datethewordtest

Tag: Deuteronomy

  • Verse to DATE the Word on May 1 (5/1) is Deuteronomy 5:1

    Verse to DATE the Word on May 1 (5/1) is Deuteronomy 5:1

    “Moses called all Israel, and said to them: “Hear, (LISTEN) O Israel, the statutes and
    judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be
    careful to observe them (LIVE them).” – Deuteronomy 5:1
    LISTEN, LEARN, and LIVE the WORD!

    What are we to do with God’s Word?  Moses gives THREE essential things to do with God’s Word here in Deuteronomy 5:1.   
    First, we are to LISTEN (HEAR, O Israel). 
    Second, we are to LEARN (that you might LEARN). 
    Third, we are to LIVE (careful to OBSERVE them).

    We are to LISTEN to God’s Word! To listen is to become ATTENTIVE to what is being said.  We can be hearing, but not listening because we were not paying attention.  You can be “hearing” a sermon but not LISTENING to the sermon.  One of the great heartaches of God is found in Proverbs 1:24 as He says, “I have called and you refused to listen.”  Are you putting yourself in a place to LISTEN to God’s Word?  Are you paying close attention to what is being said? 
    ARE YOU LISTENING that you need to be LISTENING?

    We are to LEARN God’s Word!  To learn is to comprehend information so that it can be applied.   It is gaining an understanding.  It is gaining knowledge.  To learn one will need to do the hard work of studying.  While there is the component of being able to remember there is also the component of knowing how the information is used.  In learning God’s Word, we don’t just want to be memorizing it.  While it is important to hide God’s Word in your heart so you can recall it the full idea is learning is we now have a skill.  Studying is to make one skillful.  Studying God’s Word is to make one skillful in how to use God’s Word. Are you taking the time to LEARN God’s Word?

    We are to be LIVING God’s Word.  We are to be more than listeners and learners.  We are to be living out the skills we now possess.   There is an APPLICATION of the skills learned to daily living. As Pastor James says in his letter, we are to be DOERS.  Only a fool would be listening and learning but not living what they have learned.  (Matt. 7:26) Are you LIVING out what you are LEARNING? 

    Our verse to DATE on May 1 (5/1) is from Deuteronomy 5:1 It says, “Moses called all Israel, and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which God speaks in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe (live) them.”   

    LISTEN to the Word! LEARN the Word! LIVE the Word!

    Continue Strong,
    And remember to DATE the Word
  • Verse to DATE the Word on March 28 (3/28) is Deuteronomy 3:28

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 28 (3/28) is Deuteronomy 3:28

    Our verse to DATE the Word on March 28 (3/28) is Deuteronomy 3:28
    Deuteronomy 3:28 says, “But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.”
    Preparing the Next Generation to LEAD

    As Moses reviews what God has done for and with Israel and for him and with him in the first few chapters of Deuteronomy, he tells how God had INSTRUCTED him to get Joshua ready to be the next leader.  Our verse to DATE serves as a great reminder that we are to not just pass the baton of leadership to the next generation but prepare them to RECEIVE the baton and then RUN with the baton.  

    AS WE LEAD, WE ARE TO BE PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION TO LEAD!  

    We can see this being done by Jesus.  We can see this being done by Paul.  There are numerous ministries and organizations that have passed the baton of leadership and did so in such ways that the ministries, and organizations did BETTER than the previous generation!  As I have looked at Jesus and Paul and these various ministries it was clear that they were INTENTIONAL on not just leading in the present but were preparing those others to lead into the future when they were no longer here.  

    Drawing from Deuteronomy 3:28 who might be your Joshua?  If you were the Apostle Paul who is your Timothy?   If we look at Titus 2:2-8 who are the younger men and younger women that you are pouring into?  Maybe I labor too much here but being very practical is asking if you have someone to pass your baton to.  If you don’t have a Joshua or a Timothy begin immediately to pray that God would bring a person into your life so that you may share your “learned lessons!”

    Drawing from Deuteronomy 3:28 we can see two essential actions to take with those we are mentoring or discipling.  One is ENCOURAGEMENT and the other is EQUIPPING them to become STRONGER.  

