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  • Being Valiant For God With A Heart For God

    1 Samuel 10:26 “And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and valiant men went with him, whose hearts God had touched.”

    Any conversation about King Saul is almost always going to be negative.  After all, he is one of the few who ever gets the admission from the Lord that He “regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.” (1 Samuel 15:35c) As King of Israel he is known for acting foolishly and being disobedient toward God. (1 Samuel 13:13) 

    Yes, King Saul is not one to look at or study for what one should do.  While being chosen to defeat the Philistines (1 Samuel 9:16) he failed to fulfill his stated purpose.  King Saul was supposed to be an answer to prayer for dealing with the Philistines but in the end, the Philistines defeated him.  

    However, even with all the negatives, we find that at his beginning he had valiant men with him, men in whom God had touched their hearts.  Those two descriptions are very noteworthy and admirable. We should want to be known as valiant men and women and men and women whose hearts have been touched/influenced by the Lord.  Let’s look a little closer at these two descriptions. 

    Valiant. It is a word you will find 29 times in the NKJV.   It means “possessing or showing courage or determination.”  Brave!  No backing down.  No quitting! 

    Another instance of the word “valiant” associated with King Saul is found in 1 Samuel 14:52. It says, “Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or valiant man, he took him for himself.”  

    Give Saul credit here that he did know what to look for in finding soldiers!

    The word “valiant” is also found in the hall of faith passage.  In Hebrews 11:34 we read of where people of faith “quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

    Our verse tells us about valiant men and it tells us about men whose hearts God had touched.  This means they had a heart that God could guide, that God could influence.  Their hearts belonged to God as opposed to the false gods around them.  

    So, what type of person are you?  Would family and friends, associates, and neighbors describe you as valiant?  Are you one who is not afraid of the battles against the evil forces of this world?  Would you be described as one whose heart belongs to the Lord?  

    I challenge you to live and act in a way that a descriptive word for your character is valiant.

    May you be known as a man or woman of valor!!  And let there be no question that your heart has been touched by God!

    Continue Strong As A Person Of Valor!
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Come Together So You Don’t Come Apart!!! 

    Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

    Hebrews 10:24 calls for believers to consider one another so that they might stir others up to show love and take action with good works. To see one another so that they might consider one another there needs to be a time of coming together to be together. Verse 25 admonishes that we don’t forsake this “gathering.” this assembling of ourselves together is so that we might exhort – encourage one another. 

    We all need encouragement! It has been said encouragement is like oxygen to the soul. Our lives are faced with challenges and changes. in 1 Thessalians 5:14 Paul called on believers to encourage the fainthearted.  The fainthearted are those who have had something injure their soul.  Whether a word or a deed or an uncontrollable circumstance, humans have things that happen that injure their souls.  Another way of looking at the faint-hearted is to have your breath knocked out of you.  Something or someone gives you a punch in the gut.  When this happens we need that encouragement that gets up back up on our feet so that we can keep running the race that God has set before us. 

    This leads us to say we need each other.  And we will need each other more as we get closer to the coming of Christ!

    So don’t miss out on the opportunity to share your burden with others and allow others to share their burden with you. Come together so you don’t come apart.

    Others need you and you need others.

    Continue Strong Looking Out And Lift Up Others
    And remember to DATE The Word!

  • Others Need You!

    Hebrews 10:24 “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,” 

    Along with Hebrews 10:24, I want to place before you another verse for 10/24 which is 1 Corinthians 10:24.  It says, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.”  As we consider the two verses, they both convey that others need us.  We are not to live self-centered lives.  I trust you know that when you are all wrapped up in yourself you make for a very small package.  Life takes on a whole new meaning when we are outward-focused rather than inward-focused.  

    Hebrews 10:24 tells us to “consider one another.”   The word “consider” means to look carefully.  It is to see what is needed.  In seeing what is needed, we “stir” one another up.  To “stir” is to bring to life as one might do with a fire that is burning down.  The writer wants us to see how the fire in others may be burning down and how they need encouragement to keep on loving and keep on doing good works. 

