Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Friday, May 11, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-05-11-2018

This is devotional thought number 25 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”” (1 Corinthians 1:30–31, NLT).
It is delightful to consider the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the greatest icon the world has ever known. We have recorded the history of great emperors, billionaire moguls, pharaohs, and avatars of every age, yet none of them comes close to comparing to the man whose birth divided time as we know it. If we were to attempt to record His accomplishments in resume’ form, the world itself would not be able to contain the pages necessary to do an adequate job (John 21:25). Jesus is simply the best.
What sets this Man apart from all of the other great people in history? Jesus, the Son of God who is one with God, is the Creator of the world who also became flesh and dwelt among us (1 Timothy 3:16). He consented to be obedient to death in order to purchase our salvation, and impute it as a gift (Philippians 2:8). Jesus lived a perfect life in the flesh, died a perfect sacrificial death, and rose again on the third day having conquered death once and for all (Revelation 1:18). We could never exhaust His accomplishments and accolades.
One of the blessings of Jesus is that He is all that we need. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5. Proverbs chapter 8 describes wisdom, and if closely studied, you will discover that the wisdom described is Jesus Himself. When we lack understanding and application, we must inquire of God. The faithful seeker receives the revelation of Jesus Himself.
Jesus is our righteousness and sanctification. We cannot be just before God, unless we are fully clad in the garments of Christ’s righteousness (Philippians 3:9; Matthew 22:1-14; Zechariah 3). He is the Faithful One who makes it possible for sinful human beings to be set apart for holy use. It is our privilege to be covered by the perfection of Jesus.
Jesus is our redemption. His perfect sacrifice as our substitute is the payment in full for the sins of the entire world. All who have saving faith in Him had their penalty for sin fully satisfied so that one day eternity would be enjoyed in a utopia of sinlessness.
Jesus is the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, the beautiful sky we enjoy, and all of the godly pleasures we can experience. He is not these things literally; however, He is responsible for them. Isn’t it wonderful that we do not need to compass the globe seeking thrills and fulfillment, only to still be left scarcely full? All that is necessary for us to live a purpose-filled life is Jesus. He is our all. He is our everything.
I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?.—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)

Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Thursday, May 10, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-05-10-2018

This is devotional thought number 24 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:21–25, NLT).

Love is the mightiest, yet one of the simplest principles in the universe. It was because God loved us so much that He gave all of heaven in one blessed gift, Jesus Christ. You cannot dissect this love with a scalpel. Science cannot change love’s genetic sequence. You cannot discover it by sailing the seven seas. Love cannot be seen through the most sophisticated telescopes. No, love cannot be solved like quadratic equations, or interpreted through linguistic studies. God is love and love is the principle by which hopeless sinners can be transformed into holy saints. This is very frustrating to those who require theological proofs, prescribed miraculous events, and empirical arguments in philosophy. Yet, those who simply surrender our minds to the God who is love’s essence and reality, experience it to the fullest.

Jesus’s surrender of His comfort for more than 33 years and surrendering His life so we could be spared from eternal death is the chief act of God’s love toward us. It is our privilege to experience the power of love, live victoriously above every besetting sin, be comforted when things do not always go our way in this life, and commune with God whenever we lift up our minds to enter His presence by faith. God’s Word is our guide to the green pastures of trust in Him and the story of how He set us free through the ministry of Jesus Christ. To some, this seems too good to be true. To others, this is not complex enough a paradigm and they miss out as they seek complication as validation. Our God is saying that we need simply to believe Him. We need to believe that He loves us more than we can imagine. We need to believe that He has invested all so we can experience eternity with Him and escape destruction.

Refuse, by God’s grace, to complicate His love. Accept it like babies accept their mother’s care and warm embrace without question. Allow God to overcome your doubts, fears, feelings of inadequacy, pain, and past failures. You will be happy you did.

I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?.—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)

Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-05-09-2018

This is devotional thought number 23 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree together, to end your divisions, and to be united by the same mind and purpose. For members of Chloe’s household have made it clear to me, my brothers and sisters, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each of you is saying, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” or “I am with Cephas,” or “I am with Christ.” Is Christ divided? Paul wasn’t crucified for you, was he? Or were you in fact baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name! (I also baptized the household of Stephanus. Otherwise, I do not remember whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless. For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:10–18, NET).
In light of today’s theme passage, the goodness of God we referenced yesterday is manifest. Paul, knowing that there was strife among the the brothers and sisters in Corinth, still encouraged their faith. He still called them saints who were called into fellowship with Jesus Christ. He still focused on their high calling and God’s power to make them blameless as they prepared for the arrival of Jesus Christ. Paul spoke faith, courage, and complete trust in God. With this kind of grace comes responsibility. And that’s where we pick up today, in our devotional thought.
God is not the Minister of sin, strife, or divisions. God is no party to infighting and quarrelling among His children. He certainly is not a proponent of man worship. Some of the folks were so distracted that they rallied around their contrived icons of various spiritual leaders, as if there was some honor in doing so. God never called leaders to become our spiritual experience. He never called us to deify them or put them upon pedestals. When we are baptized, it is done in the names of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and not our favorite pastors, evangelists, or Bible workers. It seems this should go without saying, but the folks in Corinth were not unique. Factions in our churches often arise on the basis of one personality over another, and persons take sides as leaders are elected, ministry opportunities are discussed, and assignments are given. This ought not so to be! Jesus gave His life to save us from sin. Jesus gave His life so we could be free from reproach, blame, and unholiness. We must never allow the enemy to deceive us into disunity. That is the same trick he used in heaven as He staged the uprising against God’s government!
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, while looking to common human beings for that which only God can give. God has chosen to abase all human philosophy, so-called wisdom, and intelligence, by the simplicity of love. Through the power of His love and the sacrifice of Christ, God has called all of us unto faith and holiness. We must not search for a human icon or great sage to trust. All have sinned and come short of God’s ideal. Therefore, it should be comforting that God was willing to condescend so we could have access through Jesus Christ, to all spiritual blessings. It should be comforting that in Christ, we have no need to fight among ourselves or pick sides, except the side of holiness. Life is so much...

`Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-05-08-2018

This is devotional thought number 22 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:1–9).
If you do not get anything else from our theme passage today, get this: God is faithful. Please, whatever you do, do not rush by that thought. It is true on so many levels, but in context of today’s thought, God our Father is faithful to give you pleasure and delight, merciful kindness, and the strength to you need to appear before Him blameless on the day Jesus Christ returns.
In Paul’s salutation, it is easy to read too quickly a miss the abundant gospel message. Dear brother Paul was taking his time to encourage the brothers and sisters in Corinth who had chosen to surrender themselves to God, that He had enriched them in every way. God gave them His beloved Son to enfold them into His family, to speak freely concerning the vitalizing truths of His Word, exercise every spiritual gift, and to live above reproach as long as they continued to trust in Him. I don’t know if you realize this or not, but so many of our brothers and sisters in the faith are unable to grasp the reality that God is that good; that He is able to preserve His people and empower us to live as victoriously as Jesus lived while in human form. This is the testimony about Jesus that he taught them. The blessing is, that at the time, some people actually got it. Some believed God for His grace and abundant mercy, and that they were called into perfect fellowship with the King of Kings.
I said it earlier: God is good! This means that we have no reason to look to ourselves for the wherewithal to be holy. That’s the whole point. Our success in all things godly is 100% wrapped up in partnership with Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God. For this, Paul and Sosthenes were thankful. I am too. Walk humbly today, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6).
I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?.—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)

Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Monday, May 7, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-05-07-2018

This is devotional thought number 21 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” (Romans 16:17–18).
Beware! Be aware of all who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but are actually savage wolves. Beware! Be aware of those who look like lambs, but speak like dragons. Beware! Be aware of those who claim to be in the faith that look like genuine wheat, but demonstrate the mentality of weeds. Beware.

I love how Paul was a straightforward character. He did not mince words when it came to all matters related to God’s church. In today’s theme text, Paul made himself abundantly clear that there would be people creeping in among us who, like the wily serpent in Eden, would spread seeds of doubt, discord, and strife within the ranks of true believers. There are those who lurk in the pews who have a form of godliness, say some of the right words, sing some of the right tunes, associate with some of the right people, but are actually snakes who thrive on confusion. From these, stay away! Confusion is antithetical to God’s truth. Our Father, and the Creator of us all, has a sure word of truth to share with all who are willing to listen and heed the message. God’s message to all who will receive it creates the environment for unity of faith. It causes all to love one another, have mutual respect, embrace God’s truths without reservation, and lead others to do the same, in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, if there be any among your ranks who do not encourage faithfulness, but stirs up strife, especially concerning what God has or has not said, beware! “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” (James 3:16–17). Our God is not the Author of confusion.

