The Scriptures Were Written For Our Benefit

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  May The God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Romans 15:4-6 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul tells the believers in Rome that the scriptures were written for their benefit, to teach them, and encourage them, and to give them hope.  Then he prayed that God would bless them and give them unity of mind, heart, and speech, that they would be on one accord, and follow Christ, and glorify God.

The written words of the Bible represent God speaking to us.  They were written under the divine inspiration of The Holy Spirit for our education, edification, and enlightenment.  The scriptures provide us with guidance and direction, comfort and compassion, help and healing, in addition to insight and instruction.  The Word of God can provide us with spiritual food (1 Corinthians 10:3) and living water (John 4:10 and 7:38), and the road to salvation and sanctification.  To be blessed by The Word of God we must read it, or hear it (Deuteronomy 17:19, 2 Kings 23:2, Nehemiah 8:3 and 9:3, & Rev 1:3), believe it (Matthew 21:22), study it (2 Timothy 2:15), live it (James 1:22), and share it with others (Hebrews 13:16).

Christ Will Reward Us For Our Efforts

"For The Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done."  Matthew 16:27 (NIV)

After predicting His death to the twelve disciples, Jesus said that He was going away, but that He was going to return, and when He returned He was going to reward each person according to their works.

Jesus is coming back to reward us for our works.  This statement was repeated by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus.  (Ephesians 6:8)  It was also repeated by the Apostle John in his New Testament book of prophesy.  (Revelation 22:12)  We need to understand that our salvation is based solely upon our belief in Jesus, The Christ, and not on our works.  However, the rewards which we will receive from Him on judgement day, will depend upon what we have done for Him with respect to our kingdom building efforts, and with respect to giving Him glory.  Every Christian will not receive the same amount of rewards.  As the song says: "Remember, only what we do for Him will be counted in the end."

Do Things For The Glory Of God

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."  1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)

This was the advice of the Apostle Paul to the Christians in Corinth.  In all that they do, it should done to the glory of God.

All Christian conduct and speech should be done so as to give honor to God.  In fact, if what we say or do does not give God glory, it is a sin, since all unrighteousness is sin. (1 John 5:17)  Even things that we consider to be neutral, neither good or bad, are also probably sinful.  On judgement day we will have to give an account even for the idle words that we speak. (Matthew 12:36)  Our words reveal the state of, and the issues within, our heart. (Matthew 12:34)  God knows our thoughts so He can judge our intentions as well as our actions. (Psalms 94:11)  We need to ask ourselves, are we doing this, whatever it is, to give God glory?  We need to make a conscience effort every day to do more things which glorify God.

Suffering Now Can't Compare To The Joy That Is Coming

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."  Romans 8:18 (NIV)

Here the Apostle Paul is telling the Christians in Rome that the suffering that they are enduring is not worth mentioning when it is compared to the coming glory that they will experience.

 As Christians we are not to focus and dwell on our past or present situations.  We are to look ahead to our glorious future.  We are in this world but not of it.  We are just travellers passing through here on our way to our heavenly home.  We should be happy for those who have gone on ahead of us as we  anticipate joining them.  Weeping may endure for a night, but joy is coming. (Psalms 30:5)

Pray That God Is Pleased

"God is just ... on the day He comes to be glorified in His holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed ... With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and The Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 1:6-12 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul prayed for the Thessalonian believers that God would be pleased with them and that through them Jesus Christ would be glorified.

This would seem to be an appropriate prayer for present day believers, that our every act would be prompted by our faith and that our actions would give God glory. We should pray that God would be pleased with us and would use us for His good purpose. We should include this prayer in our prayers for self and for others.

God Has A Place For Each Of Us

"Then Moses said, 'Now show me Your glory.' And The Lord said, 'I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My name, The Lord, in your presence ... But,' He said, 'you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.' Then The Lord said, 'There is a place near Me where you may stand on a rock. When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen.' " Exodus 33:18-23 (NIV)

After leading the people out of Egypt, God met with Moses and told him to lead the people to the promised land. Moses asked God to show him His glory. The Lord said "There is a place near Me where you may stand on a rock ... I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you ..." God said that Moses could see His back but not His face, for no one could see His face and live. God had a place for Moses. He protected him and hid him in a rock.

Some times we ask God for things that are not in our best interest and He protects us from our wants. God has a special place for each one of us. If we stand where He puts us, He will protect us. He can cleft a rock for us, hide us, cover us with His hand and protect us. We just need to make sure that we are where God wants us to be. We need to stand near Him so that we may experience the glory of God.

