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Verse to DATE the Word on March 10 (3/10) is 2 Timothy 3:10

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 10 (3/10) is 2 Timothy 3:10
2 Timothy 3:10 says, “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,” ESSENTIAL TOPICS TO TEACH as a DISCIPLER As my boys were growing up, they played little league baseball. It wasn’t long after they started playing that I was asked to help as an assistant coach. This was something I had never done before so there was a LEARNING CURVE. I was blessed early on to assist a coach who had played in college and I was able to LEARN how to run a practice. While baseball is a simple game it is also a very complex game I learned from him that we wanted to get the team not only to practice the basics of fielding, throwing, catching, hitting and running but also what to do in a variety of game situations. When we arrived at practice he had a list of things to go over and do so each player could get some practice in the basics and in game situations. He knew the areas that needed to be developed and as a result this team did very well. I share this about me learning about what needed to be practiced because I have found that like baseball, discipleship, while simple, can be complex. I have found that most people know they are to be discipling other people and many would like to but they don’t know how to run the practice. Being transparent I was in this category. I knew I was to be discipling others and I wanted to disciple others but I DID NOT KNOW what I should be teaching. As I struggled with what was involved with discipling I had a couple of young men come to me and ask if I would disciple them. Now I had to get an answer as I agreed to meet with them once a week. To get the answer I recalled someone somewhere saying 2 Timothy was a book that revealed how the Apostle Paul discipled Timothy. So I grabbed my Bible and I read through the four chapters and sure enough, I saw how one could conclude 2 Timothy was a book about discipleship. The first major conclusion came from 2 Timothy 2:2 which says, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” I reasoned that to disciple another was to teach what I had learned from the various men who had discipled me. The second conclusion that this was a book about how to disciple came from our verse to date on March 10, (3/10), 2 Timothy 3:10. It starts with, “But you have carefully followed my…” As I consider those words I am realizing that what would come next would be things that Paul taught, (discipled) Timothy to do. So, then I read that Paul had taught Timothy “doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,” From 2 Timothy 3:10, I saw seven essential areas to pour into the two young men that wanted me to disciple them. I would teach them what we believed as believers (doctrine) and how we should behave as believers (manner of life). I would want to spend time with them about determining what God wanted them to do with their life (purpose). I would be spending time with them on how to trust God to do what He wanted them to do (faith). We would look at how to get along with people by being patient (longsuffering) and showing them *love. And we would consider what it took to stay in the race that God had set before us (perseverance.) Like coaching a baseball team the essentials, I now had the essentials for discipling. And now you have them as well. If you are going to fulfill the Lord’s commission of going and making disciples I strongly encourage you to read 2 Timothy and especially drill down on 2 Timothy 3:10. Verse to DATE the Word on March 10 (3/10) is 2 Timothy 3:10. 2 Timothy 3:10 says, “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,”* Continue Strong making disciples, And remember to DATE THE WORD

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 10 (3/10) is 2 Timothy 3:10

2 Timothy 3:10 says, “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,”

ESSENTIAL TOPICS TO TEACH as a DISCIPLER

As my boys were growing up, they played little league baseball. It wasn’t long after they started playing that I was asked to help as an assistant coach. This was something I had never done before so there was a LEARNING CURVE. I was blessed early on to assist a coach who had played in college and I was able to LEARN how to run a practice. While baseball is a simple game it is also a very complex game I learned from him that we wanted to get the team not only to practice the basics of fielding, throwing, catching, hitting and running but also what to do in a variety of game situations. When we arrived at practice he had a list of things to go over and do so each player could get some practice in the basics and in game situations. He knew the areas that needed to be developed and as a result this team did very well.

I share this about me learning about what needed to be practiced because I have found that like baseball, discipleship, while simple, can be complex. I have found that most people know they are to be discipling other people and many would like to but they don’t know how to run the practice. Being transparent I was in this category. I knew I was to be discipling others and I wanted to disciple others but I DID NOT KNOW what I should be teaching.

As I struggled with what was involved with discipling I had a couple of young men come to me and ask if I would disciple them. Now I had to get an answer as I agreed to meet with them once a week. To get the answer I recalled someone somewhere saying 2 Timothy was a book that revealed how the Apostle Paul discipled Timothy. So I grabbed my Bible and I read through the four chapters and sure enough, I saw how one could conclude 2 Timothy was a book about discipleship. The first major conclusion came from 2 Timothy 2:2 which says, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” I reasoned that to disciple another was to teach what I had learned from the various men who had discipled me.

