1 Corinthians 13:5 – Love does not seek its own. THEME OF THE DAY: ARE YOU A CHURCH GETTER OR GIVER? There is a tombstone in the courtyard of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. It reads, “Sacred to the memory of General Charles George Gordon, who at all times and everywhere gave his strength to the weak, his substance to the poor,…
John 14:15 – If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. THEME OF THE DAY: THE WORK FOR JOY IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. The joy of the Lord. It is what calms our raging souls when buffeted by tough circumstances. It is what energizes us to get up in the morning and live for Jesus. It is our strength to serve…
Exodus 20:3 – You shall have no other gods before me. THEME OF THE DAY: OUR JEALOUS GOD. The Bibles tell us that our God is a jealous God. Here are some scriptures reminding us of this truth- “For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14); “For the Lord your…
Song of Solomon 2:16 – My beloved is mine, and I am his . . . THEME OF THE DAY: HOW WE WALK WITH THE LORD. The Bible says a lot about the theme of the day but three things may summarize the “how to” in our walks with the Lord; “Live by the Spirit, deny the flesh, and obey His commands.”…
If we truly want to be used of the Lord and grow close to Him, we must be “spiritual hikers” and take trips into the deep dark place called “spiritual wilderness.” Moses did; God’s people of old did; David did; the Apostle Paul did; and our Lord Jesus did. Just like we must encounter personal Gethsemanes to fight the battle of our wills and surrender to God’s will, so must we go into wilderness experiences for the same type of spiritual growth.
Imagine this scenario and I will use me as the example. It is Sunday morning about 11:00 a.m. I am mounting the platform getting ready to preach. As is the custom in my church, I have you stand for the reading of the scripture. As you are standing, I say, “Brothers and sisters. I had a rough week. I was snappy with my wife, irritated over some situations in my life causing me to complain. My personal quiet time has been hit and miss, more miss than hit… What would you think of me after such a brutal display of my innermost struggles of the past week?