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Date Posted: 08:07:11 08/13/22 Sat
Author: c
Subject: additional teaching 8/2022

In Touch devotional 4/2022

Bible Study

The Joy of Job?

In fact, this book has a pretty good ending.


p 20

Going Further

....Job's loss was a test of faith, though he wasn't aware of it. Testing is likely for believers today, too (1 Peter 1:6 - 7). How can studying the Word of God prepare you?

Job's trials weren't punishment for sin. But we should expect chastisement when we disobey...Ask yourself - or God - if anything in your life is inviting rebuke.

Sometimes suffering results from other's sin or the problems of a world degraded by Adam's disobedience (Romans 5:12). How has God's love helped you endure?

Finally, losses can be God's tool for dealing with our worldliness or failure to deeply treasure Jesus. Job's tangible blessings hardly compare to the joy that awaits as you grow in oneness with the Lord. Let God build your life as He sees fit - and set your heart on the most profound blessing of all: Jesus' life revealed in you (2 Corinthians 4:10 - 11).

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Turning Points devotional 4/2022

Great Expectations: Where man expects little, God expects much

by Dr. David Jeremiah

(edited)

p 22 - 23

Loving someone who is unlovable doesn't mean endorsing their attitudes or actions. I've preached or written about this many times. We can forgive someone of their sins and release our bitterness toward them without condoning their misbehavior. In truth, I think only a Biblical Christian knows how to navigate this, because it's godlike. Our Lord never condones sin, yet He loves to show mercy!

We take our cue from Him.

Remember, too, that mercy isn't reserved merely for those needing our forgiveness. We can show mercy to anyone needing help.

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Turning Points devotional 4/2022

Perfect Practice: The Loving others dilemma

by Dr. David Jeremiah

(edited)

p 11

Love allows us to fulfill the words of Romans 12:18: "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

How do we love?

1. Do good. The Biblical scholar William Plumer wrote, "Negative virtue is not enough; we must do good." That is, it is not enough to refrain from doing bad toward another. That simply puts us in a neutral position and says nothing about our virtue. Instead, we must proactively do good to demonstrate a heart of love.

2. Bless. "Bless those who curse you," Jesus said. In other words, do the opposite! In Biblical terms, blessings and curses were opposites: Curses were bad; blessings were good. If someone says or does something unkind to you, say or do the opposite to them.

3. Pray....In addition to loving words or actions, pray for your enemies. Ask God to bless them, do good to them, and forgive them if needed

4. Expect nothing in return. This may be the hardest of all. Love is not so much an investment by which we expect a return, but a sacrifice by which we expect nothing in return. Jesus used lending as an example: if someone needs something from you, give freely expecting not to be repaid (Luke 6:35). Love has a cost, one we must be willing to pay - even to our enemies.

So why do we love? Because Jesus said to "be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). God loves all with a perfect love, and so must we - neighbors and enemies alike.

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Today in the Word 1/2022

Use it or lose

Pastor Mark Jobe, President of Moody Bible Institute

(edited)

To grow in faith requires "constant use" of what we're learning (Hebrews 5:14). If you don't use it, you lose it.....Growth requires putting what we're learning into practice. If every time you hear God's Word you apply it - in your marriage, your children, or your life - you'll grow.

-------------------=

Today in the Word

1/3/22

Brad Baurain

When learning is meaningful

(edited)

Learning what is true and valuable helps us know what to prioritize and pursue. As we saw yesterday, the writer of Ecclesiastes evaluated life "under the sun" to be "meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:13 - 14). But when life is lived "above the sun," that is, in the context of the fear of the Lord, obedience, and worship, human life, knowledge, and endeavors can become meaningful (Ecclesiastes 12:13 - 14).

Only in this context is Ecclesiastes and the quest for learning and wisdom itself meaningful (Ecclesiastes 12:9 - 10).

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Today in the Word

Brad Baurain

1/18/22

Failing to learn from Ezekiel

(edited)

Though God knew the people wouldn't respond rightly, Ezekiel's ministry wasn't a failure. God, Whose standards are different from ours, counted him a success due to his faithful obedience.

How much of your self-worth do you get from your earthly success? It's difficult for us to escape this emphasis in our culture. Remember, God sees things differently.

-------------------=

Today in the Word

Brad Baurain

How the Psalmist learned

(edited)

1/23/22

But notice a turn that comes in verses 15 - 17. Asaph "entered the sanctuary of God" and joined in congregational worship (Psalm 73:17). Worship kept his negative thoughts from becoming words and harming others. It corrected his distorted perceptions. Alone, his feelings could be mistaken and lead him astray, but in community his faith was strengthened.

