Bible Verse of the Day: Psalms 1:1-6

Psalms 1:1-6, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. 4  The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6  For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.” (NASB)

Yesterdays Bible Verse of the Day was Isaiah 66:12-14. In those verses, God described how much comfort he brings to his servants. Today’s Bible Verse of the Day provides a roadmap for achieving “servant” status.

We should not walk in the counsel of the wicked. As Christians, we still have to live in the world. We cannot take ourselves completely out of it. We have to still shop, work, and be around “wicked” people. But, how do we avoid being in their counsel? Counsel is defined as, “advice, esp. that given formally.” So while we are around them, we should not accept the advice of those who are not servants of God.

Notice I make a distinction between “Christians” and “servants of God”. There are many that claim the name of “Christian”. Yet, they do not follow the will of God. Some do not even know what the will of God is. Their biblical knowledge is limited to what their preacher says on Sunday. Their advice may or may not be based in true biblical knowledge. We must seek the counsel of true servants of God. Those who seek out what the will of God is and daily apply it to their lives.

“Nor stand in the path of sinners…” As we go through life, we each leave our own path. It is the road that we have walked through life. If someone follows us down that path then they will end at the same destination. God warns us about following the correct path. We must look at whose path we are following. Where will the path we are following lead us?

“Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!” Scoffer is defined as, “To show or express derision or scorn.” God warns us about being in the company of those who cause derision. Those who would willing separate us from God. If someone finds delight in challenging God and/or his followers then we should avoid them.

We must be careful to apply the distinction here. There is a great difference between asking questions and challenging God. Someone who simply is seeking answers should be cultivated. We should do our best to steer them towards God. However, if their questions are simply meant to challenge our faith then they should be avoided. The difference is their intent. This can take some time to figure out. Be careful to identify what their true motives are.

“He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, …” What a picture God paints here. If we follow the plan that he has laid out for us then we will be like a firmly planted tree. We will not worry about whether or not we will continue in God’s way. Our roots will be planted deep enough that we cannot be moved. No matter what the circumstances, we will stay the course.

“Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” God continues the picture of a true servant’s journey. We will yield fruit for God. If we supply the faith, study time, and constant following of God’s path then he will supply the opportunities for growth. As long as we are following the path of God then we will prosper in whatever we do.

Bible Verse of The Day: Isaiah 66:12-14

Isa 66:12-14, “For thus says the LORD, "Behold, I extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees. 13  "As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem." 14  Then you will see this, and your heart will be glad, And your bones will flourish like the new grass; And the hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants, But He will be indignant toward His enemies.” (NASB)

Through Isaiah, God states he, “extends peace to her like a river”.  A river flows through an area without concern for where it is going. As long as there are no barriers, the water just continues to flow. Eventually, it will cover the whole area. Everything it flows over will be nurtured by the river. Everything around the river will be nurtured. The whole area will receive the benefits that the river’s water brings.

Next, God describes what will happen to the nation of Israel. “…Glory of the nations like an overflowing stream…” Any nation that follows God’s will enjoys the same peace as the individual. This nation will enjoy inner peace. While following the will of God, their endeavors will be blessed. God will be with this nation. Even though God is directing this to the nation of Israel, it applies to any nation that follows God’s will.

Verse 13 compares God to a mother comforting her child. Consider how a mother comforts her child? Her presence provides the child comfort. The child knows that his mother will do everything to protect him. The child’s mother will provide for his needs. Everything that the mother has is at the child’s disposal. If someone threatens the child then the mother will bring all of her resources to bear on the child’s enemies. God is telling us that he will do all these things for us and more.

These promises from God should bring us great comfort. Consider that the creator of the entire universe is promising to use his power to help you. These words should cause several changes within us. It should bring us inner peace. How much greater of an ally could we have then God? It should cause a desire to please him. It should motivate us to cultivate the traits and attitude that will create a God fearing life.

Finally, God explains who will enjoy these benefits. These benefits will be open to God’s servants. Consider what a servant was at this time. If you had a servant then the servant did whatever you needed them to do. It did not matter what you asked. It did not matter how long the task took. It was the servant’s duty to do your will. Consider Abraham’s servant. Sara even asked her to have Abraham’s baby. She did that without any hesitation.

We must treat God in the same manner. We cannot be flippant with our attitude towards God. We cannot be a Sunday only Christian. Our walk with God must continue throughout the week. It must be an everyday event. We must actively search out God’s will for our lives. Once we know what he wants for us then we must apply it. We must create such a habit in ourselves that we follow God’s will without hesitation.

