A Good Name

A Good Name

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1 KJV)Good Name

It is better to have a “good name” among men than to have great riches. Respect as a man of integrity is better than fear as a man of wealth. No one respects a wealthy but unethical man, but they may fear him because of the power and influence his money brings. A man without ethics is a man without the loving favor of God. Take Bill Cosby for example. In the past his name was synonymous with wholesomeness and his reputation was squeaky clean. Now that this false image has faded away there is no amount of money that he could pay to have his reputation restored to what it once was. Even if he were to repent and try and do better, his reputation among men will never be what it once was.

Having a “good name” with God, or enjoying  His loving favor is something that all the silver and all the gold on Earth still could not buy. One becomes the recipient of God’s loving favor (grace) when he has submitted to God and become obedient to His Word. One will continue in that grace as long as he continues to follow God. Unlike when one ruins their “good name” among men, when one has turned away from God’s loving favor and subsequently repented – they will be back in God’s loving favor completely.

Read Matthew 16:24-28; Isaiah 1:16-20

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Why Should You Value the Bible?

Why Should You Value the Bible?

This Locusts and wild Honey Lesson raises the topic of why should you value the Bible.

Christians, you may have a great number of reasons would apply great worth to the Bible.  Certainly, we can all likely point to an aspect of our life that has been improved because of scripture.  I know that I am not the man I once was because the scriptures have molded me into something better.  Oh the stories we could tell and the joy that would be in them.

Those who are not Christians you may have a lot of questions about God.  You cannot see Him.  You cannot Hear Him.  It is said He is your creator.  People say He has given you life.  Evidently, everything you see around you is His.  Does this not cause you to want to seek Him out,  to understand who He is, what He wants, and what your very purpose is upon this earth?  Can you place a value upon that?  The Bible offers this very thing.

 

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Just Be a Really Good Person? Really?

“Just Be a Good Person”? Really?

Have you ever heard someone say, “As long as I am a good person, God will accept me”? But, what does it mean to be a “good person?” Does it mean to do good and avoid bad deeds?Doesn’t everyone do some good deeds and some bad deeds? Is anyone innocent from sin? Someone will reply, “I will do more good than bad to be a ‘good person.’” How do you know that you have done more good than bad? Do you know all your deeds? Do you know all the consequences of your deeds? What if doing one bad deed outweighs all the good deeds that you do due to consequences that you did not consider? How can you judge yourself to have been a “good person”?Good Person

The truth is, “There is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:12). This is because, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Committing one sin means we come short, and nothing we do makes up for that shortcoming. Good deeds don’t cancel bad ones. There is no Karma. You can’t make up for lost time, and there is no going back.

Does that mean we should all just give up? Yes! We should give up on self-righteousness and start trusting in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss . . . that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Philippians 3:8-9). How do I do that? “He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9).

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Proverbs 21:2 – Hero of Our Own Story

Proverbs 21:2 – Hero of Our Own Story

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” (Proverbs 21:2 KJV)Hero Man

A strange thing occurs to me, and it think it is true that many people imagine themselves as the hero of their own story. They have come to believe or have deluded themselves into justifying their every action. We live in a world that tells us, “If it feels right in your heart, then it is right for you.” This makes right and wrong strictly subjective to the mood or emotions of the man, or the circumstances in which he finds himself. With a Biblically trained conscience, our heart can safely guide us through life insomuch as we continuously examine our selves in its light on a regular basis.

When man believes that his subjective emotions or feelings can safely guide him through life, he is sorely mistaken and is in great spiritual jeopardy. Just remember what happened during the period of the Judges when, “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” We may attempt to justify our actions before man and we may even delude ourselves into believing we are in the right, but God knows the heart. On the day of judgment, He will weigh our heart and balance it against what He has revealed in His Word.

Read Judges 17:6; 21:25; John 12:48-50; 2 Corinthians 13:5

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Growing Together

Growing Together

My son and daughter-in-law (greatest one ever) were married about ten months ago.  They do not live to far from me, so I get to see them on a fairly frequent basis.  They took a fair amount of time during the engagement period getting to know one another, but getting to know one another extends far beyond the engagement and into the marriage.  My wife and I have been married 33 years this year and I continue to discover who she is.  Do I know much more about my wife than my son does his?  Yes I do.  This is a product of time spent with my spouse and deliberately trying to understand who she is.  Of course, as any man knows, he will never figure his wife out in complete.    However, as time goes forward, a man and a woman who exercise love toward one another and spend time with one another will steadily be growing together.  Their knowledge will increase, their bond will increase, and if their path is walked with God, their joy for the future will abound.Growing Together

The Bride of Christ need never fear about the faithfulness of their Groom.  He loves at all times.  He longs for us to embrace eternal life together.  Yet, as in any marriage, we must spend time together so that we will draw closer to one another.  Encouragement in scripture such as 2 Timothy 2:15, Acts 17:11, and I Thessalonians 5:17 call for us to discover who our Lord is and to communicate with Him.  The Apostle Peter encouraged continually growth in knowing Christ to those who took His name (2 Peter 3:18).  When we walk with Him, showing our love for Him (John 14:15) our relationship will bloom.  In any marriage, the longer you discover one another, you know what pleases, comforts, and brings peace and happiness to your companion.  Efforts such as this, applied over time, come from the inner man, allowing Christ and His Bride to be growing together.

Consider psalm 119.  Over and over David, a man after God’s own heart, speaks of the blessedness of the words of God.  He delights in His testimonies.  He wants to know God’s thoughts.  He knows the presence of the Lord in his life makes him a better man.  David cannot help, but praise God because of the relationship God extends to Him.  He does not have to worry that God won’t be there, that God might fail him, or that God cannot be trusted upon in times of trouble.  This comes from seeking closeness and building a stronger relationship with God with each dawning day.  This bond comes from not neglecting a relationship, but cultivating it.  Would you consider simply not hearing your spouse’s voice for days or weeks at a time?  If you answered yes, by the way, it isn’t because things are as God planned them is it?  It is because you and/or your spouse have stepped away from God’s plan, if only in a moment’s display of poor behavior.

As previously stated, exercising love and spending time together is core to a happy relationship.  When either point is neglected, the relationship will suffer.  God will never be the contentious spouse.  He will never fail to love you.  He will never be unkind.  He will never be unfaithful.  So, when the relationship with God seems to be crumbling, you feel your faith waning, it isn’t God, it is you.    There is a solution, breathed from the mouth of God himself:  “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”  If you desire God, seek him, and love Him, you will never be alone.  You will experience the joy of togetherness eternally.  That union will always grow and produce the fruit of joy.

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