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

Future Of All Man

 July 29
 Daily Reading – Job 32-34 / Acts 24

GOD SAID:

Job 34:14-15 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

       Who has a crystal ball to look into, and see the future? The answer, NO ONE. None of us can predict the future with any degree of accuracy. If you’re not sure if that statement is true, watch any local weather report. Although they do a very good job of giving us a scientific estimate using the most up-to-date meteorological equipment, statistics prove they’re wrong 40% of the time. When looking at the financial market, we pay people to watch the trends and give us their best guess. However, that is not always accurate from one week to next. Then if you delve into politics, well that outcome is up in the air on a daily basis. One thing we will all have to agree on is that our future is hard to foresee. That is with a couple of exceptions.

      There are two future things we can be sure of. Elihu alludes to one of these facts. Job 34:14-15 says; “If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.” Our life is given to us by God. If God ever decides to quit sustaining life, calling the spirit and breath of man back to himself, well, it’s all over. God provides our lives. Everyone will one day face this day of death. Also, everyone will face judgement after that day. For the redeemed, it will be a time of reward. For the lost, it will be the eternal judgement of their sin. This is the future of all man. Guaranteed 100% accurate.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    Heb. 9:27 says; “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Christ has taken the sins of man to the cross, if we will just believe on Him. Those future appointments, don’t have to be bad ones. Dedication should be a daily cause for rejoicing.

Which judgement will you face on that day?

     
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