Like It Or Not, We Need Trials 

OCTOBER 01, 2021

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

THOUGHT ON GOD’S WORD:

    One Sunday morning in our church service, I spoke on patience. I was saying we should all be more patient with one another and the burdens they bear. I spoke of how trials will help work in us patience if we will listen to God during the trial. I also mentioned how we should pray one for another. That is all Biblical, right.

    With the morning service over, I headed home to get some lunch and prepare for our afternoon baptismal service. At the time, we did not have a baptistery in our church so we would go to another church during cold months for baptismal services. When I got home, I found my finished basement had about 1 inch of standing water in most of it. Our sump pump had quit working. I quick called a friend who knew about plumbing and he and I got the water pretty much cleaned up and the pump temporarily working again. When I joined the church service that afternoon, I half-jokingly asked them, “Which one of you yahoos decided to pray for the Pastor to have more patience? Well, whoever you are cut it out.” Everyone laughed.

    Since then when I have heard people praying, “God, please give me patience,” I often wondered what might be coming their way to help them gain patience. I have long stopped praying for patience. My life has enough trials in it to help me learn patience on a daily basis. I now pray for peace.
   

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

  Today, as the burdens of life begin to bear upon you, think back on things you do now with ease which once were trials in your life. Walking was a trial when you were a one-year-old and driving when you were sixteen. Things that once seemed almost impossible, trials of the past you now do with ease. The trials you face today may also be the very things that makes you a much better Christian for tomorrow.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  OCTOBER 01, 2021

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING  (O.T.-1/N.T. & PS.-2/Prov.-Monthly)
Jeremiah 30, 31     /     Psalm 79     /     Proverbs 1     /     James 1, 2

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Ecc. 9-10           /  Gal. 3

Living In His Word Ministries

What Happened To The Popular Crowd?

SEPT 30, 2021

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

THOUGHT ON GOD’S WORD:

    What has happened to all those popular kids from High School? You know, the ones everyone seemed to like. Admit it, somewhere deep inside even you liked them just a little too. I wonder what they are doing now. I do not see many of them on TV or read about them in the papers. All that popularity was good for a short time. However, what is it good for today? What about that knockout beautiful girl, or the drop-dead good-looking guy, have you seen any of them lately?

    The fact is that popularity, or the favor of man comes and goes. It seems to change from year to year. Beauty, physical outer beauty that is, also changes. This does not mean that people are no longer attractive, but it is a simple biological fact that our bodies change with time.

    However, the character of a person, who they really are is often remembered. A man or woman who loves the Lord and has deep-rooted Godly morals seems to have a special quality about them others cannot imitate or explain. They are often referred to by phrases like “He is a good man,” “she is a godly woman,” or “there is something about them that is different.”

    The book of Proverbs ends with an admonition to let the inner beauty from God shine through our lives. Why, because that displays our character, and that goes on forever. People respect God-fearing people even if it appears that they do not. Let God shine through you.

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

    Today, people are going to form an opinion about you. You, and only you can choose what that opinion may be. Nevertheless, you do not have to develop your character alone. Ask God today to help you be all that you can possibly be for Him. Then people will automatically see the best “YOU” ever, because they will see “JESUS” in you.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  SEPT 01, 2021

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING  (O.T.-1/N.T. & PS.-2/Prov.-Monthly)
Jeremiah 28, 29     /     Psalm 78:56-72     /     Proverbs 30, 31     /     Acts 11 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Ecc. 7-8           /        Gal. 2

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

Can You Control God?

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Psalm 78:40-41 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

THOUGHT ON GOD’S WORD:

    Here is a good question to start the day. Be sure and think just a bit before you answer because you know it is a trick question. Here it is. Do you think it is possible for you to control God? The all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere at every moment God. The one who can do anything He desires. Can you control Him? Well, we know we cannot have total control of Him, I mean get real, He is God. However, you can control His actions toward you.

    Imagine that. You can have full control of how the Almighty reacts to you. How? Well, the Bible says that if you harbor sin in your life, God will not hear you (Psalm 66:18). In Proverbs 1:23 it says if we will listen to His voice of correction and wisdom, His Spirit will help us in understanding His Words. What do you think God’s View is on the “Get Rich Quick schemes” in life? You did not think He noticed, did you? However, in Proverbs 28:20 God says His blessing are on the people who are faithful or consistent, but the ones who are always trying to make it in the lottery or trying to trick some other person for quick cash deal… well, you read it and figure it out. In each of these passages of scripture and many more God has given us a part in the decisions of what He will do toward us.