As with any other blessing, God warns us about not following his will. “But He will be indignant toward His enemies.” Indignant is not a passive word. It does not mean that God will just look the other way at his enemies. Indignant means, “feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment.” God has just described the level of benefits that his servant’s enjoy. Consider now the opposite. If God can bring so many benefits then how much destruction can he bring? If we are seen as God’s enemy then he will show anger or annoyance at us. Paints quite a picture doesn’t it. Which side of this coin do you want to be on?

Bible Verse For Today: Isaiah 42:16

Bible Verse For Today: Isaiah 42:16  "I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone."

Have you ever been walking in a dark room and stub your toe? When that pain shoots up your leg, you realize the value of a light. If only you had turned the light on then your toe wouldn't be yelling at you right now? You react by quickly locating the nearest light switch. You don't want to make that same mistake twice. Our lives are no different.We have two choices in life. 

We can spend our lives finding our own way in the dark. This results in many "stubbed toes". We spend our lives bouncing from one stubbed toe to another. We continue to lean upon our own understanding of life. We think that we can make our own successful plan. No matter how dark our circumstances get. This doesn't seem like a very good plan does it?

Through Isaiah, God is providing us another way. He tells us that we are not alone in this world. God knows that we have no idea what is ahead of us. We are like the blind. We do not know the path ahead of us any better then a blind person in a new building. However, we are never alone. God promises to guide us through "a way they do not know". No matter what we are facing, if we trust God then he will guide us through it.

God also promises, no matter what the obstacle, he will provide us a way out. Through Isaiah God tells us, "I will make darkness into light before them and rugged places in to plains." God is not promising that we will not have difficulties. However, if we trust him then he will always provide a solution to our problems. We just have to trust that God can and will provide a way out. We also have to realize that God's way out may not always be the way we would choose.

What problem have you been having? What situation in your life is causing you "stubbed toes"? Have you turned the light of God onto the situation? If not then why not? Isn't it time to take the problem to God in prayer? If you completely trust that God will help you then he will. Just be open to the way out that God provides. It may not be the solution you were looking for. But, trust God and the path will become clear in front of you.

Bible Verse of the Day: Matthew 6:25-34

Anxiety is a huge problem in the United States. Pharmeceutical companies earn billions each year by selling us anti-depressants or other anxiety medications. Regularly we hear about someone who has committed suicide. We even see suicides among our younger children. Today's Bible Verse of the Day will shed some light on anxiety.

Matthew 6:25-34, "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26  "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27  "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28  "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29  yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30  "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31  "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' 32  "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33  "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34  "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (New American Standard Bible)

Jesus is telling us here that we should not worry at all. If we have the proper faith then we should realize God created us all. If God created us all then isn't he capable of taking care of us? Jesus specifically tells us not to worry about what we will wear or eat. This takes faith. Not the type of faith that comes from simply sitting in church, listening to the sermon, singing some songs, and getting a "good feeling". This requires the type of faith that comes from studying God's word. From realizing that God is capable of keeping his promises to us and will do so for his children. hopefully this verse will help you curb your anxiety.

Why is Christianity Really Under Attack?

Over the last 50 years, attacks against Christianity have increased. Initially, I believed that it wasn’t just Christianity. I thought that all religion was under attack. I blamed this on a general trend for society to belief that it did not need a higher power. People were simply deciding to go it alone. However, a recent scan of “religious news” headlines shows a different trend. It is not religion at all that is under attack. It is Christianity. Why is Christianity really under attack?

What prompted me to ask this question? A search of today’s tweets made me start questioning why Christianity is under attack while other religions are not.

• Religion News tweeted, “What to do if Westboro hate group shows up on your doorstep: http://bit.ly/1hjTPPf #religion +http://bit.ly/WestboroHateCult …” In fact, Westboro Baptist were mentioned in multiple news stories.

• Religion News also vilified Christian Counselors, “Christian counsellors ban therapy aimed at 'converting' gay patients: http://bit.ly/1hjTFY8 #religion #LGBT +http://bit.ly/LGBTandReligion” They didn’t even spell counselors right.

• Huffington Post decides that a Christian preacher cutting church short for football is news. “WATCH: Pastor leads fastest Sunday service ever because of. what else.. football http://huff.to/1cX1rFw”

These stories did not surprise me. Christianity has been under attack for awhile. What got my attention were other religions being reported in a positive manner.

