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Date Posted: 13:36:48 06/18/23 Sun
Author: c
Subject: Supplementary Teachings 6/2023 (updated)

Today in the Word devotional July 2023

Q&A

Questions & Answers

by Dr. Sanjay Merchant, Professor of Theology

(edited)

p 21


Q: God knows everything that will happen. For example, Jesus said to Peter that "today - yes, tonight - before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown Me three times" (Mark 14:30). But if He foreknew that Peter would deny Him, then Peter had to deny Him. So, why are we considered sinful, since nobody can change what He already knows will happen?

A: Only God can "declare...what is yet to come" (Isaiah 44:7) because He is all-knowing. His knowledge is perfect in that He knows all past, present, future, hypothetical facts, and believes no falsehoods. However, as you suggest, we cannot suppose that His knowledge determines our acts, since we are morally responsible for what we do.

"Fatalism" (as the question suggests) implies that we are not accountable for sin, yet the Bible teaches that "each of us will give an account of ourselves to God" (Romans 14:12). Notably, Peter did not blame Christ for causing his denial, but "broke down and wept" (Mark 14:72) upon realizing that he had sinned.

Our freedom does not nullify God's foreknowledge....


Although God foreordains everything (see Acts 4:27- 28; Romans 8:29; Ephesians 1:5), He does not determine our acts. Both are true: God foreknows everything that will happen, and, at the same time, we are free. We need not concede either that God's foreknowledge nullifies human freedom or that human freedom nullifies God's foreknowledge.

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Today in the Word

7/24/23

Follow and love God's Word

(edited)

Psalms 119:9 - 16

I delight in Your Decrees; I will not neglect Your Word - Psalm 119:16


...What are we to do with God's Word? Live according to It (Psalm 119:9). Ask God to keep us from straying from It (v. 10). Memorize it (v. 11) Ask God to teach It to us (v. 12). Recount or proclaim It (v. 13). Rejoice in following It (v. 14). Meditate on and consider or study It (v. 13). Delight in It (v. 16). These verbs involve both intellect and emotion, thought and action. What happens when we do these things? We stay on the path of purity (v. 9). We avoid sin (v. 11). Overall, a spirit of praise and worship permeates these verses!

To "hide" or "store up" or "treasure" (these are all possible translations) God's Word in our hearts is to memorize It (v. 11). This is not "rote memorization," but rather deep and transformative learning. By committing God's Word to memory, truly taking It to heart, we promote the process of understanding, valuing, and applying His truth.

Bradley Baurain

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Today in the Word

7/25/23

God's Word warns us

(edited)

1 Corinthians 10:1 - 13


These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us - 1 Corinthians 10:11


God's Word acts as a kind of lighthouse, warning us to avoid sinful traps and temptations.


Do we take sin as seriously as God does? If it's idolatry or immorality, probably yes. But what about grumbling or complaining? Let's commit to not taking any sin lightly. Take time to confess your sins to God today.

Bradley Baurain

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Today in the Word

7/28/23

Obey and Meditate of God's Word

(edited)

Joshua 1:7 - 9


Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on It day and night. - Joshua 1:8


While Bible reading and study are essential, they're not enough. They must be accompanied by obedience (Joshua 1:7)....

To promote obedience, God also commanded Joshua to saturate his mind and heart with Scripture: "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on It day and night" (v. 8). "On your lips" includes reading aloud and reciting. Whereas Eastern meditation often focuses on emptying the mind, godly meditation fills the mind with God's Word.

Bradley Baurain

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Today in the Word

7/29/23

God's Word is our delight

(edited)

Psalm 1

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season - Psalm 1:3


In Cultivating a Love for God's Word, Michael Kelley wrote: "Our hearts follow our investments. We desire that men, women, and children not just read the Bible, but also that they love the Bible.....That's why this truth is so valuable because even though you can't manufacture love, you can control your focus and priority. And our hearts will follow our investments."

In other words, if we want to grow a deeper love for Scripture, we should start by committing more time and energy to It. Our feelings and motivations will follow. The result? Genuine delight. A person who delights in God's Law meditates continually on It, seeks guidance from It, and obeys It consistently (vv. 1 - 2). Such a person is truly blessed, or happy.

A flourishing tree is a powerful image of the grounded Christian life...

Bradley Baurain

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intouch.org Daily Devotion 6/1/23

A Balanced Prayer

Taking time to praise the King of Kings will change how you bring your petitions to Him.

2 Chronicles 20:5-12

Modern-day Christians can learn a lot from prayers recorded in the Old Testament. Many women and men who prayed in the Bible witnessed firsthand God’s wonder-working power—and that power is still available to us today.

Let’s take a look at Jehoshaphat. His prayer for help not only asked the Lord to meet his needs but also proclaimed God’s greatness. By praying, “Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You” (2 Chron. 20:6), Jehoshaphat was praising God and at the same time reminding himself of the Lord’s greatness.

Likewise, our requests should be made with recognition of who God is. While crying out to God about his terrible predicament, Jehoshaphat also exalted the Lord for His attributes and acknowledged the great things He had done previously. That’s why knowing the Word of God is so important. Reading about how He has worked in the lives of others helps us grasp the immensity of His might.

Do you want to revolutionize your prayer life? When you talk to God, recall His mercy, grace, and awesome power. Focus as much attention on Him as you do on your requests, and your relationship with the Father will be transformed.

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

Our Daily Bread

8/16/23

The Power of persistence

(edited)

In 1917, a young seamstress was thrilled to get admitted to one of New York City's most renown fashion design schools. But when Ann Lowe Cone arrived from Florida to register for classes, the school's director told her she wasn't welcome. "To be blunt, Mrs. Cone, we didn't know that you were a Negro," he said. Refusing to leave, she whispered a prayer: Please let me stay here. Seeing her persistence, the director let Ann stay, but segregated her from the whites-only classroom leaving the back door open "for [her] to hear."