    1 Corinthians 10:24 says “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.” tells us to seek the well-being of others.  We look to see what is needed for them to be spiritually healthy.  Rather than focusing only on our needs, we are looking out for the needs of others.  

    Two verses to ponder.  Both want us as believers to consider others. 

    So how is the transformation of self-seeking and selfishness to selflessness and service to others going?  Are you me focused or others focused?

    Do you want to experience real joy? Real joy is Jesus  Others  Yourself.  
    Jesus first.  Others next.  You last.

    While you may at some point think you do not need others there will always be others that need you!

    A great one-word mission statement: others

    Continue Strong Considering the Needs Of Others!
    And remember to DATE The Word!

  • Finding Pleasure in Wickedness or Finding Pleasure in Wisdom

    Proverbs 10:23 “A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.”

    How do you view evil behavior?  Our verse tells of a fool and a man of understanding and how they differ in their views on evil behavior.

    A fool looks at evil conduct or wickedness as something to be enjoyed.  It is for the fool, as the NKJV says, a sport to do evil.  

    A fool finds great pleasure in participating in wickedness. 

    On the other hand, we have a man of understanding who looks at acquiring and applying wisdom as the most enjoyable thing one could do. 

    A man of understanding finds great pleasure in pursuing/practicing wisdom.  

    Wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective. A person seeking wisdom is seeking to learn how God wants one to live. The man of understanding finds great pleasure in learning how God wants them to live.

    So let us ask some introspective questions:
    What are you finding most pleasurable?  Wickedness  or Wisdom  
    What are your pursuits?  Wickedness or Wisdom
    What excites you?  Wickedness or Wisdom
    What do you find the most enjoyable?   Wickedness or Wisdom

    Remember you make your choices and then your choices make you!

    Continue Strong delighting in the pursuit of wisdom,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • The Point of Pride

    Mark 10:22 “But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

    As I started my Christian journey over 40 years ago, I was taught the sad story of the rich young ruler. A professor said what kept him from experiencing salvation was his pride.  The professor said that as we witness to the lost, we needed to be aware of what he called the point of pride.  As the gospel is presented the lost person must decide to repent of what they believe and/or how they are behaving that is not in line with being a Christian.  

    For some, it would be the unwillingness to repent of a false belief.  As the claims of Christ are presented, they find it hard to say what they have believed is wrong.  

    For some, it would be the unwillingness to repent of a sinful behavior or behaviors. As the claims of Christ are presented, they find it hard to give up their sinful lifestyle.  

    As I have witnessed over the years, I have unfortunately seen the point of pride come to the forefront of the conversation.  It appeared with the statement “Does this mean I can no longer….”  As I witnessed to someone with a different religion the man said he would like to add Jesus to his spiritual resume.  He said he could worship his false religious leader and Jesus.  He felt his chances of getting to heaven would be better.  I told him you do not add Jesus, you accept Jesus and Him alone as the only way for salvation.  He then walked away.   I saw the point of pride.

    With another person, it was their involvement in immorality.  They asked me if they would accept Jesus would they have to stop having sex outside of marriage?  I told him that would be a change one would expect from a Christian.  He said that he was not giving up sex for salvation and walked away.  I saw the point of pride.

    Mark 10:22 tells how a man was more in love with earthly riches than storing up treasure in heaven.  Jesus had pinpointed the point of pride in him, and this man was unwilling to let Jesus be his focus and desire.  He could not see giving up his possession to “take up the cross, and follow Jesus.” 

    Earlier Jesus asked a very haunting question, asking in Mark 8:36 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”  What a question.  Yet many would rather enjoy earthly pleasures and profit and lose their soul.  What about you?

    As you now ponder Mark 10:22 know that there will be in your witnessing the moment of decision and in some cases, the point of pride will come right to the front.  You will need to be honest that they don’t get to add Jesus and keep sinning. 

    Continue Strong knowing nothing on the earth is worth missing Jesus and the salvation He offers.
    And remember to DATE the Word!

  • Our Almighty God Is Great And Awesome Is Worthy Of Praise

    Deuteronomy 10:21 “He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.”

