Sing A Happy Tune 

JUNE 17, 2021

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 137:4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?

THOUGHT ON GOD’S WORD:

  “Does anyone know where the phone is?” You would not have heard that question in the average house in the 1970’s. It was on the wall with a cord hooked to it so you could not walk very far away. However, today with cordless phones in use where people still use landline phone systems, we have an entire new set of problems. Someone gets talking and wandering around the house. When they are done with their phone call they just hang up and lay the phone down wherever they are. The next person who wants to use the phone must hunt for it. Well, the developers of these devises knew this would happen, so they added a feature that allows us to hunt for them a little easier. With the push of a button at the phones recharging base, the remote receiver begins to play a distinctive little ring, tone, or song. All you have to do now is begin to listen and follow the tune until you find the receiver. Now you can talk with whomever you want.

     Our verse today asks the question, “How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?” Another way of looking at this phrase would be, “how could I sing if I cannot hear the music.” Being so far away from where they longed to be it seemed hard to be joyous and sing the songs of praise. It is that way for us today too. It may seem hard at times to sing the joyous wonderful songs of the love of God when our hearts are hurting or broken. However, when we begin to sing something miraculous happens. The more we sing with our heart, the closer the Lord seems to draw near to our need. We need Him and the music will often help us find Him in our trials. It is sort of like the example of the phone. We need to be near the phone to talk, but getting near to the receiver often requires that we listen for the melody it plays. Listen to the sweet New Song God has placed in your heart. It will help you find God during your darkest times.

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

  When we received Christ as Saviour, He placed a new song in our heart. It is a song of joy, peace, and rejoicing. Find that tune again and begin to sing. “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart….” Can you hear God on the other end of the line now? He has been there all along

GOD TALKING TO ME:  JUNE 17, 2021

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING  (O.T.-1/N.T. & PS.-2/Prov.-Monthly)
1 Kings 3, 4     /     Psalm 137     /     Proverbs 17     /     Revelation 2

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
1 Chron. 8-9           /  John 18:1-18

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

What Is A Good Rule For Life?

JUNE 16, 2021

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

1 Kings 2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

THOUGHT ON GOD’S WORD:

    What makes for a good rule in life? Something that says, this is good for me, I will do it forever, or it is bad for me, and I will never do it. It usually is something we did which has worked well or has failed miserably. Life experiences give us great guidelines to live by. Another way to find these pearls of wisdom for our life is by talking with someone we highly respect and trust. As they share what things did and did not work for them in their life experiences, we can use their wisdom to form a set of guiding principles for our life.

     God’s ways are just like that. Not a list of “do not do that or I will get you” type rules. They are loving guidelines that make life better for everyone. Look at the descriptions given in today’s verse that refers to God’s leading in our life. It is called, “the charge of the LORD,” and mentions, his ways, his statutes, his commandments, his judgments, and his testimonies. The word charge here means an encouragement for life. We hear charges given to who graduate from high school and college to go out and use the wisdom they have gained to make a difference. The statues are the positive statements such as “do this it works better.” The commandments and judgments are moral and legal advice, like do not commit adultery, or steal. The testimonies are the wisdom and warning of God, so we do not mess up. You see it is like getting the best advice from a highly respected person we can genuinely believe in.

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

    David understood this. In Psalm 19:7-8 it says: “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” How about you? Will you trust God and prosper in all that you do, wherever you go?

GOD TALKING TO ME:  JUNE 16, 2021

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING  (O.T.-1/N.T. & PS.-2/Prov.-Monthly)
1 Kings 2     /     Psalm 136     /     Proverbs 16     /     Revelation 1

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
1 Chron. 6-7           /    John 17

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

Are You In Or Out?

JUNE 15, 2021

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Jude 24-25 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen.

THOUGHT ON GOD’S WORD:

    Living in Michigan most of my life I have come to appreciate the beauty of the lighthouses around this state. On one of our family vacations, we went to the city of Gulliver in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula to see the Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse. The statistics say that the lantern is 79 feet above the lake level and can be seen for 17 miles on a clear day. However, I am here to tell you, when you are standing up there on the deck where the giant light is perched, and all there is between you and a long fall to the ground is truly clear piece of thick glass, it seems a lot higher than 79 feet. Now I know in my mind that they would not let you up there if it were not safe, nonetheless the 69-inch-tall plates of glass did not seem to make a person feel very safe. I could not fall, but I felt as if I could.

