When God looks for fruit in your life and finds none

God expects us to grow in Him and bear good fruit. When we do not bear any good fruit God takes notice. It is a serious matter to Him as this passage from Luke testifies.

Luke 13:6-9

6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Rejoicing in work or being burdened by work

Have you ever seen youths that have seemingly endless energy. And that energy abounds when their bodies are working on what they want to do. But if you ask them to rake the yard then all their energy drains right out of them. It not that their bodies lack energy. Its a mental burden to them because they selfishly don't see any good in the work and their selfish mindset wearies them. 

But God teaches us that we should rejoice in our work and see the good in it. In Genesis chapter 1 we find that God created the heavens and earth. And during those 6 days God frequently looked at His work and told Himself that it was good. God showed us how He rejoiced in His work so that we too would rejoice by telling ourselves that our labor is good. God has kind intentions towards us. And as a result He teaches us about joyful paths. Another passage that strongly promotes rejoicing in our work is Ecclesiastes 2:24.

24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Several uses of the tongue are an abomination to God.

Proverbs 6:16-19 tells about seven things that are an abomination to God. Three of these seven things concern the use of our tongue. If we love the Lord we will not want to displease Him. Let's use our tongues in a way that will bless both God and people.

Proverbs 6:16-19

16 There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Speaking with wicked lips or even listening to them - Both can be sin

Proverbs 17:4
An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

We all know that using our lips in a wicked or destructive way is sin. But this verse shows that listening and/or paying attention to those who use their lips sinfully can be sin on the part of the hearer. It reveals sinful character flaws when a person wants to hear wrong usage of the tongue. 

We should prayerfully examine ourselves and see if there is any area of our life where we actually incline our ear to someone who uses their tongue sinfully.


Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Small ability level or great, both can please God equally

As you read the passage from Matthew 25: below take notice of the following. In verse 15 we see that those entrusted with the talents did not all have the same ability level. They were given responsibilities base on their own individual ability. God knowing their ability level did not expect them to accomplish equally. Instead of equal accomplishments God was looking for equal faithfulness.

Perhaps this is not the best example but lets pretend you are on the same basketball team as Michael Jordan. You can give your team a 100% and Michael can give his team a 100%. At the end of the game, in-spite of equal effort, Michael scores twice as many points as you. You were not equally productive but you both gave your best effort. 

In this world the one with greater ability may be favored more. But not so with God. In verses 19-23 carefully compare, word for word, the praise that the master gave to the one who gained 5 talents to the one that gained 2 talents. The praise is the same. Word for word the praise is the same. God was equally pleased with both. Why? God was not equally pleased because of equal accomplishments but because they both were faithful. 

Matthew 25:14-30

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

24 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

The temptation of Eve

Take a look at these Old and New Testament verses and see if you think there are any parallels to the temptation of Eve in the garden.

1 John 2:15-16

15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

Genesis 3:5-6

5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate

Compare the wording between the 1 John and Genesis.

Lust of the flesh / saw that the tree was good for food

Lust of the eyes / it was a delight to the eyes

Boastful pride of life / the tree was desirable to make one wise (tempted that she would be like God, knowing good and evil)

Based on this comparison do you think the three things mentioned in 1 John are the same worldly temptations that led Eve into sin?

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Anxious about the United States fiscal cliff, the European debt crisis or even Wall Street?

No matter what happens in the economy or how much gasoline cost, God is still able to provide for His children. He created the moon and the stars and hung the earth on nothing. He made the land and the seas and all that swims in it. He causes the eagle to soar and gave it skill to hunt from on high. 

God power is great. God ability to provide for His children is not limited by what happens on earth. Make it your first priority to seek after His righteousness and His kingdom and your needs will be met. (if you want to become God's child right now go to this link. http://nasb-audio-bible-in-a-year.blogspot.com/p/salvation-how-can-i-be-saved-and-go-to.html )

Matthew 6:25-34

25 “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.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Ever been alone and fearful?

In 1 Samuel 21 David had such a time. David was alone.  He was fleeing from King Saul alone with no one to help him. He was at his wits end. He must have been desperate since he fled to Gath. David in the past had killed Goliath. And Gath was the town where Goliath had lived. He ran the risk of being recognized by the Philistines in Gath as a great warrior. And someone did recognize him. 

1 Samuel 21

10 Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,

‘Saul has slain his thousands,

And David his ten thousands’?”

12 David took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath.

Great fear gripped David. He was alone. He had no brother or sister in the Lord to encourage and strengthen him. But David encouraged himself. David speaks about at least two things he did to encourage himself in this situation. David mentions this time in his life in Psalm 56. 

