A Little Walk With God

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

Paul’s words to Titus fit anyone who calls themselves a Christian, not just pastors. Jesus' name should mean something to you. It should also mean something to those outside the faith that see you when you use His name to identify yourself. As Paul told Titus, it’s your life lived out in front of others that speaks so much louder than your words.

I see a lot of hypocrisy, though, among those who call themselves Christian, today. Not unlike the Pharisees that walked the streets of Jerusalem. They plotted murder to stop Jesus' voice. Murder! Talk about getting off track. Yet some today, bomb clinics, stores, homes, and more in His name. Is that different? Some slander the names of others and do everything they can to discredit those who disagree with their views, all in Jesus' name. Is that different than what the Pharisees did?

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Titus 2

Set - 1 Timothy 5; Titus 2

Go! - 1 Timothy 5-6; Titus 1-3

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

How do you know if the church you attend is in line with God? How do you know if they just teach what you want to hear or really teach God's word? How can you guard yourself against the false prophets God's representatives always warn about in their writings?

It’s really pretty simple. Do two things consistently and you’ll figure out the counterfeits. You’ll know whether your church is sound in doctrine if you do these two things. Ready? First, read and study God's word every day. Read it from cover to cover. Don’t just pick your favorite verses and pull them out of context. Read chapters and books at a time. Get the story God’s trying to tell you through His prophets and apostles. His word does not contradict itself. The theme is the same from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. The Bible is God's story of redemption for you (insert your name in that pronoun).

Second, pray. As you read God's word again and again, you will begin to pray fervently. Your prayers may begin for yourself, but as His word is absorbed into your life you’ll begin to pray God's will for your life and for the lives of others. You’ll find yourself absorbed by the concepts in His word and as they transform your mind, your prayers will help you discern truth from falsehood.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - 1 Timothy 4:6-16

Set - 1 Timothy 3-4

Go! - 1 Timothy 1-4

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

It seems that every day there’s news of another shooting. Another terrorist or someone filled with anger loses control and unleashes that anger on the innocent just because they can. Lives face eternity instantly and families are changed for a lifetime. Does God expect you to really live the life Paul talks about in the face of such wickedness in the world? A life of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience? Does He expect you to forgive even those who wreck families forever because of their wonton disregard for life?

The answer is yes. Think about the conditions Paul faced. When he wrote these words he found himself chained to a Roman guard in prison. He didn’t know if he would live or die. He faced trumped up charges of treason against the state, a clear sentence of death if found guilty. After 25 years of following God's directions, Paul had been beating, imprisoned, flogged, stoned, and left for dead. What does Paul do with each of his tormentors? He forgives.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Colossians 3:1-16

Set - Colossians 3-4

Go! - Colossians 1-4

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

Paul says, “Continue to work out your salvation, with great fear and trembling, because God is energizing you so that you will desire and do what always pleases Him.”

That doesn’t mean good works will get you to heaven, but James also reminds you that faith without a demonstration of your faith by good works is dead. Paul tells you often it is by faith you are saved so that none may boast. Jesus told you that all who believe in Him will not perish but will have eternal life. So it’s faith that gets you to heaven, but your good works demonstrate the faith you have in Him. The demonstration comes not because of duty, but because of love. Love for God and love for your brothers and sisters in His kingdom.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Philippians 2:5-18

Set - Philippians 2-3

Go! - Philippians 1-4

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus reminds them and you of the power at your disposal. Many Christians today forget what Jesus told you while He was with you in the flesh. He told His disciples that when He went away and sent His Spirit in His place that you would do miracles on His behalf and you would do more than He was able to do while He lived alongside you. It’s an important promise to remember. And it is absolutely true.

Because so few really experience what Paul experienced in his life, you don’t see the things that happened in Paul’s day on a wholesale basis. God can still do those things through you, and does them around the world. He still performs miracles of healing, feeding, financing, driving out unclean spirits. He still heals broken relationships, mends confused and broken minds, guides decisions. He still saves you from the penalty of sin.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Ephesians 1:15-23

Set - Ephesians 1-2

Go! - Ephesians 1-4

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

You know that God's word tells you some things are flat wrong - stealing, murder, sexual immorality, lying, and so forth. There are many things that you’ll come across day by day, though, that His word doesn’t say anything about. Some churches hold firm views on certain activities and others will tell you those activities are okay. So what’s the truth? What is the real story? What does God say?

