The Bible NETWork ~ Impacting the World for Christ one post at a time!

“Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” 2Ki 6:17 NIV
SEEING THE HAND OF GOD IN IT

The Bible records: “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the
next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh, my
lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those
who are with us are more than those are who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord,
open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked
and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (vv.15-17 NIV). By
God’s power, the servant saw angels. And God can help you to see His hand at work in
what you’re going through today. He never promises to remove us from our struggles, but
He promises to change the way we look at them. After listing many of his problems, Paul
writes: “In all these things we have complete victory through God” (Ro 8:35-37 GNT).
We’d prefer another preposition. We’d opt for “apart from all these things,” but Paul says,
“In all these things.” The solution is not to avoid trouble, but to change the way we see
it. God asks, “Who gives a person sight?” Then answers, “It is I, the Lord” (See Ex 4:11). God
let Elisha’s servant see an army of angels, Jacob see a ladder that went into heaven, and
Saul of Tarsus see Jesus on the road to Damascus. The blind man said to Jesus, “I want to
see” (Mk10:51 NIV), and he walked away with clear vision. Today ask God to let you see
His hand in it.

There will be a short pause in devotionals until my church updates them..

“Whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.” Jn 5:19 NRS
YOU ARE A TRANSLATOR

Jesus acted as a translator. He got His message from the Father, then translated it to
those around Him. He heard a voice others were missing. And because He could hear
it, He acted differently. Remember when everyone was troubled about the blind man?
Jesus wasn’t. Somehow He knew that this situation would reveal God’s power (See Jn 9:3).
Remember when everyone was distraught about Lazarus’ illness? Jesus wasn’t. Rather
than hurry to His friend’s bedside, He said, “This sickness will not end in death…it is for
God’s glory” (Jn 11:4 NIV). How could a relationship be more intimate? Jesus had unbroken
communion with His Father. How did He do it? He rose in the predawn hours to pray.
He communed with His Father through the night while others slept. He turned from the incessant
demands and expectations of others to be sure that His agenda lined up with
God’s agenda. Do you suppose the Father desires the same for you? Absolutely. Paul says
that you have been “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Ro 8:29 NRS).
Such a lifestyle is promised, but it’s not guaranteed. It comes at a price. Are you prepared
to pay that price? John writes: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that
you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his
Son, Jesus Christ” (1Jn1:3 NIV). Only when you have spent time in God’s presence, when
you have “seen and heard,” will you be able to talk about Jesus in a way that compels
others to listen.

“Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!”
Ps 90:1 NLT
AT HOME IN GOD’S PRESENCE

At the end of a hard day it feels good to come home to a place you know—a place
where you can kick off your shoes, run around in your bathrobe and not worry about
what anybody thinks. And reverently speaking, God’s presence can become equally comfortable
to you too. With time, you can learn to go there for strength, for protection, and
for guidance. God wants you to be at home in His presence and aware of His nearness at
all times. We think of God as a deity to discuss instead of a place to dwell, but God wants
us to see Him as the One in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Ac17:28 NIV).
When God led the children of Israel through the wilderness, He didn’t just show up once
a day and then disappear. No, the pillar of fire was present with them all night and the
cloud of smoke was present with them all day. God never leaves us. Jesus promised, “I am
with you always” (Mt 28:20 NIV). The Psalmist said, “The one thing I ask of the Lord—the
thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life” (Ps 27:4 NLT).
“That’s nice,” you say. “I’d love to live in God’s house too, but I’m stuck in the real world.”
No, just the opposite; you are just one decision away from your Father’s presence. You
don’t need to change your address—just your perception. Wherever you go today, whatever
you face today, remind yourself, “He is with me!”