The second conclusion that this was a book about how to disciple came from our verse to date on March 10, (3/10), 2 Timothy 3:10. It starts with, “But you have carefully followed my…” As I consider those words I am realizing that what would come next would be things that Paul taught, (discipled) Timothy to do. So, then I read that Paul had taught Timothy “doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,”

From 2 Timothy 3:10, I saw seven essential areas to pour into the two young men that wanted me to disciple them. I would teach them what we believed as believers (doctrine) and how we should behave as believers (manner of life). I would want to spend time with them about determining what God wanted them to do with their life (purpose). I would be spending time with them on how to trust God to do what He wanted them to do (faith). We would look at how to get along with people by being patient (longsuffering) and showing them love. And we would consider what it took to stay in the race that God had set before us (perseverance.)

Like coaching a baseball team the essentials, I now had the essentials for discipling. And now you have them as well. If you are going to fulfill the Lord’s commission of going and making disciples I strongly encourage you to read 2 Timothy and especially drill down on 2 Timothy 3:10.

Verse to DATE the Word on March 10 (3/10) is 2 Timothy 3:10. 2 Timothy 3:10 says, “But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance,”

Continue Strong making disciples,
And remember to DATE THE WORD

March 10, 2023

Verse to DATE the Word on March 9 (3/9) is 1 Kings 3:9

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 9 (3/9) is 1 Kings 3:9
1 Kings 3:9 says, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” ASK FOR WISDOM!! King Solomon has been granted the grand prize of prizes in that he can ASK God for anything. The story of God’s offer to Solomon is found in 1 Kings 3:5-15. Starting at verse 5 we read of the offer. “At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” Have you ever pondered how enormous this offer is? The One who OWNS it all (Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein) says Ask! What shall I give you? Solomon could ask for RICHES and WEALTH! The One who is all POWERFUL; the One who is all KNOWING says, ASK! What shall I give you? Solomon could be asking for power and fame. WHAT WOULD YOU BE ASKING FOR IF THIS WAS PRESENTED TO YOU? Before making his request, the passage shows us how Solomon came to make his request. He confesses that he does not have the understanding nor wisdom nor discernment to be the leader that a king needs to have. 1 Kings 3:7 says, “Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.” There is great humility here as Solomon is wise enough to know he is not wise enough. Knowing that he does not know what he needs to know he makes the wisest of decisions to ask for understanding, discernment, yes, for WISDOM! While he could have asked for power yet he understood that without wisdom one could easily misuse power. He could have asked for wealth but without wisdom, one’s wealth would lose its value. He could have asked for fame but without wisdom fame and honor goes to one’s head bringing about arrogance. So instead of asking for things almost any human would have asked for he asked for wisdom. Oh, the wisdom of asking for wisdom! WHAT WOULD YOU BE ASKING FOR IF THIS WAS PRESENTED TO YOU? I place the question before you a second time because the truth of the matter is as believers every moment is living the Solomon dream because God has said through Pastor James in James 1:5 that if any man lacks wisdom LET HIM ASK GOD! Read it and read it again! James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Quick story: As my father-in-law was driving across several states on a long drive with his grandson he kept asking questions about the different things he was seeing. To his surprise, his grandson was rattling off the answers. Being impressed at how smart his grandson was he complimented him. His grandson then revealed that he was simply entering the question into Google. My father-in-law then said you might be stupid but there is now no reason to be ignorant since there is Google at your fingertips. Friends, it is true that with GOOGLE you have so much knowledge of things but more than not being ignorant I would say to you that you don’t have to be stupid! You can ask GOD for WISDOM, wisdom for making life decisions! I appeal to you to APPLY the wisdom that tells you to ASK and to ACQUIRE wisdom! Get into God’s Word where you will find wisdom for living. One approach I take is to read a chapter a day from the book of Proverbs. Today is the 9th day so I read Proverbs 9. Verse to DATE the Word on March 9 (3/9) is 1 Kings 3:9. It says, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” WISDOM says, ASK for wisdom and ACQUIRE wisdom, and APPLY wisdom! Continue Strong getting WISDOM from God! And remember to DATE THE WORD

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 9 (3/9) is 1 Kings 3:9

1 Kings 3:9 says, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

ASK FOR WISDOM!!

King Solomon has been granted the grand prize of prizes in that he can ASK God for anything. The story of God’s offer to Solomon is found in 1 Kings 3:5-15. Starting at verse 5 we read of the offer. “At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

Have you ever pondered how enormous this offer is? The One who OWNS it all (Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein) says Ask! What shall I give you? Solomon could ask for RICHES and WEALTH! The One who is all POWERFUL; the One who is all KNOWING says, ASK! What shall I give you? Solomon could be asking for power and fame.

WHAT WOULD YOU BE ASKING FOR IF THIS WAS PRESENTED TO YOU?