• Religion News reports a positive story about Wicca, ” Not a broomstick in sight: Meet the modern-day witches: http://dailym.ai/L3EEPi #religion +http://bit.ly/WiccaWitchcraft”

• Huffington Post reports about observing the birth of the prophet Mohammed. “Observing the birth of the Prophet Muhammad http://huff.to/1djqxPW”

• While open Christian prayer is being vilified in schools and workplaces, Huffington Post will help you learn from a Buddhist. “WATCh: Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg shares how to find real happiness at work http://huff.to/19TktyJ”

Why is Christianity being treated so differently then other religions? Answering this question requires that we look at the teachings of these different religions.

Christianity teaches personal responsibility. It teaches that we all have the right and the freedom to make our own choices. At the same time, we have the right and the freedom to live with the consequences of our choices. It is not anyone else’s responsibility to bail us out. It is especially not the government’s responsibility to hold a gun to someone else’s head and make them bail us out.

Christianity teaches that we should care about our fellow man. Many commandments given by God are meant to instill in us a love for our fellow human beings. We are told to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. We are requested to give of our means freely. That money is then used to help people in the community.

Christianity teaches us that right and wrong are not abstract concepts. Right and wrong are set forth by our creator. Morality is not determined by the whims of society at any moment in time. Right and wrong have been the same for centuries. This will not change. What was right and wrong yesterday, will be today, and will be tomorrow.

Now, let’s compare these teachings to some of the religions that are being portrayed positively.

• Wicca uses a very loose moral code. One Wiccan that I used to work with described his moral code as “Do no harm but do whatever you want”. I warned our boss at the time that such believes leads to an unstable person. They are left with being able to do anything they can justify in their own minds. Humans can justify a lot of things.

• Muslims believe that religion and government should go hand-in-hand. All laws should be used to further Muslim beliefs. If you are not Muslim then you are an infidel. Infidels should either be killed or taxed into submission. Or in other words, they believe in big government.

• Among their many beliefs, Buddhists believe that we should turn back the clock on progress. To quote one of their websites, “In the process of producing the things we feel will make us happy, we have polluted our environment to such an extent that the very air we breathe and the water we drink now threaten our health and well-being. We love the freedom and independence a car can give us, but the cost in accidents and environmental destruction is enormous.”

Contemplating on these different beliefs, I saw the real reason that Christianity is under attack. Christianity stands in the way of humans that simply want to gain power. A person that does not answer to anything of this world is not afraid of humans that simply want to rule over him. A central welfare system allows people to continue behaving badly. If someone is more worried about how many times he can get laid then being productive then he is more controllable. Christians believe in freedom. This leads us to believe in the smallest government possible. In short, if you are in power and want more power then you need to get Christians out of your way. Could this be the real reason that Christianity is under attack?

Daily Devotional: What is Faith?

Faith is one of the most talked about items in Christianity. There is only one verse that gives us a definition of faith. Heb 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Is all faith the same? To answer this question, we need only look at Jesus’s words. Mat_6:30, "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!”  On several occasions, Jesus rewarded people with a large amount of faith. Mat_9:22, “But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." At once the woman was made well.”

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Heb 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

In Hebrews 11, we find out that faith is what justified our forefathers. Noah was justified by following God’s wishes. Heb 11:7, “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”

By faith Abraham followed God’s wishes. Heb 11:8-10, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9  By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10  for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

By faith Moses followed God’s wishes. Heb 11:24-29, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25  choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26  considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 27  By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. 28  By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 29  By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.”

The list goes on but you see the point. Our ancestors faith led them to follow God’s wishes. It was not their works that justified them. Their works were produced out of their faith. It was the faith that justified them. Faith is what leads us to trust that God will keep his promises to us. Without faith then it is impossible to cultivate the traits that allow us to lead a God centered life.

Why is the Bible so complicated?

Gallup poll tells us that 52% of Americans claim some form of Christianity. Yet only one of five Americans read their Bible. Of the ones that read their Bible, 50% state they only read it a few times a year. That means only five percent of those claiming Christianity read their Bible regularly. One cause is they see the Bible as too complicated. Why would God make the Bible so complicated that people will not read it?