“All these men of war…were of one mind to make David king.”
1Ch 12:38 NKJV
MIGHTY MEN AND WOMEN OF GOD (1)

David’s “mighty men” established his rule in Israel. Likewise, you are called to submit
to the Lordship of Christ and demonstrate to the world what it’s like to live according
to the rules—and benefits—of His kingdom. Jesus would not have taught you to pray,
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth,” if it’s a prayer God wouldn’t answer (See
Mt 6:10). And He answers it through people like you. So, are you interested in becoming
a mighty man or woman of God? Then let’s look at King David’s army. First: They were
balanced! “They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left”
(1Ch12:2). When you go to extremes and get out of balance, you hurt God’s kingdom
rather than help it. For example, there are nine “gifts” of the Spirit and nine “fruits” of the
Spirit listed in Scripture. The gifts are skill sets needed to get the job done. The fruits are
Christ-like qualities that help us work together. And you must have both! Notice how God
designed the garments of the high priest. On the hem at the bottom of his robe were bells
and pomegranates—gifts and fruits. Why? Because the bells would clang harshly against
one another. So God placed pomegranates in between to keep it from happening. Getting
the idea? If you’re joyful at church but cantankerous at home, you’re out of balance. If
you can talk to Christians but you’ve nothing to say to non-Christians, you’re out of balance.
Spiritually speaking, you’re supposed to be ambidextrous!

“All these men of war…were of one mind to make David king.”
1Ch 12:38 NKJV
MIGHTY MEN AND WOMEN OF GOD (2)

Here’s a second quality found in David’s “mighty men”: They understood the situation
and had wisdom to deal with it. “The sons of Issachar…had understanding of the
times, to know what Israel ought to do” (v. 32 NKJV). You are not called to avoid the world,
or denounce it, but to engage it and say, “Here’s God’s solution to your problem.” Jesus
promised: “I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to
resist or contradict” (Lk 21:15 NIV). When you walk with the Lord you won’t just see what’s
happening around you, He will tell you what to do about it. Furthermore, when you are
going the wrong way He will redirect you onto the right path. “They tried to go into Bithynia,
but the Spirit did not permit them” (Ac 16:7 NKJV). That night God gave Paul a vision
directing him to go to Macedonia and preach. God even gave Paul a warning that the ship
he was on was heading into a storm that would result in great loss. Unfortunately, nobody
would listen to him (See Ac 27:9-11). God not only told Joseph how to prepare for seven
years of recession, but how to prosper and come out of it stronger. A lot of us have discovered
that if we simply follow the advice of people and don’t consult God, it can cost
us dearly. Stop compartmentalizing your Christianity or confining it to Sunday mornings
at church. The Bible says, “The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and
understanding” (Pr 2:6 NKJV).

“All these men of war…were of one mind to make David king.”
1Ch 12:38 NKJV
MIGHTY MEN AND WOMEN OF GOD (3)

Here’s another quality that set David’s “mighty men” apart from others: They understood
the importance of connection, unity, and strong relationships. “All these men of
war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over
all Israel.” Did you know that when Roman soldiers went into battle, their shields, which
protected them from chin to toe, were linked to one another forming a wall of defense?
What a picture! The Bible instructs us to pray for one another, defend one another,
strengthen one another, sharpen one another, bear one another’s burdens, and yes, lovingly
confront one another when it’s called for. When you have a stubborn habit you can’t
conquer on your own, you need someone to support you and keep you accountable. You
only mature spiritually as you connect with spiritually mature people. Paul addresses
those who couldn’t work with anybody and always wanted to go off and do their own
thing: “There should be no schism in the body, but…the members should have the same
care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one
member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and
members individually” (1Co 12:25-27 NKJV). Disconnected from other believers you are
like a body part without the benefit of a brain, a blood supply, a source of nutrition, a system
that eliminates toxins, etc. Literally, you are incapable of getting anywhere or accomplishing
anything worthwhile. So the word for you today is, “Keep rank!”

“Whosoever doth not bear his cross…cannot be my disciple.” Lk14:27
DISCIPLESHIP

Brenda Goodine says, “My friend decided it was time to talk to her bright four-year-old
son, Benji, about receiving Christ. ‘Benji,’ she asked quietly, ‘Would you like to have
Jesus in your heart?’ Benji rolled his blue eyes and answered seriously, ‘No. I don’t think
I want the responsibility.’” Now, you may not like Benji’s answer, but you have to admire
his honesty. He wasn’t just thinking about the rewards of discipleship, he was thinking
about the responsibilities it brings. Brother Lawrence, a French monk, put it this way: “Let
us think often, that our only business in this life is to please God.” Imagine asking yourself
before each action, word, or attitude, “Is this pleasing to the Lord?” How different would
your life be? How would your decisions impact the people around you? Jesus said, “Whoever
doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” Crosses were
not made to live on, but to die on. Every morning when you wake up, go into the bathroom,
look in the mirror and say, “Today, I’ve been called to die to self-indulgence, selfinterest,
and self-promotion.” Tom Landry, coach of the Dallas Cowboys, once said, “The
job of a football coach is to make men do what they don’t want to do, in order to achieve
what they’ve always wanted to be.” And that is the essence of discipleship. Furthermore,
Jesus said if you are not willing to do it, you “cannot” be His disciple.

