Tag: righteousness

Holy By Nature

Romans 12:9-11

By nature, animals behave according to their instinct, and genetic make-up. By nature, water is wet, fire hot, and wind unseen to the naked eye. By nature, babies cry, birds fly, and stars give off light. By nature, men born of the devil, disregard righteousness, shun morality, and substitute love for hate, in their hearts. By nature darkness brings fear, and men perish for lack of knowledge. By nature, light illuminates in darkness, and knowledge brings hope. By nature, those born of God the Father, exude love, walk after righteousness, loathe all evil, and cleave to that which is good. By nature, the children of God are holy.

A Song Of Grief

Amos 5

v.1 “Hear ye this word which I take up against you, even a lamentation….

v.2 The virgin of Israel has fallen… there is none to raise her up…

v.3 For thus saith the Lord God…

v.4 …Seek ye me, and ye shall live…

v.5 But seek not Beth-el… and Beth-el shall come to nought…

v.6 Seek the Lord, and ye shall live…

v.7 Ye who turn judgment into wormwood, and leave off righteousness in the earth…

v.8 Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning…

v.12 For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins…

v.14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you…

v.15 Hate the evil, and love the good…”

Just A Thought

Psalm 9

Why do some people work so hard, to tear down the good reputation of others? If those who plot evil against others would redirect all their efforts toward making themselves better, the world would be a more decent place to live. Wicked people fail to realize, their actions only work against themselves. With every trap set to hinder someone, the wicked will always ensnare themselves in the end.

Righteous Judgment

Deuteronomy 1:15-18

One of the hardest things to do as a leader is, consistently judge the causes of individuals effectively. Despite the outcomes of particular judgments, not everyone will be pleased with the leader’s decision. Fortunately, the children of God have been given a proven and effective method to always please God in their decisive matters.

Our lesson’s text identifies in verse 16, that leaders are to first hear the cause between those who have issues. It’s easy to pass wrong judgment on a case, when you’ve hardly listened to the entirety of the matter, from both parties. However, when a judge hears the whole matter, he’ll gain greater understanding of how to handle each case.

After hearing and gaining a better understanding of a matter, Moses commanded the leaders to judge every man righteously (including strangers), and show no partiality. Verse 17 reads, “Ye shall not  respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it to me, and I will hear it.” The children of God had swelled in number, and Moses assigned men to assist in handling certain matters, but in times when affairs were too hard to handle, Moses decided to deal with those personally.

In any situation that demands judgment, we must always approach them in the Spirit of love. As the body of Christ, we serve a God of peace, not confusion, so all matters involving professing believers should always be handled with care, consideration, and work toward a beneficial resolution.

The Ultimate Fate

Matthew 8:28-34

In the battle of good versus evil, there’s an ultimate fate for those who choose the path of righteousness, and another for all who reject salvation through Christ Jesus. The Bible plainly states, all who “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, shalt be saved. What will men be saved from? Revelation 21:8 records it this way, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” The salvation that comes through Christ, will save men from the second death. It’s appointed for man to physically die once, then face judgment with God, but those who refused to accept Jesus as their Savior on earth, will unfortunately experience a spiritual death also.

The assurance for the children of God rests in the fact that the blood of Jesus washed away their sins, and redeemed those who believe, by faith, to God the Father. The ultimate fate for God’s people is an eternity of habitation in the new heaven and earth. In addition, the church can stand firm on the fact that their faith in God, and obedience to His Word will secure their reservation in His eternal kingdom. But, for those who rebel, the second death awaits their souls.

There are many who disbelieve in heaven and hell, but even devils know their ultimate fate. In our text, the men possessed with devils, who abided in tombs, met Jesus and cried out saying “What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” It’s very interesting the devils mentioned, “before the time”. The Bible mentions in Revelation, at the end of the world, satan and his angels will be thrown in the lake of fire. So, when the devils asked this question to Jesus, it proved they were fully aware of their inevitable end. Do you know where your final destination will be?

Busy Bee!

Luke 10:38-42

If Jesus came to visit you for a day, what questions would you ask Him (if any)? Would you spend most of your time making His stay pleasant and comfortable, or would you focus all your attention on hearing everything He has to say? This was the situation that took place in Bethany, when Jesus visited His friends Martha and Mary.

The sisters were fond of Jesus, and He in turn thought it necessary to visit them. Martha received Jesus into their home, then made preparations to accommodate His stay, whereas Mary kept her eyes and ears focused on Jesus alone. At some point during the day, Martha had become aggravated at the fact that while she seemed to be doing all the serving, Mary’s lack of help was bothersome. So, Martha approached Jesus and asked, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.” While serving Jesus wasn’t bad at all, hearing what He had to say was more important, in that moment. Jesus was only visiting for a brief time, and it was better to first hear Him speak, then go from there. Not everyone was privileged to be in the presence of Jesus, and Mary knew to take advantage of the opportunity.

Oftentimes we find ourselves being too busy to take time out for God. Many of us work our fingers to the bone, or occupy our time with things that can be delayed, in order to spend a little time in the Word. While Martha did well in serving the Lord, she failed to realize, He came to render service to her household. Never allow yourself to become too busy until God is placed last on your to-do list. Do as Mary did and choose the good part (The Word of God), which is something that can never be taken away from you, then all else will fall into place.

Blessed In The Mess

James 5:13-16

In a world of chaos and confusion, it can be hard, at times, to find things that bring joy to one’s heart. With the recent chaotic events including the U.S. Capitol building riot, the continued worldwide pandemic, and other news, people of all over the country are weighed down with a heavy heart. Aside from disheartening global events, many deal with daily personal struggles like sickness, depression, financial instability, and other issues. But, in the midst of all the chaos and confusion in the world, there are still things to give God thanks for.

While life is indeed hard for many, God has never stopped providing for His children. Those who remain in the earth and have fully committed themselves to following after righteousness, should not let the current state of the world weigh them down, because God has been beyond good to them. Believers should always acknowledge the fact that they have the precious gift of salvation. Without Jesus being the means by which our sins were forgiven, our living would be in vain. Aside from being delivered from sin, God allows us the liberty to study and meditate on His holy Word. I’m aware of those countries that make it hard for Saints to even receive Bibles, but for those who have the freedom to read it, should always be excited for the opportunity to do so. With how the world has been lately, I wouldn’t be surprised if Bibles were eventually taken away. For this reason, we should hide God’s Word in the depths of our hearts. This way, no man can ever take His Word away from us. Along with salvation and the Bible, Saints are deeply connected to the Holy Spirit of God. This Comforter is responsible for reminding the Christian of Jesus’ teachings, as well as guiding them along the righteous path.

Let’s recap. The world is literally falling apart, but the people of God can still rejoice in the fact that they are blessed in the midst of mess. God does bless His people with natural things, but never allow hard times to take your focus off your salvation, God’s Word, and the Holy Ghost. Learn to realize how blessed you really are.