Before making his request, the passage shows us how Solomon came to make his request. He confesses that he does not have the understanding nor wisdom nor discernment to be the leader that a king needs to have. 1 Kings 3:7 says, “Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.” There is great humility here as Solomon is wise enough to know he is not wise enough.

Knowing that he does not know what he needs to know he makes the wisest of decisions to ask for understanding, discernment, yes, for WISDOM! While he could have asked for power yet he understood that without wisdom one could easily misuse power. He could have asked for wealth but without wisdom, one’s wealth would lose its value. He could have asked for fame but without wisdom fame and honor goes to one’s head bringing about arrogance. So instead of asking for things almost any human would have asked for he asked for wisdom. Oh, the wisdom of asking for wisdom!

WHAT WOULD YOU BE ASKING FOR IF THIS WAS PRESENTED TO YOU?

I place the question before you a second time because the truth of the matter is as believers every moment is living the Solomon dream because God has said through Pastor James in James 1:5 that if any man lacks wisdom LET HIM ASK GOD! Read it and read it again! James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Quick story: As my father-in-law was driving across several states on a long drive with his grandson he kept asking questions about the different things he was seeing. To his surprise, his grandson was rattling off the answers. Being impressed at how smart his grandson was he complimented him. His grandson then revealed that he was simply entering the question into Google. My father-in-law then said you might be stupid but there is now no reason to be ignorant since there is Google at your fingertips.

Friends, it is true that with GOOGLE you have so much knowledge of things but more than not being ignorant I would say to you that you don’t have to be stupid! You can ask GOD for WISDOM, wisdom for making life decisions!

I appeal to you to APPLY the wisdom that tells you to ASK and to ACQUIRE wisdom! Get into God’s Word where you will find wisdom for living. One approach I take is to read a chapter a day from the book of Proverbs. Today is the 9th day so I read Proverbs 9.

Verse to DATE the Word on March 9 (3/9) is 1 Kings 3:9. It says, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

WISDOM says, ASK for wisdom and ACQUIRE wisdom, and APPLY wisdom!

Continue Strong getting WISDOM from God!
And remember to DATE THE WORD

March 9, 2023

Verse to DATE the Word on March 8 (3/8) is 1 Peter 3:8

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 8 (3/8) is 1 Peter 3:8
1 Peter 3:8 says, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.” HOW TO GET ALONG WITH OTHERS Teddy Roosevelt once said, “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” While I agree with Mr. Roosevelt, I also have this quote: To live above, with saints we love, that will be glory. To live below, with the saints we know, that’s quite a different story! Getting along with others is ……. How do you finish the sentence? I doubt any of you are answering with the word EASY. Getting along with others is….CHALLENGING. Can be difficult. Can be excruciating. We know that getting along with others is challenging simply because of how many books have been written to help us. For instance, Dale Carnegie wrote, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” in 1936 and it is still being sold. (I would add that it is a must-read for every teenager.) Dr. John Maxwell has sold millions of books to help leaders lead and some of the top sellers are on the subject of becoming a people person! In Steven Covey’s book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 3 of the habits focus on PEOPLE SKILLS. There is no question that we all need help with getting along with others. Do you want some help on getting along with others and not having to go buy a $20 book (and then read it) or go to an all-day seminar paying $225 to learn to play nice? Well, we have the help we need in our verse for the date of March 8 (3/8). Let’s read it again (and maybe save you some money!) Peter says in 1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.” When I was a Campus Pastor at Liberty University, I would have posters made with this verse to have put in every Residence Hall room. At some point, every room had a conflict. In seeking to HELP ROOMMATES get along we placed 1 Peter 3:8 before their eyes. We also used Ephesians 4:32 which said, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” What can we learn from 1 Peter 3:8? 1. Be of the same mind. We must be unified. There has to be UNITY in the UNIT. As Christians, we are ALL on the same team. Like a football team, we DIFFER in assignments and roles but we are ALL on the same team. Like a great orchestra, we play different instruments but we play the same song. 2. Be compassionate – caring for each other – lifting one another up 3. Be loving as bothers. It has the idea of having the other person’s back. And never forget that the time a person needs love the most is when they deserve it the least. 4. Be tenderhearted. This has the idea of seeking to understand. 5. Be courteous to one another. The idea is to always be RESPECTFUL. Treat each person with dignity. 6. Add Kindness from Ephesians 4:32. Kindness is active goodwill. 7. Add Forgiveness from Ephesians 4:32. Forgiveness is the glue that holds all relationships together. As Christ forgave you forgive. While the books can be helpful, I can tell you that the best guidance for how to get along is found in 1 Peter 3:8. With the addition of Ephesians 4:32 and Philippians 2:4 that tells us to esteem others better than ourselves and look out for the interest of others before looking out for ourselves we have the essential ingredients to GETTING ALONG WITH EACH OTHER. The challenge is….no, it is not the other person. The challenge is with us. The challenge is PUTTING INTO ACTION 1 Peter 3:8. When we humble ourselves and start practicing these instructions we will start seeing better results in our relationships! Verse to DATE the Word on March 8 (3/8) is 1 Peter 3:8. It says, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.” Continue strong getting along with others, And remember to DATE THE WORD