    The Children of Israel limited the “Holy One of Israel,” God, when they turned their back on Him. What might you be allowing or stopping God from doing for you?

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

    God’s desire is for us to have a rewarding life. Not always happy, fun, or exciting, but rewarding. Taking us through the valleys of life, helps us depend on Him even more. Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus. (Remind you of a tune you have sung? Well, sing it again and believe it. It is true.) When we do our part, God always keeps His promises. Trust him.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING  (O.T.-1/N.T. & PS.-2/Prov.-Monthly)
Jeremiah 26, 27     /     Psalm 78:34-55     /     Proverbs 29     /     Acts 10

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Ecc. 5-6           /       Gal. 1

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? What Did You Say? 

SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Jeremiah 25:4 And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

THOUGHT ON GOD’S WORD:

    One morning while reading the paper I remember seeing a cartoon. In the first frame there was a little boy standing with his fingers in his ears and from his mouth came the words, “la la la, la la la Hum Hum La la la.” Standing next to him was a father reading off a list of all the chores he expected him to do that day. In the second frame, the father is looking at the boy and the boy is looking back at the father. The father says, “Did you hear what I said?” The boy looks at his father, with a false puzzled look and says, “What?” The next frame is the same as the first, with the boy back making noise with his fingers in his ears and father reading the list. The fourth frame was the father asking again, “Did you hear me?” and the boy saying, “What?” And so it goes.

    In today’s world with such busy lives, many times we may treat God this same way. From the beginning of time, God has told us of a Saviour, Jesus Christ. He has shared with us how to live to receive the most blessings from this life and the life to come. However, like the young boy in the cartoon, we are so busy making as much noise as we can with our lives and our various forms of entertainment that we have shut out the wisdom being given to us by God. He keeps telling us, but are we really listening?   

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

  Let’s not be hearers of the word only, but doers also. It is far past time for us to listen to what God has to say and then to obey. My friend, when we stand before God at life’s end and He asks, “Did you hear what I said?” we had better have the right answer. If we have the wrong answer in that moment with God, the third frame of the cartoon is not going to be a good one.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING  (O.T.-1/N.T. & PS.-2/Prov.-Monthly)
Jeremiah 25     /     Psalm 78:21-33     /     Proverbs 28     /     Acts 9 

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Ecc. 3-4           /       2 Co. 13

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

Who Is The “ME” They See? 

SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

KEY FROM GOD’S WORD:

Proverbs 27:19 As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.

THOUGHT ON GOD’S WORD:

  Have you ever heard any of these statements before? “What you do while alone is really who you are.” How about, “Actions speak louder than words!” Maybe you have heard, “What you say and what you do are often two different things.” You may, or may not have heard them, nevertheless they are pretty much all saying exactly the same thing, and today’s verses declares it well.

    It is not who we say we are, or what we do while we know others are watching that makes us who we are. Our private thoughts, convictions, and beliefs make up whom we really are. I have spoken with people before who begin by saying they believe in this or that, however, by the end of our conversation, I knew they really did not believe that at all. What they wanted was for people to believe they believed it. How did I know? Because they had shared their heart long enough to let me know what they truly believed. Their heart gave them away.

    As your reflection in water displays the real you to you, so will your heart display the real you to others by what you genuinely believe. We can only fool people as long as we keep our mouths shut and stay locked away from society.

    Abraham Lincoln, who was a Bible Scholar, once said, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” Therefore, before trying to convince others on what you say you believe, you might want to ask yourself, “What Do I Really Believe?” In addition, “What and Who Do I Believe In?”

CARRYING THAT THOUGHT THROUGH THE DAY:

   Another quote is “It’s better to keep quiet and let people think you’re a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” We should be sure when we do open our mouth that people not only hear the real us, but they also hear Jesus in us.

GOD TALKING TO ME:  SEPTEMBER 27, 2021

THROUGH THE BIBLE ACCELERATED READING  (O.T.-1/N.T. & PS.-2/Prov.-Monthly)
Jeremiah 22-24     /     Psalm 78:1-20     /     Proverbs 26-27     /     Acts 7:37-8

THROUGH THE BIBLE OLD & NEW TESTAMENT DAILY
Ecc. 1-2           /  2 Co. 12

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