“Martha…you are worried and upset about many things.”
Lk 10:41 NIV
THE WORD FOR “WORRYWARTS”

Worry acts like a thief; it robs us of the joy God wants us to experience each day.
Basically, all our worries come down to two things: that we won’t get what we need,
or that we’ll lose what we’ve got. Martha was a “worrywart,” and it showed up when Jesus
came to dinner. She worked hard in the kitchen while her sister Mary sat listening to Jesus.
In frustration Martha asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work
by myself?” (v. 40 NIV). Worry makes us forget who’s servant and who’s Lord. Notice three
things in this story: (1) Martha was busy serving, but she wasn’t enjoying it. No doubt she
wanted to please Jesus; it’s just that she allowed her work for the Lord to become more
important to her than her relationship with the Lord. Has that happened to you? (2) Satan
didn’t take Martha out of the kitchen; he just stole her purpose for being there. Satan doesn’t
turn you against the church; he just makes you focus on yourself. He doesn’t take
away your ministry, he just discourages you by saying you’re overworked and not appreciated.
(3) God values your attitude more than your actions. “Do everything without
complaining” (Php 2:14 NIV). A bad attitude spoils the gift you offer to God. Jesus said,
“Martha…only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen…it.” (Lk10:42 NIV). What did Mary
choose? Sitting at the feet of Jesus. He always prefers the quiet devotion of a sincere heart
to the noisy attitude of a complainer. Think about it.

“Love each other as I have loved you.” Jn 15:12 NIV
BE NURTURING

When Jesus said, “Love each other,” He used the Greek word for “love,” which means
to nurture. Think of a mother and her child: her love is constant and her greatest
desire for that child is that they should thrive. You say, “But isn’t that the kind of love
people should get somewhere else, like at home?” No, beneath the façade, some of the
people in your life desperately need to be nurtured. And they’ll be influenced most by
those who make them feel best about themselves. One leader writes: “Many people are
very close to my heart because they believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. They
listened to me without condemnation and loved me unconditionally, even when I wasn’t
very lovable. Without them, I wouldn’t have possessed the hope I needed to keep pursuing
my dream.” Now, you can’t be like the little girl who came home from church and
announced, “I want to be like the man who stood up in the pulpit today.” Delighted, her
mom said, “You want to go into the ministry?” “No,” she replied, “I want to tell people what
to do!” Hello! Some of us want to be authority figures so we can correct people and give
them our so-called “constructive criticism.” Most folks don’t need a critic, they need a
cheerleader. When you nurture them they will welcome you to speak into their life—and
they will listen. Goethe said, “Correction does much, but encouragement does much more.”
So think encouraging words and speak words of encouragement. “Anxiety in the heart of
man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad” (Pr 12:25 NKJV).

“This I call to mind and therefore I have hope.” Lam 3:21 NIV
SPIRITUAL LANDMARKS

You need to establish some spiritual landmarks in your life to remind you of the times
when God intervened on your behalf. Someone said, “We’re not slow learners, just
quick forgetters.” How soon we forget, or claim credit for things we had little to do with.
When God parted the Jordan River for His people to cross over, He knew something
they didn’t—that on the other side they would face some big challenges, including the
City of Jericho. That’s when they would need “reminders.” So He told them to collect
twelve stones from the Jordan and build a monument, so they and their children would
recall His past faithfulness to them. Samuel did the same after Israel defeated the
Philistines. He took a stone and named it Ebenezer, meaning, “Thus far the Lord has
helped us” (1Sa 7:12 NKJV). Before you give in to discouragement, doubt or defeat, stop
and recall what God has done for you “thus far.” Like the day you met Jesus, or the times
He guided you, or the doors He opened that you thought were permanently shut, or the
scrapes He brought you through. Keep a record of these events and refer to it often. It will
help you to remember His goodness when you tend to forget it. It will give you a sense
of gratitude for yesterday’s blessings, and confidence to face whatever tomorrow brings.
“This I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not
consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness”
(Lam 3:21-23 NIV).