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 8 (3/8) is 1 Peter 3:8

1 Peter 3:8 says, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.”

HOW TO GET ALONG WITH OTHERS

Teddy Roosevelt once said, “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” While I agree with Mr. Roosevelt, I also have this quote: To live above, with saints we love, that will be glory. To live below, with the saints we know, that’s quite a different story!

Getting along with others is ……. How do you finish the sentence? I doubt any of you are answering with the word EASY. Getting along with others is….CHALLENGING. Can be difficult. Can be excruciating.

We know that getting along with others is challenging simply because of how many books have been written to help us. For instance, Dale Carnegie wrote, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” in 1936 and it is still being sold. (I would add that it is a must-read for every teenager.) Dr. John Maxwell has sold millions of books to help leaders lead and some of the top sellers are on the subject of becoming a people person! In Steven Covey’s book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 3 of the habits focus on PEOPLE SKILLS. There is no question that we all need help with getting along with others.

Do you want some help on getting along with others and not having to go buy a $20 book (and then read it) or go to an all-day seminar paying $225 to learn to play nice? Well, we have the help we need in our verse for the date of March 8 (3/8). Let’s read it again (and maybe save you some money!)  Peter says in 1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.”

When I was a Campus Pastor at Liberty University, I would have posters made with this verse to have put in every Residence Hall room. At some point, every room had a conflict. In seeking to HELP ROOMMATES get along we placed 1 Peter 3:8 before their eyes. We also used Ephesians 4:32 which said, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”

What can we learn from 1 Peter 3:8?
1.   Be of the same mind. We must be unified. There has to be UNITY in the UNIT. As Christians, we are ALL on the same team. Like a football team, we DIFFER in assignments and roles but we are ALL on the same team. Like a great orchestra, we play different instruments but we play the same song.
2.   Be compassionate – caring for each other – lifting one another up
3.   Be loving as bothers. It has the idea of having the other person’s back. And never forget that the time a person needs love the most is when they deserve it the least.
4.   Be tenderhearted. This has the idea of seeking to understand.
5.   Be courteous to one another. The idea is to always be RESPECTFUL. Treat each person with dignity.
6.   Add Kindness from Ephesians 4:32. Kindness is active goodwill.
7.   Add Forgiveness from Ephesians 4:32. Forgiveness is the glue that holds all relationships together. As Christ forgave you forgive.

While the books can be helpful, I can tell you that the best guidance for how to get along is found in 1 Peter 3:8. With the addition of Ephesians 4:32 and Philippians 2:4 that tells us to esteem others better than ourselves and look out for the interest of others before looking out for ourselves we have the essential ingredients to GETTING ALONG WITH EACH OTHER.

The challenge is….no, it is not the other person. The challenge is with us. The challenge is PUTTING INTO ACTION 1 Peter 3:8. When we humble ourselves and start practicing these instructions we will start seeing better results in our relationships!

Verse to DATE the Word on March 8 (3/8) is 1 Peter 3:8. It says, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.”

Continue strong getting along with others,
And remember to DATE THE WORD

March 8, 2023

Verse to DATE the Word on March 7 (3/7) is Proverbs 3:7

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 7 (3/7) is Proverbs 3:7
Proverbs 3:7 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”

I CAN DO IT MYSELF

Having just told us in Proverbs 3:5-6 to TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL OUR HEART and NOT LEAN ON OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, to ACKNOWLEDGE HIM IN ALL OUR WAYS AND HE WILL DIRECT OUR PATHS, Proverbs 3:7 follows up with a timely admonition to NOT BE WISE IN OUR OWN EYES; FEAR THE LORD AND DEPART FROM EVIL.”

When I look at these three verses together verse 7 speaks volumes because it challenges me to NOT LEAN ON MY OWN UNDERSTANDING. I don’t know about you, but I am prone to believe I can do it myself. Experience, however, has taught me time and again that those five words have gotten me in a lot of trouble. And I have seen it get a lot of other people in trouble. While there is something to be said positive about being self-sufficient and something to be said about being able to live independently, choosing to live INDEPENDENTLY of God is not going to end well.