God says, listen to His spirit within you.The concepts within His word do not change. So first listen to them and judge your actions according to the concepts and precepts within God's word. But often He will give you personal convictions and commands to follow that He does not give to others. He does it for a reason. God knows your weaknesses just like Satan knows your weaknesses. But when you give your life to God, He protects you from the evil one, just as you ask Him to do.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Romans 14:1-12

Set - Romans 13-14

Go! - Romans 13-16

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

God designed you to be interdependent as people. For His church to operate effectively and efficiently, He needs all His church’s members to use the skills and talents He gave them to pull together for a common purpose - to spread the good news of His salvation. God wants each of you to understand the importance of bringing others into His church. Each person coming into the community of His fellowship adds to the effectiveness of the spread of His message to the world. As the right skills add to the spreading of the message, more and more will come to the saving knowledge of Christ's sacrifice for them. But God needs you.

The mission God gives you as a part of His church will satisfy you when you work at it with the skills and talents He entrusted to you when He made you. When you do the tasks He gives you to do, you will wonder at the joy you experience. You will know the kind of satisfaction Adam had when he fulfilled the tasks God gave him to do at the end of His six days of creation.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Romans 12:1-8

Set - Romans 11-12

Go! - Romans 9-12

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

So once you thought you were free to do whatever you wanted but found you were slaves to your selfish desires that led to nowhere. Fulfilling those base desires in sinful ways are the road to death and you know it. They might bring temporary pleasure, but you know the pleasure doesn’t last and in the end you fall further into a pit of guilt and sorrow and slavery to those selfish desires. That path always leads to misery and death. But Christ gives you a different path.

Jesus offers you the path of righteousness and holiness. He offers you His sacrifice to cover the penalty for your sins. Christ offers you the free gift of eternal life. Paul talks in these words about slavery to one of two masters. You can choose slavery to self and sin which leads to eternal death or you can choose slavery to Christ which leads to peace and eternal life.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Romans 6:15-23

Set - Romans 6-7

Go! - Romans 5-8

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

No one is exempt from the fall. Everyone fails to reach God in their attempts at righteousness. Since Adam and Eve, all have been born with the propensity toward wanting your own way. But Christ came into the world to pay the penalty for your sinful ways. He came as the perfect sacrifice for your sins. All you need to do is believe in Him for your salvation. The law points out your sin, Christ redeems you from it. He gives you real freedom from the law.

Many think Christ abolished the law, but that really isn’t true. What He really does for you is make it possible for you to live as the law intended. The law gave you guidelines and pointed out your wickedness, but couldn’t do anything to redeem you because you couldn’t keep the law. But with Christ in you, covering your sin by the sacrifice He made for you, you can keep the law the way God intends you to keep it.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - Romans 3:21-31

Set - Romans 3-4

Go! - Romans 1-4

A daily devotional through the Bible speaking with God as Adam and Eve may have in the garden east of Eden. Our website http://alittlewalkwithgod.com

Paul summed up his teaching with a good motto you should remember. Live a life that is pleasing to God. Paul goes on to give you a few examples of what that means, but the bottom line rests in that simple motto. Live a life that is pleasing to God. Too many times I see people trying to live their lives to please other people instead of pleasing God. They look to make other people happy.

So, there we are. Paul’s summation. He got it absolutely right. Please God and your life will be on the right path. You will love others if you live to please God. You will live a holy life if you please God. You will live a moral life to please God. To please God, you will live generously and care for the needs of others. You will avoid sexual immorality and learn how to take charge of your own body. You will do all those things Paul talks about if you live a life to please God.

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Set - 1 Thessalonians 4; 2 Thessalonians 3

Go! - 1 Thessalonians 4-5; 2 Thessalonians 1-3