    The component of encouragement is letting them know you believe in them.  It is the pat on the back when failure has happened and the reminder to LEARN from the LOSS.  You can be an encouragement by providing a listening ear.  Encouragement can be done by a call just to see how things are going.  It is affirming their actions and appreciating the effort!

    The component of strengthening is a little more involved as you coach and train, in a word, you EQUIP them.  You train them to LEAD themselves.  You train them how to think about doing what is best for the organization.  You train them to care about and for their people.   You train them how to make decisions.  You train them how to solve problems. And this list goes on and on!

    May I share a word about training leaders for the next generation?  One of the best groups I have ever worked with in training for the next generation is Chick-fil-A.  I listened closely one day to Dan Cathy, President of Chick-Fi-A, teach on the subject of CHANGE.  In one hand he had a cell phone.  In the other hand, he had a Bible.  With the cell phone, he said we must know how to embrace new technologies and CHANGE in order to stay up to date.  (Having grown up with a party line and now owning an iPhone I could appreciate his example.)  With the Bible and he said we must also know WHAT MUST NOT CHANGE.  How we learn God’s Word and how we teach God’s Word surely changes but what we learn and what we teach does not change.  

    In other words, the methods may change but the message stays the same!

    As you mentor and prepare a next-generation leader focus on encouraging them and equipping them.  Convey insights for WHAT they NEED TO BE a lot more than HOW they need to be doing it.  Who they are is more important than what they do.  Character is more important than performance.  Methods change but the message does not. 

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 28 (3/28) is Deuteronomy 3:28. It says, “But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see.” 

    Find your “Joshua” and encourage and strengthen him!

    Continue Strong being a mentor,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD
  • Verse to DATE the Word on January 21 (1/21) is Philippians 1:21

    Verse to DATE the Word on January 21 (1/21) is Philippians 1:21

    Our verse to DATE the Word on January 21 (1/21)
    Some verses to DATE the Word on January 21 (1/21) start with Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
    Our DATE THE WORD approach will be a little different today as I am on a study tour in Israel and as I looked at the various verses that are available to be the verse for the date there are several that connect with Israel, even connecting to some of the things I experienced and saw this very day.  So we will highlight several verses with short thoughts.   

    The first verse is Philippians 1:21.  To ask the Apostle Paul what he was living for in this present world would bring about an immediate answer are you living for CHRIST?  What are you living for?  What goes in the blank when you state that for you to live is ________________.    Is it Christ?  

    Yesterday I was in Bethlehem and part of the tour was to see the living quarters of Jerome.  Jerome came to Bethlehem and did the hard work of translating the Hebrew Bible into Latin and gave us the version called the Latin Vulgate.  In the courtyard was a statue of him and at his feet was a skull.  Immediately questions started coming about why there was a human skull at his feet.  The guide told us it was there because Jerome understood that death was sure to come, and he needed to work with urgency and leave something for future generations.  He needed a symbol, and the skull was a symbol of the transience of human existence.  

    Jerome had a mindset of living every moment for Christ and making a difference that would carry on long after he was in heaven.   How about you? 

    A verse for January 21 (1/21) is Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

    Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Deuteronomy 1:21 ‘Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’

    Being in Israel has been a reminder of what God told the Israelites to do and how they were not to live in fear nor be discouraged.  Are you stepping out by faith daily to do what God has called you to do?

    Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Judges 1:21 But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

    Reviewing the history of Israel, one has to acknowledge that they did not do what they were supposed to do and they ended up letting the enemy “hang around.”   A spiritual principle that can be drawn here is to ask if we are letting some temptations hang around.    

    Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Ruth 1:21. Naomi says,  “I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

    Being in Bethlehem meant we considered the various stories related to Bethlehem and one of the major stories is the story of Ruth. One of the tough verses of the book of Ruth is Ruth 1:21 where Naomi laments that she has come back to Bethlehem EMPTY and her evaluation of her life is God has afflicted her.  Yet knowing the full story we know that Naomi had made a bad evaluation because she did not return empty.  Returning with her was RUTH and Ruth was one of the greatest blessings Naomi would have.   Let us make sure we are evaluating our present circumstances carefully.  Let us not miss the blessings God is putting in our lives!