An illustration here might be good. A child so wants to be able to DO IT THEMSELVES. Can you picture this as a parent, and/or grandparent, and or teacher of preschoolers? There is orange juice for the child and THEY WANT TO POUR IT FOR THEMSELVES. They grab the carton and immediately you step toward the child saying, “No Johnny, let me help you.” And then you hear those famous last words before there is a mess to clean up I CAN DO IT MYSELF.

Just curious how many times have you MADE A MESS with life because you said to God, I CAN DO IT MYSELF? Instead of applying the TRUST IN THE LORD part of Proverbs 3:5 you LEANED ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. How did that turn out for you?

I find Proverbs 3:7 to be a timely reminder to one of the most valuable instructions we have on handling the decisions of life. The placement of this verse really could not be at a better place. While it seems to be a stand-alone verse it really should be viewed in connection to Proverbs 3:5-6. Having been instructed to TRUST GOD rather than TRUST SELF we find INSTRUCTIONS to NOT BE WISE IN OUR OWN EYES but rather FEAR THE LORD and in doing so DEPART FROM EVIL. Instead of I CAN DO IT MYSELF we acknowledge the authority of God and our need of God and He then leads us, leading us away from temptations and in paths of righteousness.

I trust you made the connection with the last sentence to the Lord’s Prayer and to the work of the shepherd in Psalm 23. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we pray that He will not lead us into temptation. With the prayer, we are submitting to His guidance and from Psalm 23 we learn the shepherd leads us in paths of righteousness. Rather than leaning on our own understanding and being wise in our own eyes, we TRUST and RELY on the Lord and then WE DON’T MAKE A MESS OF THINGS.

Not being wise in our own eyes is difficult because we all have an EGO. I like to define EGO as EDGING GOD OUT. The decision of decisions will be whether the Lord will be Lord of your life or will you be lord of your life. When one FEARS THE LORD they have removed self from the throne of their heart and have placed the Lord as LORD of their heart. One moves from self-dependence to Savior dependence.

Verse to DATE the Word on March 7 (3/7) is Proverbs 3:7. It says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”

Will it be I CAN DO IT MYSELF or I NEED YOU, LORD?

Continue strong TRUSTING IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART!
And remember to DATE THE WORD

March 7, 2023

Verse to DATE the Word on March 6 (3/6) is Ecclesiastes 3:6

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 6 (3/6) is Ecclesiastes 3:6
Ecclesiastes 3:6 says, “A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;”

Actions that bring about IMPROVEMENT

As one comes to Ecclesiastes 3 one reads, “To everything, there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.”  Following this profound statement comes a list of things that we have happening in our lives yet are opposites. Such as in verse 2 we read, “A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;” One can easily see the opposites in this verse. In verse 4 we read of a time to WEEP and a time to LAUGH. There will be times of MOURNING and there will be times of DANCING. While opposite, each is a part of our life and each has a purpose.

Eccl. 3:6 gives us the opposites of gaining as opposed to losing and losing as opposed to gaining, and of keeping as opposed to throwing away and throwing away as opposed to keeping. This verse helps us to keep perspective, to keep balanced, and to do things that bring about improvement in a person’s life. One way of looking at this verse in totality is to understand to bring improvement to our life, there will be times we need to be gathering while at other times there will be times we need to get rid of stuff.

Drilling down on the verse let us ask a few questions.
What are the things you need to be gaining?  For some, this verse speaks to you about gaining an education. There is a time to be in class and working toward getting a certain degree. Education is a great door opener. For some people who find themselves unemployed, the reason may very well be they are unemployable. At some point, a price was not paid to GAIN the education needed for employment. Having been very involved in education for the vast majority of my life I have stressed there is a time to GAIN an education. This is but one example of a time to gain.

What are things you need to be losing?  There are things we need to LOSE. For instance, one may need to lose a bad attitude. One may need to lose a grip on greed. One may need to lose selfishness. One may need to lose the weight of sin. (Hebrews 12:1)

What are the things you need to be keeping? The idea of keeping here is to hold tight. I would suggest that one will want to hold tight to family and to friends. Hold tight to relationships! It is so easy to handle what is so important carelessly.

What are the things you need to be throwing away?  As it is March and we are moving toward spring we know it is important to have what is called Spring cleaning. Well, maybe you need some spring cleaning with your mind and your heart. Maybe your heart is falling in love with something that is seeking to replace your love for the Lord. We would call that an idol and it needs to be thrown away.

Acting on Ecclesiastes 3:6 means what for you? I suggest answering the following four questions.
What decisions do you need to make to BRING something INTO your life as it is a time to GAIN?
What decisions do you need to make to GET OUT of your life as it is a time to LOSE?
What decisions do you need to make to ensure you are HOLDING TIGHT to what is most valuable?
What decision do you need to make to REMOVE from your life what does not belong?