Part of the problem is not the Bible at all. Part of the issue is the traits that prosperity has brought the United States. Consider just a couple of these:

United States has become addicted to instant gratification. Consider the fitness industry. Fitness equipment industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. Each new piece of equipment promises to get us in shape with little effort. Yet, more Americans are obese then ever before. We want someone else to do the work for us. We would rather trust what a preacher, pastor, priest tells us then search out the answers for ourselves. These habits are robbing us of the pearls in the word of God.

United States is addicted to taking shortcuts. We do not even write letters to each other anymore. We use cell phones to send short messages via text. Even then, we cannot even be bothered to write out our thoughts. We invented a whole language based on shorthand. Cliff notes created a cottage industry on keeping students from needing to read a whole assignment. These are just a few examples.

These traits are leading us to abandon the Bible. It is causing us to turn to any so-called preacher that promises to show us the way. Instead of using God’s blessings as a measure of success in our lives, we are using how church makes us feel. For many, walking into a building on Sunday and getting the same feeling from the 10 piece band as a rock concert passes for religion.

True religion is more than simply feeling good in a building. True religion is measured by the changes that are evident within our lives. How many people attend “church” but yet go home and beat their wives? How many listen to a rock band on Sunday morning but then get into drunken driving accidents before Monday morning? Consider what God really meant the Bible to do.

Bible is meant to create a desire for God in us. God made his creation in his own image. He could have made us to simply follow him. However, God chose to give us free will. God wants us to follow him because we want to. Anyone can sit in a building in Sunday and listen to a sermon. However, desiring to follow the will of God is the trait that causes us to apply it to our lives. Desire lays the foundation of our faith.

Bible prepares us to receive God’s gifts in our lives. God wants us to appreciate the gifts he gives us. Have you ever bought your child a toy only to have him destroy it within an hour? If you require your child to work for the money, to buy the toy, then does he treat it differently? God realizes that his children, of all ages, act the same way. If we are required to have some sweat equity in our faith then we appreciate the gifts God gives us.

Bible is meant to cause a change in us. God does not give us commandments or examples simply to play games with us. Every commandment, every example causes a change within us. Consider the example of cultivating an attitude of humility.

An attitude of humility requires us to realize that we have no control in this life. Once we realize that we really cannot control the world around us then we are ready to accept God. Only then are we ready to accept a higher authority. When we accept that God is there then we can start to build our faith. Only with proper humility are we able to completely turn our problems over to God.

Turning our problems over to God provides us with peace. Have you ever been with a child who is afraid of the dark? When they go to sleep they are afraid of what is in the dark. Notice how their attitude changes when you sit beside them, until they go to sleep. They trust that we can protect them. This trust gives them the peace to go to sleep. It is no different with our adult problems. Once we turn them over to our father then we should be able to sleep with the same trust as our children.

Humility is only one example. Every time we ingrain a commandment of God into our lives then we experience a similar progression. Take a moment and consider how following some of God’s other examples changes us. How does giving of our time and money change us? How does going to church change us? Every lesson in the Bible can cause a change in us.

Bible helps us to avoid consequences. God does not warn of to avoid sin simply because he wants to test our will. God does not play games with his creation. Every commandment, every example that God gives us is meant to keep us away from the consequences of sin. If we follow God’s commandments and examples then it will cause changes in us. These changes will help keep us from the consequences of sin.

Bible helps us to maximize God’s ability to work in our lives. James tells us that God tests the faith of his children. He does not do so because he is some supernatural trickster. God test us because he needs us to cultivate the spiritual maturity to carry out his plan for us. Studying the Bible provides the seeds of spiritual maturity. Spiritual mature gives God the clay to mold us into the Christians that he wants us to be.

Complication itself is part of God’s plan. God knows that we are a people prone to boredom. Once we figure something out then we move on to something else. Bible was put together in such a way to avoid this. We could study the Bible for years and never uncover all of its wisdom. However, the destination is not the point. During our Bible studies we will find the answers to whatever problem facing us. We will find strength to carry on. We will find guidance to lead the world around us.

Do not mourn the fact that the Bible takes study to understand. Realize that everything God does is part of his plan. Rejoice that he gave us such a book that can answer any situation we are facing. Realize that studying the Bible is the seed of greater things to come in our lives. Does that change the way you see the Bible? Does it make you want to spend some time with it today? I know for me it does. If you want to fulfill God’s plan for your life then you are going to need to spend some time with him. I urge you to spend just a few minutes each day with the Bible. You will be surprised the change it can make in our life.You can view more about church of Christ beliefs here.