    Another verse for January 21 (1/21) is Matthew 1:21 “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

    Being in Bethlehem we were minded why He came and Matthew 1:21 lays out clearly what His purpose was. 
    Matthew 1:21 states it so beautifully, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”

    On Thursday we were in Nazareth, and we pointed out that by 12 Jesus said that He must be about His Father’s business.  (Luke 2:49).  On the coming Tuesday we will tour where Jesus died and then rose again fulfilling the words of Matthew 1:21.  He died to SAVE!  He died to save you!

    Continue Strong 
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on December 28 (12/28) is Deuteronomy 12:28

    Our verse to DATE the Word on December 28 (12/28) is Deuteronomy 12:28
    Deuteronomy 12:28 says, “Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.
    The RIGHT decision is always to do what is RIGHT in the SIGHT of God

    Breaking down our verse we discover the command to Observe and OBEY God’s commands. We discover the bountiful blessings that come to those who obey.  These blessings are not just to the one obeying. but to their children and future generations.  We discover that in obeying God’s commands we are obeying (DOING) what HE has determined is GOOD (as opposed to what is BAD) and RIGHT (as opposed to what is WRONG).  And what is right is based on what is right in GOD’s SIGHT!

    As believers, we have to make decisions about what actions to take.  Even before deciding to make the decision, we have to decide what will guide our decision-making.  In Judges 21:25 we read that “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”  On the other hand, Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”   Is your decision-making guided by what is right in your sight or what is right in God’s sight?  Does SELF guide or does the SAVIOR guide your decision-making? 

    In case you are more prone to allowing SELF to guide your decision-making Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 gives the following warning saying, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”  You need to be very careful about doing what is RIGHT in your SIGHT!

    Another warning I would place before you is to be CAREFUL in CHANGING what is RIGHT in the SIGHT OF GOD to being wrong and making what God says is WRONG to now be RIGHT.  Isaiah 5 addresses this WRONG thinking and behavior  Read carefully because this is very much woven into the culture we live in today.  Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!”  

    Friends we are not smarter than God.  He knows WHAT IS BEST! He knows what is GOOD and what is GOOD for us!  He knows what is RIGHT!  

    So I suggest that we LEARN the Word and LIVE in OBEDIENCE to the Word!  I suggest we ACQUIRE wisdom (His guidance on living) and APPLY the wisdom we acquire! I suggest that we are to be more than a hearer but a DOER of the Word!! Choose to do GOOD as opposed to doing bad! Choose to do what is RIGHT rather than what is WRONG! Blessings follow obedience! Blessings come your way and not just to you but to your children! Your actions today impact far more than you! Remember Proverbs 20:7 as it says, “The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.”  

    Verse to DATE the Word on December 28 (12/28) is Deuteronomy 12:28. It says, “Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.  

    Trust and obey for there is no other way!

    Continue Strong DOING RIGHT IN HIS SIGHT
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 19 (11/19) is Deuteronomy 11:19

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 19 (11/19) is Deuteronomy 11:19
    Deuteronomy 11:19 says, “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
    Our verse to DATE the Word on November 19 (11/19) is Deuteronomy 11:19.  Deuteronomy 11:19 says, “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

    The T in PARENT means TEACHER

    Looking at Deuteronomy 11:19 we need to immediately know that the “them” refers to God’s Word from verse 18.  Deuteronomy 11:19 gives instructions to PARENTS to INSTRUCT their children and gives parents a variety of ways to INSTRUCT children.
     
    I want to say that as a former Head of a Christian school and a former Campus Pastor at a Christian University there is no doubt, I believe in Christian School education.  And as a pastor, I believe in Sunday School and Youth Groups.  BUT more than Christian Schools and Sunday Schools I believe in HOME SCHOOL for BIBLICAL TRAINING. The BIBLE clearly teaches that PARENTS are to be TEACHING the WORD of GOD to their CHILDREN. One of the key verses for this belief comes from Deut. 11:19. Read it again. It says, “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

    So often we think of a place to teach our children but it is a PERSON(s) that is to teach our children and the first person with the top responsibility of teaching God’s Word to their children is the PARENTS of the children.   