Verse to DATE the Word on March 6 (3/6) is Ecclesiastes 3:6. It says, “A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;“

The season of life will include seasons of improvement. You improve by gaining and you improve by losing. You improve by keeping and you improve by throwing away.

Continue Strong improving!
And remember to DATE THE WORD
PS – Don’t forget that you LOSE an hour of sleep this Saturday/Sunday morning as we SPRING FORWARD.

March 6, 2023

Verse to DATE the Word on March 5 (3/5) is Proverbs 3:5 (&6)

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 5 (3/5) is Proverbs 3:5 (& 6)
Proverbs 3:5 (& 6) says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;” (v. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.)

Total Dependence on God brings Trustworthy Direction from God.

As we consider verses to KNOW and LIVE by Proverbs 3:5-6 are close to the top of the list. It is one of the greatest principles we have from God as we seek to live our lives. God invites us to TRUST Him in directing our lives. Rather than trying to figure out the direction of our life, we are able to consult with the ONLY ONE who KNOWS what is best for us.

Now let us be clear that in contrast to trusting in God, we can trust in ourselves. Our verses clearly do not advise that action. We should recall Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 as it confirms that we should not lean (place any weight) on our own understanding. Those two verses tell us that “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” I don’t know about you, but I do not want to head down a dead-end street!

As you DATE Proverbs 3:5-6 may I encourage you to pause to review your testimony of trusting God. I use the word testimony because David said in Psalm 71:5 “I have trusted you, O LORD, from childhood.” Review for a moment your history with TRUSTING GOD. What are your stories of trusting God and how He directed you?

As well pause to consider what you are presently trusting God within this moment. What decisions are you facing that NEEDS HEAVENLY INSIGHT? Are you TURNING the decision over to Him? Are you RELEASING the decision to Him? Like King Hezekiah, who found himself facing a “day of trouble” in 2 Kings 19, are you placing the situation before the Lord? As he TRUSTED in God Isaiah the prophet told him that God had HEARD HIS PRAYERS AND WAS WORKING ON THE SITUATION! (might be good to read 2 Kings 19)

I encourage you to also look ahead and resolve that as all sorts of decisions come you will TRUST IN THE LORD. David wrote in Psalm 56:3 this powerful statement: “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” The word WHENEVER reminds us that they will be coming! Before the things that you are most afraid of happening happens make the commitment that you will be TRUSTING GOD.
Verse to DATE the Word on March 5 (3/5) is Proverbs 3:5 (& 6). It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;” (v. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.)

Proverbs 3:5-6 is definitely one of the great principles you have from your heavenly Father. I can’t stress enough that Total Dependence on God brings Trustworthy Direction from God.

Continue Strong TRUSTING in the LORD,
And remember to DATE THE WORD

March 5, 2023

Verse to DATE the Word on March 4 (3/4) is Exodus 3:4

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 4 (3/4) is Exodus 3:4
Exodus 3:4 says, “So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

The first ABILITY is AVAILABILITY!

You don’t have to say a lot to have said a lot. For instance, I can hear a man say two words and then hear a woman say two words, and having heard each say those two words I have the power to change their lives forever. Those two words are I DO. Upon hearing them respond to my call to promise to love and cherish until death I then pronounce them to be HUSBAND and WIFE. The saying of two words changed everything.

Here in Exodus 3:4, we have THREE words that will change everything for Moses. After seeing a bush that was burning but not being consumed Moses stopped what he was doing and turned aside to see this most unusual action. With God having His attention God now calls out to Moses and Moses responds with “HERE I AM!” These three words would change everything for Moses and, worth saying, so many others.

You might find it interesting that Moses is not the only one to say HERE I AM. Abraham will say HERE I AM in Genesis 22 twice. God would call out to Jacob two different times and he would say HERE I AM. God would call out to Joseph and he would say HERE I AM. God would call out to the child Samuel and he would respond with HERE I AM. In 1 Samuel 3:4, we read, “the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”  Ananias, in the NT, will hear God’s call and he will respond with HERE I AM. And then, of course, there is Isaiah who upon seeing the Lord will eventually hear the Lord and will respond with HERE AM I! (Isaiah 6)

HERE I AM and/or HERE AM I are three words of AVAILABILITY.  While there usually is a little more to finalizing doing what God has for a person so many times we see God’s servants saying HERE I AM. As I discipler and mentor I emphasize over and over that DEPENDABILITY is the greatest of abilities. However, the first ability is AVAILABLITY.

Are you AVAILABLE to God? Is there a mindset of wanting to know what God wants for your life?
Can God INTERRUPT your present life with a new assignment? God interrupted Moses’ life as a shepherd in order to have him return to Egypt and bring the Hebrews out of bondage and lead them on a journey to the Promise land. Moses was just 80 when this happened. God interrupted Mary one afternoon by having the angel Gabriel stop by and tell her she was highly favored by God, and that she would be the mother of the Messiah. Mary does not respond with HERE I AM, but her answer was just as close as she said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) BTW, she was just a teenager.