I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?.—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)

Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sunday, May 6, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-05-06-2018

This is devotional thought number 20 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:1–4).
Real talk: Sometimes our brothers and sisters in the faith are weak. By weak I don’t mean faulty and prone to commit sin, although we all are. This time, I mean weak in understanding. Sometimes God’s people subject themselves to unnecessary guidelines we’ve picked up along the way and then wonder why others are not adhering to them. I would give you a list, but that would fly in the face of what our Scripture focus is teaching us today.
Let’s just say, for the sake of argument, that some of our brothers and sisters believe it’s sinful to wear shoes on Tuesday. I know that seem ridiculous; but then so do some of the things we really struggle with. Work with me here. What should the “stronger” believer do in that case? Should the stronger believer chastise the weaker one for that faulty line of reasoning if that person just chooses to maintain a no shoes wearing practice for Tuesdays? What if that person doesn’t really pester others with that faulty thinking? The problem Paul was addressing was multifaceted. Among the many facets was the basic human relationship element that said strong believers need to take time and be patient with our brothers and sisters who hold onto certain paradigms that don’t necessarily lead to sin or death (especially). Whether a person does or doesn't wear shoes on Tuesday means absolutely nothing, on the surface level. What if the so-called strong believer tried to enforce a mindset adjustment on the weak believer? What if the strong believer deliberately paraded his or herself in front of the weak believer on Tuesdays, while wearing shoes, just to make a point? What if the strong believer pressured the weak believer to at least try on the shoes that day, and the weak believer violated his or her conscience, albeit misguided? Are you getting the picture here? Jesus did not unnecessarily (I said unnecessarily) jolt people into truth or new life paradigms. Some people need more tender guidance than others. Some need to overcome strange customs and superstitions. Our duty is to bear long with those who are just getting their spiritual feet under them and humanely teach, share, pray with, and guide them. In due season, they will unlearn the seemingly senseless customs they have been carrying for a long time.
The message of Christ is that we should encourage hope in all situations. We must encourage faithfulness and holiness. We must reflect God’s love and patience if we claim to be His ambassadors. We must bear one another’s burdens and learn from the errors of those who did not get this valuable aspect of the gospel. We now know what not to do. We must not bruise the consciences of those who have not reached our stage of development as yet. We must not forget that these dear ones are also the apple of God’s eye and we must help them the same way God helps us everyday. God’s truth is loving, kind, patient, and practical.
I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?.—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)

Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sabbath, May 5, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-05-05-2018

This is devotional thought number 19 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” (Romans 14:7–13).
“I’ve got no heaven or hell to put you in.” Have you ever heard that before? Have you ever said it? It conveys the stark, and perhaps comforting reality that Jesus is the Judge of all the world and not faulty human beings. It’s comforting because we are fickle, limited in our awareness of others’ reality, except whatever they may convey to us; and we cannot give what we are aware of the appropriate context, especially not to the level of being a judge. Besides, sinful human beings are way out of our depth as eternal judges. Our collective and individual sin predicament positions us in the only safe place we can occupy, in this context, humbled at the feet of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, some of us get it twisted. We somehow forget that we are sinners who also need the Savior. And thus we ascend our throne-like high horses and pass imperfect judgment, which reflects back to us and we end up subjecting ourselves to the unjust outcomes we’ve levied on others. The truth is that we live and die in the sight of, and according to the sovereignty of God, or Creator. The blessing in this is not some neck wagging potshot that we take at our false accusers and faulty judges. No. It’s actually that since our Creator loved us so much He gave us His perfect Son who would live according to truth and die in our behalf. All those who trust in Jesus’ life, death, and ministry for us will be saved. An outgrowth of this transformational faith is that we never put anything we do, say, or neglect to do in the way of our fellow believers. We choose to step aside, and through our conduct and love, we make way for them to experience Christ firsthand. We decrease so He will increase in people’s consciousness. We let God be God and we worship Him, while encouraging others to do the same.

The gospel of Jesus Christ humbles us. His power awes us. His love transforms us. His patience makes us patient. His mercy makes us merciful. Ultimately, all that makes God, God, makes us humble servants who wish nothing more than for as many people as possible to be saved.

I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?.—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)

Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Friday, May 4, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-05-04-2018

This is devotional thought number 18 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Romans 13:14).

I can remember watching a popular syndicated television show episode many years ago about an alcoholic mother who wanted help with her drinking problem. She was a single mom who started drinking beer as early as ten o'clock in the morning. She said that her skin would begin to crawl at some point in the day, and the only way to calm it was to have a drink. She would drink in another room while her children were bathing. She drank in order to motivate herself to spend quality time with them in the park. Her situation is so sad, and unfortunately all too familiar to countless numbers of people. The besetting sin may not be drinking in every case, but many do resort to some compulsion in order to relieve stress or instill a false sense of well-being.

One of the saddest things about compulsive behaviors is that they are a counterfeit for what those who have them really need. One man said that we all are born with a God-shaped space in our lives, and we often use other things in an attempt to fill the void.