Psalm 56

When I am afraid,

I will put my trust in You.

4 In God, whose word I praise,

In God I have put my trust;

I shall not be afraid.

What can mere man do to me?

One thing David did to encourage himself was to put his trust in God. Another was to remind himself how excellent and trustworthy is the word of God. At the beginning of verse 4 he starts out fearful. He then puts his trust in God and His excellent word and gains confidence.

There are several ways for us to deal with fear. In this devotion we only addressed trusting God and trusting His word. But look at how powerful they can be. They are two dynamic resources for changing our mind from fear to confidence.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Man's love can be fickle and even dangerous

David learned on many occasions that man's love is unreliable. In fact he found that the compassion of some became so deadened that they even sought his life.

One key in dealing with these painful realizations is to never place your hope in the unreliable love of man but rather to fix your hope on the consistent love of God. The Lords love is unfailing. He never forsakes His own. No one loves us like the Lord.

Since these things are true don't set your hope in man to meet your need for love. You will be disappointed time and time again. Set your hope in God's unfailing love. He won't hurt or disappoint you. Keep Him first in your life. 

Below are a few examples in the life of David where the love of people / family failed him. But God was faithful to him through all of these things.

David serves Kings Saul but Saul turns against him and wants him dead
Beginning at 1 Samuel 18

David's own men want to stone him - 1 Samuel 30

David puts trust in God above mother and father - Psalm 27:10

David pursued by his own son Absalom - Starting at about 2 Samuel 15

David is betrayed by a close companion - Psalm 55:12-14

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Some thoughts from Proverbs 10

Things to think about from Proverbs 10

Our conduct can bring gladness or grief to God and our family

1 A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

God faithfully provides for the righteous

3 The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He will reject the craving of the wicked.

Poverty and provision can be directly related to laziness and diligence

4 Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

The tongue of the upright is a blessing to others

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. 

21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding.

Carefully screen someone you appoint or hire or you will suffer for it
(there may be other points that can be taken from this verse)

26 Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.


Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Psalm 22 - The Crucifixion as told by Jesus Himself

Psalm 22 was written about 1000(?) years before the Cross. And part of Psalm 22 seems to be told from a different perspective. It is not told from the viewpoint of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Rather it appears to be told from the viewpoint of Jesus Himself. Read through Psalm 22 and see if any part of the Psalm seems to be told from Christ's standpoint.

Psalm 22 

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.
² O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest.
³ Yet You are holy,
O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
⁴ In You our fathers trusted;
They trusted and You delivered them.
⁵ To You they cried out and were delivered;
In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

⁶ But I am a worm and not a man,
A reproach of men and despised by the people.
⁷ All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,
⁸ “Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

⁹ Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.
¹⁰ Upon You I was cast from birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

¹¹ Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
¹² Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
¹³ They open wide their mouth at me,
As a ravening and a roaring lion.
¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.
¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And You lay me in the dust of death.
¹⁶ For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.
¹⁷ I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
¹⁸ They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹ But You, O Lord, be not far off;
O You my help, hasten to my assistance.
²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword,
My only life from the power of the dog.
²¹ Save me from the lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

²² I will tell of Your name to my brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
²³ You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
²⁴ For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

²⁵ From You comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
²⁶ The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!
²⁷ All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
²⁸ For the kingdom is the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.
²⁹ All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
³⁰ Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.
³¹ They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Ever want quick, fast food style, answers to prayer?

Do you want to pull up to prayer window number 1 and by the time you get to window 2 you have your answer? It doesn't always work that way. David shared in Psalm 40 that the help that God sent him took time but it proved to be a blessing both for David and for those who saw it.

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.
4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.
6 Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart.”
9 I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You know.
10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.
11 You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
12 For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has failed me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
Make haste, O Lord, to help me.
14 Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.
15 Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 Since I am afflicted and needy,
Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Do you like the Psalms? At you own pace you can listen to the entire Book of Psalms at the link below. Click on the link. Then click on "Psalms". Then click on the chapters. God bless

http://nasb-audio-bible-in-a-year.blogspot.com/p/audio-by-each-book.html


Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Wonderful teachings found in Luke 14-16

Jesus healing on the Sabbath
Don't pick out a place of honor for yourself
Allowing other things to be more important than a relationship with God
Seeking a sheep that is lost
The Prodigal son
A shrewd but unrighteous steward

All of these wonderful passages are found in today's audio Bible clip of Luke 14-16. It's easy listen to those chapters right now by do the following:

1. Click on the link below
2. Then click on the link titled "Luke" 
3. Then click on "Luke 14-16"

http://nasb-audio-bible-in-a-year.blogspot.com/p/audio-by-each-book.html

Do you want to be used by God?