A group of men of various ages and various employment would hear FOLLOW ME and I will make you fishers of men. While we don’t have the exact HERE I AM answer, their answer was very close as over and over they would respond with “and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”  (Matthew 4:22) They were AVAILABLE to FOLLOW.

Are you AVAILABLE to be a vessel in God’s hand to accomplish His assignment(s) for His glory?

Verse to DATE the Word on March 4 (3/4) is Exodus 3:4.It says, “So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

The first ability is AVAILABILITY!

Continue Strong AVAILABLE for His next assignment,
And remember to DATE THE WORD

March 4, 2023

Verses to DATE the Word on March 3 (3/3) is 2 Thessalonians 3:3 & John 3:3

Our verses to DATE the Word on March 3 (3/3/) is 2 Thessalonians 3:3. 2 Thessalonians 3:3
2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish (strengthen) you and guard (protect) you from the evil one.” John 3:3. says, “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Where God guides He Provides and He Protects!

The opening verses of 2 Thessalonians 3 provide one of the great prayer requests of the apostle Paul and subsequently a prayer request for anyone involved in ministry, especially missions. He wrote, “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.” He immediately follows up the prayer request with the REMINDER that God is FAITHFUL! This BTW was one of Paul’s favorite attributes about God. He would not only state it here but in 1 Corinthians 1:9 he wrote, “God is faithful;” in 2 Cor 1:18 he wrote, “God is faithful;” in 1 Thessalonians 5:24 he wrote, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

Friends, GOD IS FAITHFUL!! He shows His faithfulness in working in our lives so we will be victorious. He provides strength and protection from the evil one who wants to devour.
The word for establish/strengthen has the idea of “turning one resolutely in a certain direction.” As we commit our ways to the Lord He directs us away from temptations. We must then be careful not to disobey the nudging of the Holy Spirit as He gives direction.

As we live and serve the Lord in the enemy’s territory the Lord has promised to be with us with His presence (I will never leave nor forsake you; Lo I am with you always) and His power. Having both His presence and His power gives us protection against the wiles and the works of the evil one. I am not sure what you are facing today but rest assured that if you are doing a work for God, you are being opposed by the devil.

If you and the devil are not having a head-on collision then you and the devil must be going the same way!

Rest assured today of God’s power and protection and KEEP doing what He called you to do by His power!! HE IS FAITHFUL!!!

Verse to DATE the Word on March 3 (3/3/) is 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish (strengthen) you and guard (protect) you from the evil one.”

Before closing this devotion, I feel compelled to give you another 3/3 verse on March 3. It comes from John 3:3. Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus and He tells him “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” On March 3 (3/3) I asked this most important question: Have you been born again? I am certain you have a physical birth date. Do you have a spiritual birth date? Has there been a time when you acknowledged your need of Jesus for salvation and called on Him to save you and in doing so you were BORN AGAIN? If not, I appeal to you today to do so for as the verse states “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Verse to DATE the Word on March 3 (3/3/) is John 3:3. It says, “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Continue Strong,
And remember to DATE THE WORD
www.datetheword.com

March 3, 2023

Verse to DATE the Word on March 2 (3/2) is Habakkuk 3:2

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 2 (3/2/) is Habakkuk 3:2
Habakkuk 3:2 says, “O LORD, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.”

REVIVE US AGAIN OH LORD!

As the Prophet Habakkuk hears from God the judgment that will be coming upon Judah he is greatly troubled. He is AFRAID!! Having heard the report He now PRAYS, praying a prayer for REVIVAL. Knowing the wrath that is to come from Almighty God he prays for mercy.

As a new student at the Criswell Bible College in 1982 I had a personal evangelism class with the president of the school, Dr. Paige Patterson. He gave us 7 verses a week to memorize and one of the earliest verses was Habakkuk 3:2. I recall his admonition to be asking God for revival.

As a student, I also started reading sermons and one of the most impactful sermons came from Dr. Jerry Vines. His message was a plea for revival and his text was Psalm 85:6. Psalm 85:6 says, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?”   Dr. Vines pressed the point that we ask God for revival.

As a student at Liberty Baptist College (later Liberty University), I heard numerous appeals for us to pray for revival to come to America. Many chapel speakers used 2 Chronicles 7:14 for the text of their message to plead for us to seek revival. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

I am a believer in seeking God to revive His work! I am a believer in asking God to revive His people. I am a believer in asking God to revive His church. I am a believer in asking God to revive ME!

