Re: Verse reading–1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day four) 1 Samuel 15 gives us clear instruction about obedience. God expects full and complete obedience…it is more important than any sacrifice we can make. As believers, God expects our obedience. We cannot say we are followers of Christ and there not be a difference in our life as a result. Just like an athlete pushes his limit to be the very best he can be, we should push ourselves to excel in our obedience…excel in our witness… excel in our prayer…excel in our bible knowledge…and excel in our service. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 says, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” Are you disciplining your life to be obedient in all that God has commanded you to do?
Month: July 2014
Talk
Re: Verse reading–1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day three)
“‘Enough!’ Samuel said to Saul.” The Bible says that the Lord let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. He used words to shed light on the world as it actually is. Saul, on the other hand, used words to attempt to conceal the world as it actually is. How about you?
Partial Obedience….
Re: Verse reading–1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day two)
But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen….and all that was good. 1 Samuel 15:9
We have a saying in our house, perhaps you do too. Partial obedience is disobedience. This has been a challenge to teach. Inevitably we hear a list of the things that were done, and to specification, and “didn’t I do a good job on this part?” Apparently, this was a hard lesson for King Saul as well. We don’t have the whole picture, we may never understand the whole outcome, all we may have is our assignment and our duty to obey. The cost was very steep for Saul. We will do well to learn a better kind of obedience, complete obedience.
Hearing and Obedience
Re: Verse reading – 1 Samuel 15:1-35 (day one)
“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel. . . go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them.” (v 2) The basic assumption of our faith is that God speaks and when He does, we are obligated to obey. No protest is allowed for personal or humanitarian reasons. God is judge. He is holy and fair in all that He decides–who can doubt this without placing ourselves above Him? Like the authorities in Romans 13 who are given a “sword” and commanded to use it for good, Saul is obligated to obey and guilty when he fails. “Faith comes through hearing” says Romans 10:17. When we hear God, we have the opportunity to trust him. When we trust God, we have the responsibility to obey Him. Until I hear, I cannot believe. Unless I obey, I do not believe. Hearing =faith. Faith = obedience. Always.
Fearless
Re: Verse reading–Proverbs 17:17; 1 John 4:7-21 (day seven)
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out all fear.” (v 18) “Little children, let us not love with word or tongue, but in deed and truth. We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.” (1 John 3:18-19) What sort of love drives out fear? It is a question that many believers still have. Having come to Christ, we still face a daily battle with anxiety, fear of loss or punishment. Where can we find assurance for our anxious hearts? John teaches us where to find this desperately needed power. Perfect love (fully matured) is required. We must be “all in”, remaining in Christ until His love has its way with us. It must also be practical love, faith that receives God’s goodness and answers back “in kind” by loving others. Only this perfect and practical love has power to liberate us from fear.
Is love a habit?
Re: Verse reading–Proverbs 17:17; 1 John 4:7-21 (day six)
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11) Is love a habit? With time and training (from the Spirit) can the human soul become predisposed to unselfish service toward others? We are mid way through a summer study series called, “14 HABITS of Highly Effective Disciples.” Our topic this week is love. So. . .what do you think? The Bible presents love as the expression of worship. Since God loves us, we should love others. Familiar Biblical, moral argument. John’s version. What God is, we should be! If He is holy, we should be holy! If He loves, we have an obligation to do so as well! It goes to the heart of worship–to honor God, to acknowledge Him in all that we do and think, gradually reshapes us into His image. The real habit is worship. (See lesson 14). Love is the best proof. Habit forming. God, please!
Love and Fear
Re: Verse reading–Proverbs 17:17; 1 John 4:7-21 (day five)
It’s been said that the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference or apathy. This caused me to think about love and fear. What is the relationship between the two? Opposites? Antagonists? Competitors? Seems the scripture describes their relationship as enemies. The bible speaks of a great conflict between the two. 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out (drives out) fear, “. So, maybe they are mutually exclusive (cannot exist together). God’s Love will lead to healthy trust. Fear will demand we have control. Love will cause the human heart to look upward with hope. Fear causes us to look inward with despair. Love brings freedom and optimism. Fear leads to captivity and cynicism. The battle between these two is waged day to day, moment by moment.
Freedom in Christ
Re: Verse reading–Proverbs 17:17; 1 John 4:7-21 (day four)
To know God is to obey Him…to become like Him. There are some who believe that when Christ sets them free, they are free to do whatever they want. Not so! When Christ sets us free, we are free to live a holy and righteous life. Before…we could not live like that. Sin prevented us from righteousness. Now, when we are in Christ, we can become more like Him. Through the Holy Spirit working in our lives, our character matures into Christlikeness. God is love. When we abide in Him, love becomes a hallmark…a badge of identification…in our lives. We can love, because He first loved us. Love is not an option for the believer. Romans 6:18 says, “And having been set free from sin, you become slaves of righteousness.” As slaves of righteousness, we must allow God’s love to work in us. You have been set free to love…exercise your freedom!
Origin
Re: Verse reading– Proverbs 17:17; 1 John 4:7–21 (Day Three)
“Love comes from God.” Life in God’s presence begins with love from him. There is no other starting place. Confidence does not lead to love, it comes from love. Peace does not lead to love, it comes from love. Joy does not lead to love, it comes from it. There are no paths to any longing of the human heart that do not lead through love. If we will know anything at all, we must first learn love from God.
Calvary is the Sea
Re: Verse reading–Proverbs 17:17; 1 John 4:7-21 (day two)
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us. 1 John 4:10. One of my favorite anthems that the Chapel Singers sing is Calvary is the Sea, and I love it most because of the text that says: “No sacrifice I could give to you could match what you’ve given me, for my everything is but a a drop of dew and Calvary is the sea.” He deserves the fullest measure of our devotion, but that could never compare to the act of love that he demonstrated for us. What is more wonderful is that this love is an ongoing, every-filling constant that will never run out. His love is our everything.