Here are two character qualities that make you useful in His service. The first is having a genuine love for the Body of Christ as Timothy did. And the second is having a genuine love for God as Peter did. One reason Paul put Timothy into service was because of his love of people. And one reason Jesus put Peter into service was for his love of God.( I am using the verses below to make a point. Timothy also loved God and Peter also loved people.)

Philippians 2:19-21

19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. 20 For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

John 21:16-18

16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.

To sum up Love God and love people and you too may be given something to do for God.


Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Are you eating a balanced spiritual diet?

Many of us have several Bible Teachers / Preachers to which we listen. To make sure that we are getting a well balance spiritual diet I recommend doing something. Pay attention to the words in the messages over the next month or so. See if at some point you are instructed to turn from sin. If week after week there is no reference to repentance then your spiritual diet is lacking. We all stray and from time to time. As a result we need times when someone speaks words to us that turn us back into right paths. Additionally in our personal time of getting into the Word we must not get in an unbalance diet of verses that are only encouraging. All of God's Word is good for us. Even the uncomfortable ones that correct and discipline us. God bless

Meditating on God's Word will increase your insight

Psalm 119:99

99 I have more insight than all my teachers,

For Your testimonies are my meditation 

Why not set aside some time right now and meditate on a verse or passage. Read it over and over and pay careful attention to each word. Also as you do this ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org )

I want to go to Heaven. What must I do?

(Be part of someone being saved and going to Heaven by sharing this on your wall)

How to go to Heaven
First I will summarize the answer. Then we'll look at several things that God says in the Bible. And then if you would like to become His child and have Heaven be your home, you can pray the prayer at the bottom of this page.

Summary
First you must recognize that you are a sinner and that the penalty of sin is death. You must recognize that you yourself can't make payment for your sins or earn Heaven. God only allows one way for your sins to be paid for and forgiven. The only way is through what His son Jesus Christ did on the Cross. You must accept Jesus into your heart both as Savior and also as Lord.

Now I just mentioned two things. One is receiving Jesus as Savior. The other is receiving Jesus as Lord. Here is what I mean by those two things. Accepting Jesus into your heart as Savior means that you are putting your trust in Jesus' death on the Cross as payment for your sins. Accepting Jesus into your heart as Lord means that with God's help you will turn away from sin and grow in obedience to His will.

What the Bible says
Next lets look at some things that God says in the Bible. First, the Bible says that no one can earn Heaven by the works of the Law.

Romans 3:20
20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Second the Bible says that we all have fallen short of God's requirements - Romans 3:10 and Romans 3:23

Romans 3:10
10as it is written,
"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

The first part of this next verse shows that the penalty for sin is death.

Roman 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But God provided us the only way to have eternal life. It is through Jesus Christ His son.

John 3:16
16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

And Jesus died to for our sins. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

And one last passage from Romans 10:9-13

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;
13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

Pray now and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord
Pray this sincerely and you will become God's child and Heaven will be your home. God I know I am a sinner and the wages of my sin is death. I agree with the Bible that I can't earn Heaven. I believe that the only way to Heaven is through what your son Jesus did on the Cross. Jesus I invite you into my heart as Savior and Lord. Forgive all of my sins. Please help me to turn away from sin and grow in obedience to what the Bible teaches. Thank you for making me your child right now.

If you just prayed this prayer please share the good news with me in the comments section. God bless

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org )

Do you want to be part of spreading the Bible around the world for free?

It will take only a few seconds for you to have a global impact. Below is a link to an audio Bible website. On that site people can listen to the Bible online. Or they can subscribe to have it emailed to them each day free of charge. 

All you need to do to spread God's Word is share this post on your wall, with your Google + circles, blogs or other social networks. Imagine the ripple effect if your friends also share it with their social networks.  

Thank you in advance for wanting to spread Bible around the world for free. God bless

http://nasb-audio-bible-in-a-year.blogspot.com/p/audio-by-each-book.html

Is God your teacher?

David knew that there was wonderful treasures hidden in the Bible. He made diligent effort to find these things. But he also recognized his dependence on God. He knew that he could not gain insight unless God was his teacher. So with a dependent attitude we should pray, as David did, that God would reveal to us the wonderful things hidden in His Word. David's prayer is  found in this Psalm.

Psalm 119:18
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law.