Over the last few weeks, we have read of the “fires of revival” at Asbury University in Ky. I, for one, find joy in hearing of God working and of God’s people responding. May their lives never be the same!!

Because of what has been happening at Asbury University I have noticed quite a few people weighing in on the topic of what is revival. As I started out 40 years ago praying for revival, I thought it would be important to know what it might look like if God were to answer my prayers and the prayers of thousands of others. I was helped in finding answers by Dr. Jerry Falwell as he preached one Sunday morning The Ten Distinguishing Marks of Revival. I don’t have space here and you probably don’t have time to read all ten points but I will tell you that I have never forgotten the first point. He said real revival happens when people PUT AWAY their foreign gods. We were instructed to then look at three passages starting with Genesis 35:2. Genesis 35:2 says, “And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.
We then went to Joshua 24:14  where Joshua said, “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!
Then we turned to 1 Samuel 7:3-4. 1 Samuel 7:3 says, “Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.”

If revival is happening and if it is to happen there will be REPENTANCE of worshiping false gods. The repentance will be followed up with a PUTTING AWAY – a renouncement – a removal of those false gods. Then you will see once again the WORSHIP of the one and only TRUE GOD.

What is in your life that has become an idol? Because of those idols, your love for God has diminished as your love for the idol has increased. PUT AWAY those false idols and SERVE HIM only! I plead with you to get the TRASH OUT!

Verse to DATE the Word on March 2 (3/2/) is Habakkuk 3:2. It says, “O LORD, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.”

Keep seeking revival and (just a thought) ask God to start it first in you,

Continue Strong,
And remember to DATE THE WORD

March 2, 2023

Verse to DATE the Word on March 1 (3/1) is Proverbs 3:1

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 1 (3/1) is Proverbs 3:1
Our verse to DATE the Word on March 1 (3/1) is Proverbs 3:1. Proverbs 3:1 says, “My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;”

REMEMBER THE WORD

As we READ God’s Word, we find that God’s Word appeals to us to not just READ it but to REMEMBER IT! We are NOT to FORGET IT! In order to not forget it we are to be placing it in our hearts. For instance, we go back to the Book of Deuteronomy, and we find this admonition “these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. (Deut. 6:6).  BTW – With them “in your heart” we then read in verse 7 that “you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” What we are learning we are to be teaching!

When we come to Psalms David writes in Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” He follows that up with verse 11, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!”

We HEAR/read God’s Word; we HIDE/remember God’s Word; we HEED/obey God’s Word!

When we come to Proverbs, Solomon will make the appeal to REMEMBER and KEEP his commands several times. For instance:
Proverbs 3:3 “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
Proverbs 4:4 “He also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live.”
Proverbs 6:21 “Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck”.
Proverbs 7:3 “Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.”

Our verse to DATE the Word on March 1 (3/1) appeals to YOU to “not forget God’s law, but let YOUR heart keep His commands.” We are not to be FORGETFUL readers/hearers. We are to be LEARNING and LIVING His commands, His teachings. To be able to recall God’s Word when needed we must be able to remember God’s Word and to remember it we must be HIDING IT in our hearts and minds and (here it comes) to hide it we must be MEMORIZING IT.

I must ask, how is your memorizing? How are you storing in your memory God’s Word?

Being practical I like to encourage a person to set a goal of one verse a week. Don’t set the goal of 52 verses in a year. Set the goal of one verse a week. Each Sunday pick a verse to write on an index card or on your phone notepad and read it over and over during the week until you have it memorized! YOU CAN DO THIS – and you must do this!

We do need to then KEEP the Word that we are HIDING/REMEMBERING in our heart. The word “KEEP” can be viewed in two ways. On one hand, we HOLD the commands like treasure and we hold them tight. On the other hand, KEEP carries the idea of OBEYING – doing what the commands say. Jesus said, “if you LOVE Me, KEEP My commands.”

Let us be doing both. Let’s TREASURE the WORD! Let us absolutely OBEY THE WORD!

Friends, when we acquire the INFORMATION from the Word and take the action of APPLICATION in obedience to the Word we will experience the TRANSFORMATION that comes from the Word!

Verse to DATE the Word on March 1 (3/1) is Proverbs 3:1. It says, “My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;”

Let us be diligent in LEARNING God’s Word and then LIVING in obedience to God’s Word!

Continue Strong,
And remember to DATE THE WORD

PS – With today being March 1 I highly RECOMMEND reading during the month of March the 31 chapters of PROVERBS. Using the 31 days of the month you read the chapter matching the date. Today is March 1 so read Proverbs 1. Tomorrow is March 2 so you read Proverbs 2. This is a great tool to acquire wisdom that can then be applied!

March 1, 2023