Undeniably talented, Ann still graduated six months early and attracted high society clients including former First Lady of the United States Jacqueline Kennedy, whose world-famous wedding gown she designed. She made the gown twice, seeking God's help after a pipe burst above her sewing studio, ruining the first dress.

Perseverance like that is powerful, especially in prayer. In Jesus' parable of the persistent widow, a widow pleads repeatedly for justice from a corrupt judge. At first, he refused her, but "because the widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice" (Luke 18:5).

With far more love, "will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?" (v. 7). He will, said Jesus (v. 8). As He inspires us, let's seek to persistently pray and never give up. In His time and perfect way, God will answer.

Patricia Raybon

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

Our Daily Bread

8/20/23

Finding open spaces

(edited)

In his book Margin, Dr. Richard Swenson writes, "We must have some room to breathe. We need freedom to think and permission to heal. Our relationships are being starved to death by velocity...Our children lay wounded on the ground, run over by our high-speed good intentions. Is God now pro-exhaustion? Doesn't He lead people beside the still waters anymore? Who plundered those wide-open spaces of the past, and how can we get them back?" Swenson says we need some quiet, fertile "land" in life where we can rest in God and meet with Him.

Does that resonate?...Jesus also "often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:16). Both He and Moses realized the importance of spending time alone with the Father.

We too need to build margin into our lives, some wide and open spaces spent in rest and in God's presence. Spending time with Him will help us make better decisions - creating healthier margins and boundaries in our life so we have the bandwith available to love Him and others well.

Let's seek God in open spaces today.

Tom Felten

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

Our Daily Bread

8/28/23

Losing everything

(edited)

The timing couldn't have been worse. After making a small fortune engineering bridges, monuments, and large buildings, Cesar had aspirations of starting a new endeavor. So he sold his first business and banked the money, planning to reinvest it soon. During that brief window, his government seized all assets held in private bank accounts. In an instant, Cesar's life savings evaporated.

Choosing not to view the injustice as a cause to complain, Cesar asked God to show him the way forward. And then - he simply started over.

In one awful moment, Job lost far more than merely his possessions. He lost most of his servants and all his children (Job 1:13-22). Then he lost his health (2:7-8). Job's response remains a timeless example for us....The chapter concludes, 'In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing" (v. 22).

Like Job, Cesar chose to trust God. In just a few years he had built a new business more successful than the first. His story resembles the conclusion of Job's (see Job 42). But even if Cesar had never recovered economically, he knew his real treasure wasn't on this earth anyway (Matthew 6:19-20). He would still be trusting God.

Tim Gustafson

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

Adult Bible Class - Union Gospel Press

Summer Quarter

June/July/August 2023

6/18/23

Lesson 3

A Victorious Kingdom

p 15

(edited)

In Scotland, a young woman began teaching a Sunday school class of poverty-stricken boys. The most unpromising youngster was a boy named Bob. After the first two or three Sundays, he did not return; so the teacher went to look for him. Although the Sunday school superintendent had given Bob some new clothes, they were already worn and dirty when the teacher found him. He was given another new suit, and he came back to Sunday school. But soon he quit again, and the teacher went out once more to find him.

When she did, she discovered that the second set of clothes had gone the way of the first. "I am completely discouraged about Bob," she told the superintendent. They gave Bob a third suit of clothes, and this time he began to attend faithfully. It was not long until he became a Christian.

Who was that obstinate, ragged boy? He was none other than Robert Morrison, who later became the first Protestant missionary to China. He translated the Bible into Chinese and brought the Word of God to millions.


p 17

The message of repentance had been given repeatedly since the days of John the Baptist (Mark 1:4, 14 - 15). Repentance is a turning from sin to God and is necessary for salvation. It is not a required "work" prior to salvation but rather an evidence of the work of God in one's heart

Keith E. Eggert

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

Turning Points devotional

7/8 - 9/23

(edited)

Paul

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.

1 Corinthians 2:7

In her book, Journey to Confidence, Kimberly Sowell suggests we BOW before God and pray, asking Him to make us His witnesses. She suggests using this word BOW as a reminder to plead for these three things: Boldness, Opportunity, and Words of Wisdom.

The apostle Paul took advantage of all three divine provisions. God gave him boldness at crucial times,...He found opportunities everywhere to preach both through word and life,...And he spake words of wisdom: "Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24).

To be a better witness, which of those three do you most need? Let's BOW and ask for aid.

Turning Point

Would you be so adventurous as to not only be open to witness for Christ, but to petition Almighty God to grant you witnessing opportunities?

Kimberly Sowell

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

Turning Points Devotional

7/22 - 23/23

Barnabas

And Joses, who was named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite from the country of Cyprus.

Acts 4:36

Did you know you can encourage someone by asking them to do something for you? Sometimes people want to be needed, and by asking simple favor you can lift their spirits. You can do the same with a sincere compliment. Our world needs more of those! Taking time to listen, being genuinely concerned, looking someone in the eyes and offering to help, sending a thank you note, or surprising someone with a simple gift - all those are ways of being an apostle of encouragement.

Barnabas was the first apostle of encouragement. While he certainly led others to Christ and shared the Gospel, he really excelled at encouraging others who were doing the same....

Don't let the day pass without intentionally encouraging someone. Become an apostle of encouragement.

Turning Point

I know of no one more needed, more valuable, more Christlike, than the person who is committed to encouragement.

Chuck Swindoll

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