     So it seems with our Christian life at times. When the winds of sin blow around us and our life seems to be unbalanced, it would be easy to feel as if we might be able to fall away from God. Nevertheless, our verses today tell us otherwise. Just as the invisible glass of the lighthouse protected me from falling to my doom, so also God keeps us from falling away from Him. Though the storms of life rage around us and winds of confusion may blow, we need to remember that He securely holds us, we do not hold on to Him. We are safe in Jesus.

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

    Our safety comes from being in Christ Jesus. To stand outside of a place of safety during a storm does not offer you any protection. You must be inside of that place for it to do its job. So it is with Christ. To know of Him will not protect you. You must totally give yourself to Him to be in Jesus. You need to place your life in His loving care.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  JUNE 15, 2021

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING  (O.T.-1/N.T. & PS.-2/Prov.-Monthly)
1 Kings 1     /     Psalm 135     /     Proverbs 15     /     Jude

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
1 Chron. 3-5          /    John 16:16-33

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

Building A Place For God 

JUNE 14, 2021

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 132:3-5 Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

THOUGHT ON GOD’S WORD:

     Finding a place for God to dwell. What a noble goal to want to somehow, produce a place to house our God. To show such love for Him, that we would desire to provide for Him a place to live. But then again, what materials would you use to make it?

     David desired to build such a place, but God said no. God said David’s son Solomon would build it. Therefore, since David could not build it himself; he began preparing for the day when his son would build it. He secured access to the finest lumber and materials anyone could imagine. Was this good enough to be the dwelling place for our God? A place built out of trees and golden rocks that God Himself had created and formed. Does not the God of Heaven deserve more?

     Mary and Joseph looked for a place for the Lord. They found a humble manger and placed Baby Jesus in it. It was the best they could provide. Yet, this surely would not be a fitting place for the King of all Kings.

     Nevertheless, God did dwell in the temple made by human hands and God did dwell in the manger bed. Why? He dwelt there because He chose to. He chose to be there in order to be close to people just like us. In addition, today He will take up residence in a new temple that you can prepare for Him. The temple He longs to reside in today is your heart. So, what type of place then are you making for the Lord of all Lords to live in? Since it is your heart, only you can clean it up for the Saviour of all humanity.

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

  In 2 Corinthians 6:16 it says, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

GOD TALKING TO ME:  JUNE 14, 2021

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING  (O.T.-1/N.T. & PS.-2/Prov.-Monthly)
1 Chronicles 27-29     /     Psalm 132-134     /     Proverbs 13-14     /     2, 3 John

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
1 Chron. 1-2           /  John 16:1-15

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

Everyone Is Busy Doing Something 

JUNE 12 & 13, 2021

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

1 Chronicles 23:3-5Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand. Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges: Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.

THOUGHT ON GOD’S WORD:

    All the Levite Priests were numbered. What does that really mean? It means they were each one counted and placed with a group of men who had the same function in the House of the Lord as they did. For example, some who served in the Lord’s house was called to study and teach. Some we see were called to council with others as officers and judges in the House of the Lord. Some of the priests were porters or better known as gatekeepers. These men allowed access to areas and restricted access to other areas of the temple. On some occasions, these men were the collectors of the tithes and the money, which was brought into the temple. Some of the priests were designated to be musicians. Their responsibility was to bring musical praise to our Lord. Every priest was given something to do. No one was allowed to do nothing.

     Nothing much has changed over all these years, except now you are part of God’s Royal priesthood according to 1 Peter 2:9. It is your responsibility to be busy about the work of the Lord. Not one person is expected to do nothing. In fact, every believer is gifted to do something. What gift did God give you?

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

    You might begin today and pray, “Oh Lord make me the best at what I do for you right now” or “give me something to do to glorify you oh Lord.” Let’s be busy about our Heavenly Fathers business.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  June 12, 2021

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING  (O.T.-1/N.T. & PS.-2/Prov.-Monthly)
1 Chronicles 23-26     /     Psalm 130, 131     /     Proverbs 12     /     1 John 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
2 Kings 25           /    John 15

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