-------------------------=

Today in the Word

Brad Baurain

Learning to worship the Lord

1/30/22

(edited)

"Stop praying for stuff and start praying for God," wrote pastor David Platt. "The primary point of prayer is not to get something - it's to know Someone. When you go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father Who is in secret, there is a reward awaiting for you: intimacy with your Heavenly Father through prayer."

Learning to pray God-centered prayers is part of learning to worship Him.....

One implication is that learning about God is the same as learning to worship Him. In other words, it's impossible to learn about Him only with our heads. As we learn with our heads, we'll be compelled to praise with our hearts! If we're not worshipping, then we're not learning either. To do one is to do the other - and when we do, we'll be blessed" or "happy."

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Beside the still Waters

5/2/21

Walk Circumspectly

(edited)

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise - Ephesians 5:15

...The word circumspectly originated from the Latin word circumspicere, which has the basic meaning of looking all around. Other translations convey the idea of foresight. It means being keenly aware of one's surroundings, recognizing what could happen if proper care is neglected, and acting accordingly.

Hebrews 2:1 says that we are to "give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." This implies that the things we have heard and learned can be lost unless we take earnest heed to retain them.....

...Let's be accountable to mature Christians around us, and walk circumspectly.

John Ropp

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Beside the still Waters

5/5/21

Compassion

(edited)

How is it with us? When we see someone in distress, do we take time to give compassionate help? Are we willing to get down in the dirt and even get our hands bloody to minister to the suffering? We need the compassion of Christ to identify with needy ones and help them as we would want to be helped.

Denver Yoder

Compassion is love that acts regardless of circumstances

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Beside the Still waters

5/6/21

Patience in tribulation

(edited)

Defined as calm endurance in difficulties, patience is actually a choice. Like horses, we naturally think that faster is better and right away is best. However, our Lord seldom has the same perspective. "Tribulation worketh patience" according to Romans 5:3, but that will happen only if we let it. The Bible says, "the trying of your faith worketh patience" (James 1:3). Our daily trials are actually opportunities to develop this virtue. Abraham grew tired of waiting for his promised son, and King Saul, weary of waiting for Samuel, offered the sacrifice himself. Both men forgot that God's timing is rarely the same as man's.

Patience is a virtue that we would like to have right away, but as my mare discovered, it comes only through adversities that result in eventual submission to the master's will. By submitting to our Master, we too will experience contentment regardless of our circumstances, and we will be far more fit for the work our Master wants to entrust to us.

Pete Lewis

-------------------------=

Beside the still Waters

5/15/21

Longing in Heaven

(edited)

Yet we continue to live on earth because God still has a mission for us here. This may be to do something physically, to encourage other pilgrims along the way, or simply to pray. We can pray for the lost and for all Christians, that they may have victory in this present evil world. Indeed, we can be a help to others by praying for them. We all need the prayers of fellow Christians as we pass through this dark world.

Fred Beachy

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Beside the still waters

5/20/21

My own way

(edited)

...It is very important that our life is consistent with our talk, lest we mislead others by thinking they can have God's blessing and get to Heaven their way. Are we fully convinced that God's way is the only way? Does our life bear testimony to our profession?

Denver Yoder

-----------------------=

Beside the Still waters

5/30/21

Essential prayer

(edited)

Prayer is essential for a close relationship with God. It helps us to prepare our hearts for a meaningful worship experience....Prayer provides a powerful resource for protection and victory in times of temptation. Jesus said, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation" (Matthew 26:41).

Prayer conditions our heart for God to work His will in our life. Jesus found strength and submission before He was crucified when is also the Christian's resource for help and comfort in trouble or sorrow. The psalmist wrote, "When I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches" (Psalm 63:6). Often when awake at night, I have experience the blessing of spending time in communion with God.

We can pray for our children, grandchildren, extended family, and fellow church members. We can also pray for the many who are struggling or who have gone astray, and for our own faithfulness. Whenever we think about someone, we can pray for that person.

A large part of our prayers should consist of thanksgiving, both for blessings and for our brethren.

Denver Yoder

-------------------------------=

Beside the still waters

6/1/21

Deeds and Words

(edited)

...Tom kept his word, and Robert and his family soon came to believe in and live for Jesus Christ.

Tom witnessed with words and deeds. Jesus is honored by both. If we are slow to speak of Him, let us take seriously the admonition to "be ready always to give an answer" about our Christian hope. Remember, the Gospel came to us by those who not only lived good and honest lives, but also were willing to speak up for Jesus Christ. May we do the same.

