follow God and has gathered an army of 32,000 men, God whittles that number down to 300 to defeat the Midianites, with no swords in Israels hands. God does not need a multitude to do His work. All He needs is a faithful few.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

      If you feel as if no one’s paying attention to all you do with a pure heart for the Lord, let me reassure you, God is watching. Matt. 6:4 says; “…thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” God is doing great things.

Are you one of God’s Faithful Few?

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

    In all that we do, God never forgets. He remembers to bless our obedience, and to correct our disobedience. This week we saw this in:

● Putting Others First
● Promised Our Fathers
● Portrait Of Fear
● Playing With Fire
● Pacified By Freedom
● Picking A Few

    When God has to correct us, it’s to point us toward His blessings. It’s always a good thing that God Never Forgets.

SUNDAY’S:

        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

April 15, 2019	Judges 8-9	Luke 12:1-34
April 16, 2019	Judges 10-11	Luke 12:35-59
April 17, 2019	Judges 12-15	Luke 13:1-17
April 18, 2019	Judges 16-18	Luke 13:18-35
April 19, 2019	Judges 19-20	Luke 14
April 20, 2019	Judges 21-Ruth 2	Luke 15
April 21, 2019	No Passages Assigned

God never forgets…

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labour
is not in vain in the Lord.

 

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

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