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Ps 14:1 NKJV
DON’T BE A FOOL (1)

The atheistic fool. It’s said, “An atheist can’t find God for the same reason a thief can’t
find a policeman.” Sometimes pride is at the core of atheism. Without a God, you become
your own God, which means there’s no higher power than yourself! But the God of
the Bible proves His existence in three ways: (1) Creation. Many people are in prison today
who weren’t caught at the scene of the crime, and no one actually witnessed the crime.
What proved they did it? Fingerprints! DNA! Creation carries God’s fingerprints and DNA.
“Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army,
one after another, calling each by its name” (Isa 40:26 NLT). (2) Calvary. In creation you
see God’s power, at the cross you see His love for you. In creation you see His hand, at
the cross you see His heart. (3) Conscience. “Gentiles…even without having heard it…
demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts
either accuse them or tell them they are doing right” (Ro 2:14-15 NLT). Conscience is like
having a Bible in your soul; no one was born without one. Voltaire, the French atheist,
said, “It took twelve fishermen to build Christianity. I will show the world how one Frenchman
can destroy it.” After Voltaire died, the home in which he had lived became Europe’s
most famous Bible distribution center. Bottom line: Voltaire is dead; our God lives!
Atheism is the greatest gamble of all. After all, what if there is a God and you stand before
Him one day?

“Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.” Lk 12:20
DON’T BE A FOOL (2)

The ambitious fool. Jesus told the story of a successful farmer who said, “I will pull
down my barns, and build greater” (v.18). Evidently he was a good businessman and
planner. But then he said: “I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for
many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool,
this night thy soul shall be required of thee…So is he that layeth up treasure for himself,
and is not rich toward God” (vv.19-21).
This man had a plan for time, but none for eternity. He thought about himself, but not
God. He paid attention to his body, but not his soul. It’s said that the average body has
enough phosphorus to make eight hundred thousand match heads, enough sugar to go
into sixty cubes, enough salt to cover twenty spoons, and enough iron to make about ten
dollars’ worth of nails. The rest is just dust and water. When you pamper, promote and
protect the part of you that will only live seventy or eighty years and neglect the part of
you that will live on in either heaven or hell, God says you’re a fool. This man told himself
he had “many years,” but God said, “This night thy soul shall be required of thee.”
Don’t you realize that an accident, a blocked artery, a stray bullet, a plane with engine failure
or a drunk driver could take you out in an instant? Wise up! The question is not will
you die, but when? And are you ready to stand before God?

Have patience my church is in the middle of changing there web site and said they would have this back up soon and going..

“Died Abner as a fool dieth.” 2Sa 3:33
DON’T BE A FOOL (3)

The absolute fool. Abner slew a man called Asahel, whose brother happened to be Joab,
King David’s number one general. So Joab was out to take Abner’s life. The tragedy
of this story is that Abner was within reach of Hebron, one of the six cities of refuge. But
instead of running into that city and enjoying its protection, he allowed the enemy to
catch him outside the gates and kill him. “They buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted
up his voice, and wept…and said, ‘Died Abner as a fool dieth?’” (vv.32-33). Abner was the
absolute fool. Why? Because unlike the atheistic fool who did not believe in God, or the
ambitious fool who had no time for God, he knew what to do—but didn’t do it. There were
no rivers to cross, no mountains to climb, and no price to be paid. The gates of Hebron
were open; all he had to do was go in and stay there.
Imagine being given a gospel tract with these words on the cover: “What must I do
to be lost?” Then opening it and finding that page is—blank. You don’t have to do anything
to be lost! But you must do something to be saved: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
thou shalt be saved” (Ac16:31).
When Mary brought the newborn Christ to the temple, an old priest named Simeon
held Him in his arms and said: “Now I’m ready to die, because I have seen the Savior of
the world” (See Lk 2:25-32). In order to die right you must meet Christ, embrace Him, and
acknowledge Him as your Lord and Savior. Why don’t you do it today!