We Hope For That Which We Do Not Yet Have

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us ... Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of The Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of The Spirit, because The Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:18-28 (NIV)

Writing to the Christians in Rome, the Apostle Paul tell them that even though we are saved, some times our sufferings cause us to moan, groan, and complain as we wait impatiently for our future blessings. But The Holy Spirit knows and understands our moans and groans, and intercedes on our behalf before God.

Our hope for a better future is not based upon what we can see or have. Our hope is in The Lord. In our weakness and shortsightedness, we don't even know what to pray for. We can't always put all of our requests into words. But thanks be to God, He knows what we need, and want, and He knows what is best for us. As we have hope and faith in Him, He will supply all of our needs.

Who Are You Connected To?

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples." John 15:1-8 (NIV)

Just before the passover feast, Jesus was with His disciples, telling them of things to come. After He had washed their feet, predicted His betrayal, and predicted Peter's denial, He sought to comfort them. He encouraged them to remain in Him, to be true to His word, and He would remain in them.

The analogy of a fruit bearing branch is so clear. If a branch is not connected to the main vine and its roots, it cannot receive the sustenance it needs to remain alive and bear fruit. Likewise, we can do nothing if we are not connected to Jesus. He is the source of our strength and our life. We cannot bear fruit or continue to exist without Him. If we are not connected to Jesus, then we are like dead branches, good for nothing but to be cast into the fire.

Personal Motivation To Work For The Lord

"... 'Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.' ... They replied, 'Let us start rebuilding.' So they began this good work." Nehemiah 2:17-18 (NIV)

Because the Israelites had turned their back on God, He allowed the Chaldeans to defeat them, to destroy the house of God that Solomon had built, to tear down the walls around Jerusalem, and enslave them. (2 Chronicles 36:17-20) Ezra lead the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 3-7), but the city and the surrounding wall still lay in ruins. Nehemiah, the cup bearer and taster to King Artaxerxes, prayed to God, then convinced the king to allow him to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. The people were additionally motivated by the fact that each man was basically assigned to rebuild the section of the wall that was "opposite", "next to", or "in front of" his own house. (Nehemiah 3)

What are we working on today? What good work are we doing for The Lord and what is our motivation to do good work? Remember God knows our heart, thoughts, and our intentions. What "wall" are you working on and why are you doing it? Each of us needs to focus on doing a good work for The Lord in spite of what is going on around us.

Stand Firm And Hold On

"... From the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul is encouraging the Christians in Thessalonica by reminding them that God chose them to be saved. He is telling them to "... stand firm and hold on ..." to what they have been taught. Then he prays that God will encourage them, and strengthen them, and allow them to do more good work.

We each were created and saved by God for a purpose. Our good works here are a part of kingdom building here on earth. All that we do should be done for the glory of God. While temptation is all around us, our human nature is basically sinful, and trials, storms, and tribulations seem to keep pulling us down, we need to "stand strong and hold on" to our Bible teachings and our faith in God. Whatever it it that you are going through, may God encourage your heart and strengthen you, and allow you to do more good deeds in the future.

For The Love Of Money

"But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6:8-10 (NIV)

There is nothing wrong with money, or having lots of it. The problem is the love of money, the things that people do in pursuit of money, and the things that people do with it when they have excessive amounts of it. Money is a tool to be used for the glory of God. It is the means to an end, and not the end itself. It is not to be horded, but the shared with the less fortunate or used to help them after we take care of our basic needs and the needs of our family.

Some of us will never have a large sum of money because The Good Lord knows that we would not know how to handle it. Most of us have not been good stewards over the few things that God has put us in charge over. We must first learn to be faithful over what we have before we can expect God to give us more. As Jesus taught us in the parable of the talents, "His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Matthew 25:21

Don't let the love of money ruin your life. Pray for God's help, guidance and direction in all of your pursuits, including the pursuit of money. And pray that you will be a good steward over what He has given you, and over what He will give you in the future.

Let Your Light Shine # 2

"... Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. " Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

We are to live our lives in such a manner that others can see The Christ within us. Our good deeds are to be done for the benefit of others, to help, encourage, and enlighten them. We are to be living examples of good Christian behavior for others to see and imitate. And we are to do so, not for the personal praise from men, but for the glory of God.

Before we speak or act, we should ask ourselves, "What would Jesus say or do in this situation?" Let us examine the motives for our words and actions. Let us stop living for personal attention, glory, gain, and gratification. We each should pray and ask God, "What is His purpose for our life?", and then live for the glory of God.