    In learning WHO our God is in the Bible we find multiple times He is described as the GREAT and AWESOME God.  For instance:
    Deuteronomy 7:21 says, “For the LORD your God, the great and awesome God, is among you.
    Deuteronomy 10:17 says, “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome. 
    Nehemiah 1:5 says, “I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God.  
    Nehemiah 4:14 has Nehemiah telling the people to remember the Lord, great and awesome. 
    Psalm 47:2 tells us, “The LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.”

    In learning WHAT our God does the Bible tells us our God does GREAT and AWESOME things.
    While being GREAT, He does GREAT things! 
    Deuteronomy 11:7 “But your eyes have seen every GREAT act of the LORD which He did.
    While being AWESOME, He does AWESOME things!!
    Psalm 66:5 says, “Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.”
    Ps 145:6 says, “Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,”

    While revealing to us WHO GOD IS and WHAT GOD DOES we also learn how God wishes for us to RESPOND to Him.  In Deuteronomy 10:20 we are called on to fear Him and serve Him and honor Him. Now in verse 21, we are to PRAISE Him.  The praise that is due Him is because we can KNOW Him, KNOW Him personally as He is OUR God, and in knowing Him we know WHO He is (GREAT and AWESOME) and WHAT He has done (GREAT AND AWESOME!)

    From Deuteronomy 10:21 ponder how awesome God is and ponder on the awesome acts He has done for you – starting with providing salvation for your soul! 

    Ponder the greatness of God.  I think you will come to agree with Psalm 145:3, which says,  “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable”

    How does considering the greatness and awesomeness of God impact your worship of the one true God – our Creator and our Redeemer?  How does it impact your trust of God?

    Continue Strong praise our GREAT and AWESOME GOD!
    And remember to DATE the WORD

  • Learning the Hard Way to Depend on the Lord

    Isaiah 10:20 “And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, But will depend on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.”

    The context of our verse reveals that Israel was looking to false gods and they even looked for help from their enemies, the Assyrians rather than looking to God for help.  Because they were turning to their enemies for help, they would be experiencing defeat.  Isaiah explains that this defeat by the one they depended on would once and for all turn Israel to depend on the LORD.  

    On your journey through this life, what are you depending on? Who are you depending on?  Where does your help come from?  Do you look to God?  Are you dependent on God?

    You might recall that David asked in Psalm 121:1 where his help would come from.   Psalm 121:1 says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” He then answered in verse 2 with a declaration that “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”   

    Have you made the bold declaration that your help comes from the Lord?

    It is worth being reminded here that our God delights and is delighted that His children are dependent on Him!  I have found that the more spiritually mature one is the more you depend on Him.  It is the spiritually immature who look to other sources rather than coming to God!  

    Ponder this.  As physical human beings, we start out being dependent on our parents and they work to move us to a place of independence.  We track maturity by independence!
    As spiritual beings, we start out being independent of God and then we get saved (a statement of total dependence), and then we grow more dependent on God.  Spiritual maturity increases as we become more dependent on God.  

    Are you growing in your dependence on God? 

    Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”

    Continue Strong Depending Only On God!
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • Learning Not To Talk

    Proverbs 10:19 “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”

    It is not long after a baby is born we begin to assist them in learning to talk and walk.  As they make a variety of sounds, we seek to help them form their words so that one day we will hear Dada come from their mouth. (Of course, there are those who want to hear Mama first!)  As parents we naturally want our children to learn to talk so we spend time teaching them to talk.  I heard somewhere that we spend our first two years teaching a child to talk and walk and then for the rest of our lives we are telling them to sit down and be quiet!

    While the above statement is made somewhat in jest there is some truth to it as after we learn to talk and walk, we do need to learn when not to talk and learn where not to walk.  

    As we consider the various teachings from the Bible, I find Proverbs 10:19 to be one of my most valuable verses for life.  It tells how an unrestrained mouth can produce sin!  Our tongue can get us in trouble!  Has your tongue ever gotten you in trouble?   I bet it has.  I know mine has.

    Proverbs 10:19 tells us it is crucial to learn when not to talk.  A wise person is going to be very selective of what they say, when they speak, where they speak, whom they speak of and to, how they speak, and definitely think about why they are speaking.   