    For some of you, this is INCREDIBLY challenging.  It was for me.  It is one thing to be a learner and a whole different thing to be a teacher.  I had to learn to teach.  One of the lessons I learned for teaching was that I was to be learning not just for myself but for my children.  This meant that during my quiet time I was reading for me and for them.  This meant that when listening to a sermon I was listening for me and for them.  There would be numerous times I would read or hear something that I knew the Holy Spirit was impressing me to share with my children.  

    Another big lesson for me was to be watching for as well as creating TEACHABLE MOMENTS in order to pour into my children Biblical truth.  Teachable moments arise when questions come up.  Be ever so careful when your child is curious and asking questions about spiritual things. Don’t quench that curiosity.  Give answers to their question or find the answers. Matter of fact fuel curiosity by you asking questions.  Jesus not only answered questions from the disciples He Himself would ask questions! 

    As you look at the instructions from Deut. 11:19, it really does give some very practical “suggestions” for teaching your children.  There is the time sitting in your house which today may be when you are eating a meal. There is the time when you are walking which today would be driving.  Then there is when you lie down and when you rise up.  I have a friend, Stu Epperson, Jr, who likes to say BIBLE BEFORE BED and BIBLE BEFORE BREAKFAST. Friends, end each day with a Bible verse and start each day with a Bible verse.  It could be the same one for a week. It could be a different one for each day.  What is important is you are teaching some of God’s Word to your children!

    Parents (and grandparents) may I ask what is the last Biblical truth you taught one of your children? How are you applying the teaching of Deuteronomy 6 and Deuteronomy 11:19 to TEACH your children?

    It takes WORK and TIME to be a TEACHER!  (Just ask any who does it for a living.) God has entrusted you with children in which you are to TRAIN THEM UP in the way they should live (Prov. 22:6)!  Be diligent to do the hard work and MAKE the time to teach.  Look back at Deuteronomy 11:18 as it gives ideas for keeping God’s Word before your eyes AND (listen) your children’s eyes!

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 19 (11/19) is Deuteronomy 11:19. It says, “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

    Continue Strong passing God’s Word on to the next generation!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 18 (11/18) is Deuteronomy 11:18

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 18 (11/18) is Deuteronomy 11:18
    Deuteronomy 11:18 says, “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”
    Our verse to DATE the Word on November 18 (11/18) is Deuteronomy 11:18. Deuteronomy 11:18 says, “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”

    KEEPING GOD’S WORD VISIBLE for VIABILITY

    In order to obey the instructions of God’s Word we are given instructions for PLACING God’s Word so that it can be easily seen, remembered, and applied. As one reads and hears God’s Word, we are to lay it up or “hide” God’s Word in our hearts.   David said in Psalm 119:11 that he had hidden God’s Word in his heart so that he might not sin against God.  Some versions translate “hidden” for TREASURE.   Solomon writes in Proverbs 7:1 that his son should “keep his words, and TREASURE his commands within him.”

    One of the most important spiritual disciplines is memorizing God’s Word.  We read and hear it, but we also must memorize it so we can have immediate recall as we face decisions, especially when we face temptations.   Are you memorizing God’s Word? 

    To help with the memorization we are instructed to bind them on your hand and put them in places where they can be seen.   For us today that means having them on a note card or on your phone in notes.  It means placing verses in frames and hanging them on walls.  It means placing a verse on your refrigerator or on a mirror in the bathroom.  I challenge you to be creative in placing key verses in places where you can easily see to be reminded of what God’s Word says!   

    Not only should your heart be filled with Scripture, but have your home filled with Scripture. 
    For me, it seems that as I keep God’s Word visible it helps to make it more viable!  

    Take a little inventory based on Deuteronomy 11:18.  How much of God’s Word is hidden in your heart?  Look around your house and see how much of God’s Word you see.  What about where you work?  If allowed you should have Scriptures on your desk and maybe on your walls.  Inventory and put Deuteronomy 11:18 into practice. 