David's prayers included asking God to teach him His Word. Is this something that is on your prayer list? If not then why not grab your prayer list and add it right now. I am convinced that if you pray it God will open your eyes and bless your understanding of His Word. Pray, make your effort and expect the Lord to answer. God bless

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org )

Want the Bible sent to you by email?

You can have daily audio Bible clip emailed to you each day. All you have to do is click on the link in your email, grab a coffee and enjoy listening to God's Word. Go to the link below and look for the "Follow by Email" on the right hand side. Once you submit your email DON'T FORGET (not shouting) to click on the link in the conformation email that will be sent to you. If you forget that last part you won't activate your daily email.  God bless

http://nasb-audio-bible-in-a-year.blogspot.com/

Are you using your spiritual gifts for God?

We all have been given gifts from God that are to be used for the common good. Are you using the gift(s) God gave you to benefit others? If not, make a change of heart today. God will reward you for your faithful service.

Have you gotten into the Bible today?

You can listen to any book of the Bible at the following link. God bless.
http://nasb-audio-bible-in-a-year.blogspot.com/p/audio-by-each-book.html

One key to hearing the voice of God more clearly

As you read the passage below notice the connection between faithfulness to the Lord and God speaking clearly to that faithful person. Pay special attention to verses 7-8 where faithfulness results in God speaking to Moses very clearly. 

Numbers 12:1-8

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); 2  and they said, "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?" And the Lord heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.) 4 Suddenly the Lord said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, "You three come out to the tent of meeting." So the three of them came out. 5  Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward, 6 He said,

"Hear now My words:

If there is a prophet among you,

I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision.

I shall speak with him in a dream.

7 "Not so, with My servant Moses,

He is faithful in all My household;

8  With him I speak mouth to mouth,

Even openly, and not in dark sayings,

And he beholds the form of the Lord.

Why then were you not afraid

To speak against My servant, against Moses?"

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org )

Prayers not answered?

There can be several reasons that prayer goes unanswered or is delayed. One thing that can make prayer go unanswered is allowing our hearts to have a regard for wickedness. If this is a source of your unanswered prayers then repentance can cause God's ears to be attentive to you once again. 

Psalm 66:18
18 If I regard wickedness in my heart,
The Lord will not hear;

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org )

God is worthy of our praise

Praise God for He is great. He created the earth and stretched out the heavens over an unfathomable distance. Yet each star He calls by name. And they are kept in their courses by His great power. Praise the Lord with reverence. For He is the mighty God and there is no hiding from His power.

Ever get upset over imagined situations?

Sometimes we can get lured into sinful thinking concerning things that haven't actually happened. I call it "Sinful responses to imaginary situations." I'll share one idea here. But don't limit your understanding of what I am I'm sharing to the specific example below.  But instead ask the Lord how this general principal might apply to a different area of your walk with God.  

Let's say that I have two coworker that have a history of not getting along. One day Bob goes way to far and says some nasty and insulting things to Bill in front of everyone. Now even though Bob and I get along just fine, I could still get drawn into some sinful imaginary thinking. I could think to myself " If Bob ever talks to me that way I say this right back at him. Or if he tries to do such and such then I'll teach him a lesson and do this to him." 

I now am all worked up and ready to respond to something that hasn't even happened. I have been drawn into a "Sinful response to an imaginary situation" My mind now has built up energy that may suddenly and sinfully be released.  I am like a balloon fill with air. With even the slightest prick of a pin I am ready to explode. 

Learn to catch yourself going down imaginary and sinful paths. Make a determined effort that you won't entertain these imaginary thoughts. If it is not real stop it in it's tracks. Don't allow it to grow. Stop thinking on it right away. 

Self talk - A key to being encouraged

The more tools a handyman has in his toolbox results in him being better equipped to get the job done. The more spiritual tools that christians have in their spiritual toolboxes makes them better equipped to work through various problems in this life. 

Self talk - A key to being encouraged

One of these spiritual tools is self talk / self encouragement.  God certainly works through our brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage us. But there are times when no one is available to lift us up. Here is one thing we need to do during those times. We need to strengthen ourselves through self talk. We need to make a conscious effort to remind ourselves of scripture and also of the help that God has given us in the past. We need to use these scriptures and experiences to revive, strengthen, comfort and encourage ourselves in the Lord. Here are several passages that refer to strengthening and comforting ourselves in the Lord. Below I've pasted 1 Samuel 30:1-6 and  Psalm 42:5. Take special note of the Psalmist speaking to himself and encouraging himself in Psalm 42:5

I Samuel 30:1-6

1 Then it happened when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; 2 and they took captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing anyone, and carried them off and went their way. 3 When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weep. 5 Now David's two wives had been taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

Psalm 42:5

5 Why are you in despair, O my soul? 

And why have you become disturbed within me? 

Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him 

For the help of His presence.

You may also want to grab your Bible and look up Psalm 119:49-52.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org )

Feelings of inferiority and superiority within the Church

Within the body of Christ there are some people with feelings of inferiority. And there are also some people with feelings of superiority. Some feel inferior like they are not even part of the body, or that they are less significant than other members. There are others who feel superior and don't think they even need other members who seem to be weaker. 

One passage of scripture that addresses this issue is 1 Corinthians 12. We can clearly see feelings of inferiority being addresses in verses 14-20. And feelings of superiority is addressed immediately after those verses starting with verse 21. I've put a space in between these verses so it is easier to see.   

14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many members, but one body. 

21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

Set aside time for repentance.

Some areas of sin in our lives are easier to conquer that others. For those areas that are more difficult have you ever considered setting aside a block of time devoted to repentance? It is a time where you rid yourself of distractions, pray, and diligently resist that area of sin. Look at your schedule and set aside a specific time for this. Your walk with God will grow faster. Who knows, you might even be met with a blessing too.

Avoiding unnecessary discipline

When a person lacks understanding they are unwilling to draw near to God in obedience. Sadly it takes painful discipline in order to steer them into the right path. (idea from Psalm 32:8-9). So in order to increase our willingness to obey, and thereby reduce our need to be disciplined, we need to seek and pray for increased understanding. Praying for and seeking understanding, among other valuable things, can be found in Proverbs 2.

Psalm 32:8-9

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; 
I will counsel you with My eye upon you. 
9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, 
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, 
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)

God teaches us to rejoice.

God teaches us that we should rejoice in our work. In Genesis chapter 1 we find that God created the heavens and earth. And during those 6 days God frequently looked at His work and told Himself that it was good. God showed us how He rejoiced in His work so that we too would rejoice by telling ourselves that our labor is good. God has kind intentions towards us. And as a result He teaches us about joyful paths. Another passage that strongly promotes rejoicing in our work is Ecclesiastes 2:24.

24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org )

Are we doing our part?

A man prayed and asked God for help. The request was for a remote control for the television. A moment later there was a knock at the door. The neighbor had just bought a new remote and wanted to know if he wanted his old one. He took the remote, thanked the neighbor and went inside and thanked God. The man then asked God for one more favor, "Would you also be willing to push the buttons for me?" 

This story is silly, but when it comes to changing our sinful habits sometimes we ask God to do it all. We need to have a balanced approach. We need to ask God to help us change and then we also need to diligently resist sin.

Psalm 34 part 2 - The fear of the Lord

Christians have various ideas on what they think the "Fear of the Lord" means. One place from which we can gain understanding on this topic is from Psalm 34. And verse 11 clearly states that we are about to be taught the fear of the Lord. My devotion is not a comprehensive teaching on the subject. It is just meant to share some additional thoughts so you can reach a better understanding of this topic.

I want to share just one facet of the "Fear of the Lord" with you today. It is the principal that God is actively involved in a "Deed / Consequence Connection" concerning the way we live before Him. And in referring to this deed/consequence connection I mean for good or for bad. If love is practiced then God will cause blessing to come to us. If evil is practiced then there will be a reaping of negative consequences.  Lets look at the verses to support that thought.

First lets look at the positive side of the deed/consequence principal. In verses 9 and 10 we see that those that fear and seek the Lord won't lack any good thing. Verses 12-15 directly connects length of days, seeing good and God answering prayer with proper speech, doing good, and seeking peace. Verse 22 also makes it clear that those who serve the Lord will not be condemned.

Second lets look at the negative side of the deed/consequence principal. Verse 16 shows God is against evildoers and will cut off the memory of them from the earth. Verse 21 shows severe and permanent consequences for those who practice evil. It will slay them and they will be condemned.

Verse 11 told us that we are about to learn about the "Fear of the Lord". And then in the verses that followed we see various references to God repaying us for our deeds whether they be good or evil. So we can be sure that one facet of the fearing God is knowing that He is actively involved is causing us to reap whatever we have sown. Since we will reap either good or evil base on our actions let us therefore "Fear the Lord",  and turn from evil. Let us do good and look expectantly for God to bless us in return.

⁹ O fear the LORD, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
¹⁰ The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
¹¹ Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
¹² Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴ Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.

 ¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 ¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
²⁰ He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
²¹ Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
²² The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Scripture quotations taken from the "NASB" (www.lockman.org)