    The wise person puts into action Ecclesiastes 3:7b which says, “There is a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;”
    The wise person puts into action Proverbs 25:11 as it says, “A word spoken at the right time is like golden apples on a silver tray.”
    In other words, the right word said by the right person at the right time in the right way to the right person will be incredibly valuable to that person! 

    Having learned to talk how are you doing in learning not to talk?   How quickly can you stop wrong and inappropriate words from proceeding out of your mouth?  

    Like me, you may need help in learning not to talk.  I have found several prayers to pray so that my words are few (Ecclesiastes 5:2) and that I restrain my lips from saying the wrong things. From Psalms 19:14 we have the prayer “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”  And from Psalm 141:3 we have “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”  I encourage you to pray these prayers to help you restrain your lips!

    While I have always recommended to students to take a speech class to learn how to talk you might need a good Bible study to learn how/when not to talk!

    Continue Strong by being wise with your words!
    And remember to DATE The Word

  • The Destructive Outcomes Of Laziness And Idleness

    Ecclesiastes 10:18 “Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands the house leaks.”

    Can you imagine a TV show called The Lazy And The Idle?  Don’t wait for it as those involved are always arriving late to the set and when they do show up they never get around to shooting any scenes.  The Lazy and The Idle will be canceled before it starts because they could never get started.

    While we will never get to see on TV how the lazy and idle live, we can learn about them from the Scriptures, especially from the Books of Wisdom.  Both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes address numerous times their lifestyle or their lack of a lifestyle.  At times, they are called the sluggard and/or the slothful. You will find close to 20 verses in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes about them and not one time will there be anything good or positive said about them.  

    Ecclesiastes 10:18 illustrates for us how the lazy and idle leave unattended things that need attention. The upkeep of buildings is left unattended for too long, and they begin to decay.  When one should have been working on maintaining their possessions the lazy are lying around.  As they lay around things begin to fall down.  Even with things that need immediate attention, there is inaction.  As the rain falls the roof leaks, yet it is not patched, leaving a mess every time.  (And don’t expect the idle to clean up the mess).  

    Both the lazy and the idle are irresponsible with responsibilities.  Their inaction has consequences that are negative and destructive.  For instance, over time property loses value as it falls into disrepair. Their inaction will bring immediate irritation as they will not respond to the immediate crisis.  

    There is a contrasting verse that speaks volumes to HOW we are to live and that verse is Proverbs 12:27.  It gives the contrast of the lazy by telling of the diligent. Proverbs 12:27 says, “The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession.”

    The diligent does what must be done when it must be done!
    The lazy and the idle leave undone what must be done until it is irreparable. 

    Which lifestyle are you?  Are you known for diligence?  Or are you known as lazy and idle?

    Let the destructive outcomes of laziness and idleness jolt you to refuse to ever have it said that you are lazy and idle!

    Continue Strong being diligent, not lazy or idle,
    And remember to DATE The Word!

  • Learning Scripture to Strengthen Faith

    Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

    So how strong is your faith?  If you say that it is weak the first advice I would give you is to spend more time in Bible reading and study.  

    For stronger faith spend more time in the scriptures.  

    God’s Word reveals information about God so that we might know who He is and what He does. As you know more about God from His Word the more you will be able to trust Him – especially during the dark and difficult moments.  For instance, Psalm 119:92 says, “Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.” 

    Consider Psalm 9:10 as it says, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”  Knowing the nature and the character of God that is revealed through His names increases one’s trust.

    Joshua was told that he would succeed as a leader by meditating on God’s Word day and night. Joshua 1:8 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

    I came across a story regarding the life of D. L. Moody, which told of how he wanted to have more faith.  To have more faith he prayed and prayed. Like the disciples, he asked the Lord to increase his faith.  However, he did not find his faith to be any stronger.  Then one day as he read Romans 10:17 it dawned on him that his faith would grow and become stronger by spending more time in the Scriptures.  As he soaked his soul with the Scriptures, his faith to believe God to do impossible things increased so much that he shook two continents for Christ!

    Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  To grow your faith soak your soul in the Scriptures.

    For stronger faith spend more time in the Scriptures.

    Continue Strong, 
    And remember to DATE the Word