Paul L. Miller

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy - Psalm 107:2

------------------------=

Beside the still waters

6/3/21

Righteousness of God by faith

(edited)

God has provided a way for us to become righteous out of His own righteousness. Our faith is the key. When we believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, we repent of our sins, and we trust Him for salvation. Our lives will reflect His righteousness. So any righteousness coming from our life is truly "of God by faith."

By faith we will produce works of righteousness and obedience. We will give all the recognition to God, however, rather than crediting ourselves for good works. Thus we have God's part and man's part. God will always remain righteous. We can be righteous as we by faith know Christ, follow after, reach forth, and press on.

Delmar R. Eby

We do good works because God makes us righteous.

We cannot make ourselves righteous by doing good works!

--------------------------=

Beside the still waters

6/10/21

(edited)

Coincidence

A secular science book comments on how fortunate a coincidence it is that the distance between the earth and the sun just happens to be such that the earth is neither burned up nor frozen solid. This statement is just as foolish as believing that the events related above were all coincidental. I have experienced so many answered prayers and so may instances of God's perfect timing that I have eliminated most uses of coincidence from my vocabulary.

Pete Lewis

----------------------------=

Beside the still waters

4/21/22

Bearing my brother's burden

(edited)

Bear ye another's burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ - Galatians 6:2

...When we see our brother struggling, what do we do? We should help him bear his burden, as today's key verse says. How do we do this?

One way is to provide a listening ear. Being assured that someone truly cares is always a big encouragement. If we are too busy to listen to a brother's struggles, we need to slow down....

Another way to help our brother bear his burden is to pray for him. In doing this we must take care lest we become self-righteous. We need to ask ourselves, "Am I praying because I truly care about my brother, or because I consider myself better than he?" Prayer is important, but it needs to be done in sincere love and concern.

Galatians 6:15 says, "Every man shall bear his own burden." This seems to contradict verse 2, but it doesn't. The Greek word in verse 2 indicates a heavy load (phortion). Willingly bearing our own burden requires humility. Willingly bearing our own burden plus our brother's burden requires even more humility. We need to be as concerned about our brother's burden as our own. That's how much we should love our brother. Being there for our brother is part of bearing our own burden.

Titus Yoder

I am my brother's keeper. I must help to carry his burden

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Today in the Word

5/12/22

Lift up my eyes

(edited)

Ryan Cook

It can be easy for our prayer life to devolve into a series of requests: "God, can you help me with X....? Can you bring healing to Y..." /and so on. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Jesus invited us, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). The problem comes when we start envisioning our relationship with God as a customer to vendor or a supervisor to underling.


Being God's servant has benefits. We can expect Him to hear when we call. The Psalmist had been ridiculed and mocked by scoffers (Psalm 123:4). Because the Psalmist was God's servant, this was a problem for God as well. Would God allow His servant to be treated poorly? It could be that God had His own purpose for this situation. But the psalm models for us that it is appropriate to ask God to intervene when we face a difficult situation.


These Psalms remind us that God is the sovereign and we are His servants. We are dependent upon Him for all things. But He cares deeply for us. Whatever you may be facing today, you can call on God and know that He cares.

-------------------=

Today in the Word

5/18/22

Life together

Ryan Cook

(edited)

One of the most powerful books about Christian community is Dietrich Bonhoffer's Life Together. Written during the Nazi regime, it says, "The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community."

Our dream of what Christian community should be may prevent us from experiencing it. The reality may not live up to our dreams. Bonhoeffer shifts our focus away from imaginary Christian fellowship, urging us instead to love the flesh-and-blood people around us.

...From Cain and Abel to the latest church meeting, evidence of brothers and sisters fighting is all around us. Despite this reality, Psalm 133 reminds us of how powerful it is when (with God's help) we live in unity.

--------------------------=

Today in the Word

5/26/22

Hear my prayer!

Ryan Cook

(edited)

David realizes that his suffering could be the result of God's judgment. He prays to God to deliver him, not because of his righteousness but because of God's faithfulness. (Psalm 143:1). His trust is not in himself, but in God: "I have put my trust in You" (Psalm 143:8).

David has good reason to trust in God. He muses, "I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all Your works and consider what Your hands have done" (Psalm 143:5)....

David's difficult situation made him long for God more than ever...

David models's for us how to approach God in humility and faith. Remember today that we are dependent upon God not only for our eternal salvation but also for each breath we make. Our hope in life and death is that we belong to God.

---------------------=

Today in the Word

7/7/21

Shepherds at the Incarnation

Brad Baurain

(edited)

Many Bible scholars believe these shepherds were watching over special flocks - animals used for the temple sacrifices. In that case, there's a double appropriacy here: Those taking care of the...sacrificial animals were the first to learn that the perfect, once-for-all Sacrifice had come!

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