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 18 (11/18) is Deuteronomy 11:18. Deuteronomy 11:18 says, “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”

    Continue Strong, 
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 16 (11/16) is Deuteronomy 11:16

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 16 (11/16) is Deuteronomy 11:16
    Deuteronomy 11:16 says, “Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them,”  
    Our verse to DATE the Word on November 16 (11/16) is Deuteronomy 11:16.  Deuteronomy 11:16 says, “Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them,”

    Guard your HEART!

    “Take heed” is a warning that is used in Scripture 50 plus times with Jesus using TAKE HEED fifteen times. Several times the emphasis of the warning is to NOT BE DECEIVED, especially being deceived into who or what should really be worshipped. Instead of trusting the One and only true God, we find ourselves deceived into placing trust in false gods. These false gods are usually tangible and for a time seem to be able to meet our immediate needs. We make idols/false gods of money or pleasure or fame or people or even of ourselves. We turn from the true to the false. Being deceived we pour energy into serving these false gods. Being deceived we will soon experience great disappointment for they never satisfy the true longing of our hearts!

    Regarding experiencing great disappointment, the Psalmist’s words come to mind from Psalm 115.  Starting in verse 4, “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; 6 They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; 7 They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. 8 Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.” 

    The idol looks SO REAL, but it is completely DEAD!  What a sad state of affairs for one who makes his own idols.  

    Pause for just a second and compare Deuteronomy 6:4-5 with what you just read,
    Deut. 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!  5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

    With our God, we have a RELATIONSHIP!  We have a living, loving relationship.  He loves us! We love Him! And yes, we love Him because He first loved us.  

    Friend, please heed Deuteronomy 11:16 and “Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them,”  Hear the truth of Scripture that those false idols, false gods DO NOT LOVE YOU and CANNOT LOVE YOU!  

    Honest assessment: Are you worshipping the living God or dead idols?

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 16 (11/16) is Deuteronomy 11:16.  It says, “Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them,”

    Love and serve God who loves you!

    Continue Strong guarding your heart!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

  • Verse to DATE the Word on November 12 (11/12) is Deuteronomy 11:12

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 12 (11/12) is Deuteronomy 11:12
    “a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.”
    Our verse to DATE the Word on November 12 (11/12) is Deuteronomy 11:12. Deuteronomy 11:12 says, “a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.”

    STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD

    Deuteronomy 11 talks about the “PROMISED LAND.” Starting at verse 8 one reads, “Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and POSSESS the LAND which you cross over to possess, 9 “and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD PROMISED to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, ‘a land flowing with MILK and HONEY.’ 10 “For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; 11 “BUT the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the RAIN of HEAVEN, 12 “a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.”

    As the passage about possessing the promised land concluded one should have noticed starting at verse 10 that something is VERY DIFFERENT about this land.  To highlight the difference let me ask and answer the question, Why was the Promised Land called the Promised Land? 
    There are TWO basic reasons:
    1. because it was a land God promised.  
    2. It was a land where the people would have to believe the promises of God. This is what makes it so DIFFERENT!   God’s people would have to TRUST Him to PROVIDE as He said He would. This land would be different because IT NEEDED RAIN. Those living there would have to DEPEND on GOD!!! 

    The promise land did not make the people of God independent of Him BUT more dependent on Him.

    Pause to recall the Lord’s prayer where one is to ask God to PROVIDE DAILY BREAD!  It is prayer of DEPENDENCE!

    As believers God wants us to grow in dependence on Him, to stand more firmly on the promises of God!

    And just as He had His eye on the land, He has His eye on you!  That is one of His promises. 
    Do you have your eyes on Him?  Are you living DEPENDENT on God?  Are you standing daily on His promises to be present with you and to guide you and lead you and provide for you and to protect you?  

    Read it again: The promised land did not make the people of God independent of Him but more dependent on Him.

    Verse to DATE the Word on November 12 (11/12) is Deuteronomy 11:12. It says, “a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year.”

    Read it again: The promised land did not make the people of God independent of Him but more dependent on Him.

    Continue Strong STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD
    And remember to DATE THE WORD