How do we get to the point where we no longer try to fulfill our need for God with counterfeits that always leave us in a worse state than when we first began? People always look for the quick fix, but there is none. The road to overcoming is a long and arduous one, but we are not alone. The Lord is able to keep us from falling in this present world. True enough, we may need professional guidance at times, but the Scriptures are true even in those cases: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:11-14). I must encourage myself with these words when I am tempted to replace God with some behaviour that does not please Him.

One of the things that has helped me tremendously to be victorious, knowing that God is all-powerful, is exerting my God-given decision-making power. Let us just say for example, that I am tempted on a regular basis to smoke tobacco knowing that it deteriorates the temple that God has entrusted me with, it would be well for me to avoid situations where I would have to encounter smoking. It is also better to pray for victory while separating myself from environments where the temptations are prevalent. At no time, should I presume upon the mercy of God, and have just a little smoke. No! We are not to make provision to sin while seeking to be victorious. Whatever our particular pet sins are, we should surrender them to the Lord and trust Him for the power to overcome. Certainly, all of this is hard work, and we may need help from someone, but the point remains, the Lord is able and willing to keep us from falling. Pray today that you will not be satisfied with counterfeit pleasure in place of a genuine relationship with God. The time is now; right now. Our God is well able to preserve that which we dedicate to Him, until Jesus comes. Why not give your life to Him?

I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?.—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)

Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Thursday, May 3, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-05-03-2018

This is devotional thought number 17 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1–2).
Since God has done so much for us, in giving us His Son to be our Substitute so we would not need to die for our sins, it is reasonable that we should present ourselves to God. It is reasonable that we should surrender our best minds, bodies, and inner beings for His service everyday the Lord gives us breath. It’s the least we can do.

For some reason, it is human nature for us to lay back when we achieve a certain level of success or blessings; it’s called, “resting on your laurels.” Complacency is the killer of progress and momentum. It causes people to deceive ourselves into believing that if we take a break from whatever got us into the positive position, we can still maintain or pick up where we left off. Not only is this untrue in the secular world, but it is also untrue, and more so, in the spiritual world. If you wish to be spiritually successful and have a thriving relationship with God, retain the zeal of your first love with God, and the habits that drove you closest to Him in the first place. You entered your relationship with Him through faith. Continually submit yourself to God through the same brand of faith until Jesus returns.

Never underestimate truehearted commitment to God. Never underestimate the levels of commitment that show that we really are being transformed by the Holy Spirit. We are to be diligent in presenting our bodies to God. Any habit, trend, or practice that we cling to regarding our physical essence, that impairs our judgment or health must be completely abandoned. God does not accept lame sacrifices. In our day, a lame sacrifice is when we neglect to follow God’s laws of nature and health and proclaim that we are fully surrendered to God. A lame sacrifice is what we are when we feed our bodies with unhealthful foods and drinks. We are lame sacrifices when we do not do all we can to preserve health according to all God has revealed in Scripture. Our merciful God has given all to us, even to the point of giving us His dear Son to save us from our sins. When we continually surrender all to Him, we can expect transformational power. We can expect not to be squeezed into the world’s mold. And as we experience this transformational power, we become examples of God’s ability to make us holy, just, and good. We become examples of His power to make us all that is well-pleasing and perfect, according to His will.

I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?.—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)

Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-05-02-2018

This is devotional thought number 16 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).
To what are you listening? Are you listening to the voices of naysayers who don’t have your best interest at heart? Are you listening to the news peddlers who seem to find pleasure in sensationalising tragedy? Are you listening to your doubts and fears? Are you listening to reflections of unresolved emotional pain?

With all of the many voices vying for our attention, it is difficult to pull away and listen for the voice of the Creator at times. While the whirlwind of wars, political infighting, economic ups and downs, etc., are swirling about us, it takes extreme discipline a fortitude to draw aside to give a keen ear to what God has to say. While others are typing away with their thumbs in social media, speaking away with the many podcasts, and publishing away, the many books that may not be as edifying as we had hoped, our God has something to say. Are you willing to listen? The keys to all of the world’s woes are in the Word of God. Faith comes through hearing the God’s Word. The ancient Jewish mindset, which I am adopting was that hearing and doing were synonymous. This is why some would literally stop up their ears when they were unwilling to do what was being said.

Let me ask you again: “To what are you listening?” If you find that you are in need of encouragement, guidance, wisdom, comfort, peace, and instruction in righteousness, hear and do God’s Word. Establish a pattern of asking God to write His Words into your lifestyle and habits. Ask Him to teach you truth, make you more loving and kind, and to surrender your all to Him. If you do this consistently, be on the lookout for power you may have never experienced before in your life. Give thanks that God is still willing to speak life into you so you can be saved.

I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?.—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)