Roseville Church of the Nazarene

Greetings in Christ,

  “Praise the Lord!  Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty expanse.   Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent greatness.  Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with harp and lyre.  Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.  Praise Him with loud cymbals; praise Him with resounding cymbals.  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord!”

  Psalms 150 simply states it best Praise the Lord!  Of all the things we can do which requires little effort on our part is to praise the Lord, but the key is to be sincere in our praise. 

  All down through the times of mankind the one thing which gets mankind in more trouble with God is not giving Him the praise and glory He deserves.  Mankind has the tendency to pat themselves on the back thinking they have accomplished great feats of amazement, and this requires them to receive glory and praise for their actions.  People tend to hold people in high regards for their actions and feel they recognition for achieving some great feat.  They have forgotten the simple fact if it was not for God’s grace they would not have been able to accomplish anything. 

  God is a very gracious God, but He is very jealous.  Mankind has forgotten its roots in God and has forgotten the grace which is extended to mankind through the graciousness of God.  Mankind has forgotten how to praise God for His goodness to mankind.  Just the simple act of saying a prayer before a meal can have significant meaning and praise to God for the sustenance of life.  Too many people think they have supplied their own food by working for it all week, or it is owed to them for just being alive. 

  Amos records the people in his time relaxing enjoying the fruits of their labor thinking it was all done by their own hand forgetting the works of God leading them to the land of milk and honey.   They got caught up in their own self-reliance, and they started patting themselves on the back thinking they had accomplished great things.  They took God out of the equation, and God became jealous.  God did not like the fact they forgot about all of the great things He did for them so they could enjoy the great life, and He was going to take this great life away.

  God requires more from mankind than what He has been getting.  God requires praise to be given where it deserves to be given—to Him.

  Praise accomplishes several things.  First it is given to the One who deserves it the most God.  If it was not for His grace we would not have life as easy as we do, nor would we have the blessings we have received.  Second it takes the focus off of us and back on God.  We are what God has made us, and outside of this we are nothing.  God has given us all the talents and abilities we possess to do the things we do for ourselves as well as for others.  Third it sets the example for others to follow.  Others need to see us praise God for all He has done.  It is a time of celebration for others to see and rejoice in as well.

  Praise is a simple thing we can do, but it has an impact which will greatly affect our lives.  God is deserving of all our praise, so let’s give Him all the praise He deserves.

  “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.”  Psalms 148:5

  “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven.”  Psalms 148:13

  “Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent greatness.”  Psalms 150:2

  But as for us, we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forever.  Praise the Lord!  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 114,115,148-150; Amos 6:1-14

Greetings in Christ,

  How many of us can look at our bodies and see scars?  Scars are a result of trauma, accidents, surgery or perhaps a physical ailment leaving us handicapped.  We can look at our bodies and remember the events just like they were yesterday in most cases.  The memories take us back to the time frame in our lives and it seemed like it was long ordeal in our life.  We wondered how we were going to get through the event, and how our bodies were going to respond. 

  I can look at my body and see my life history from the scars it bears.  Scars have accumulated from the time I was a small child all through my life into the present time.  I can review those times in my mind and see what it has done to me.  Some of the events have changed my habits, changed my thinking, and changed the way I physically do things.  The scars are reminders of how the events have molded me and made me who I am.  I have accepted the fact no matter how careful I am another event can take place and another scar will appear, and I am OK with this because this is life here on earth.

  This Sunday’s readings remind me of the spiritual scars which can be encounter in spiritual life.  It is reminder of how they can mold spiritual aspects of our lives as we walk this earth.

  The Psalmists pens these words in 34:19-20, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all.  He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.”  The psalmist himself received many afflictions and wrote about them, but at the same time offered hope to those who were going through the same thing.  He also gives them this aid in 34:4, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”   Also in 34:22, “The Lord redeems the soul of His servants; and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.”  The psalmist knew there were going to be many afflictions thrust upon mankind, but there was hope for those who turned to God for help.

  Isaiah writes about the leaders of his time turning to evil endeavors and leading the people in doing the same practices.  With those practices, many people suffered spiritually, emotionally, and physically.  They had turned to sacrificing their children to the pagan gods on the mountain tops.  They had turned their backs on God so long He became silent and let them create their own afflictions and pain.  God could no longer be silent and He began to reveal His plan to redeem those who would turn to Him for refuge.  He was making it known all things must change before this could happen.  “And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.”   God was offering a way out of their affliction.

  The Hebrew author gives us another perspective, “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, my son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines.”  The author writes afflictions can come from not resisting sin.  People can give in too soon and do not want to endure the hardship of walking upright and just, but the author writes of previous people who have given us examples to follow.  “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.”  Sometimes the afflictions we encounter are a result of the encumbrances we carry.

  We too often forget to look at the spiritual scars we carry.  We do not look back and see how the afflictions we have encountered have made us who we are in our spiritual life.  We forget we will have pain and suffering as a Christian.  We are told too often once we are Christians we will have made it, and God will provide us with untold riches and our lives will be honky dory.  I do not read anywhere in the Bible this will happen.  What I do read is God will provide what we need, and He will redeem us in when He calls us home. 

    A person’s true character will be revealed when they are under pressure not when they are at ease.   It is how we react to situations in our life which make us who we are spiritually.  If we turn to God for help when we are under pressure, we can bear the situation because of His strength not ours.  We have to make sure there is no obstacle preventing us from turning to God in the time of need.  God will bring us through the tough times, and we will be able to look back and see God’s hand guiding us through it.

 Silver is refined over a high amount of heat.  The silver smith has to let the heat constantly churn the silver until all the dross floats to the top of the silver.  Then the silver smith skims the dross off the top.  It not until the silver smith is happy with the reflection he sees in the silver he stops the process.  The silver smith only stops when he can see his reflection.

  God allows us to go under many things in life.  We have to accept the fact no matter what in this life we will encounter many afflictions and pain.  It should be in those times we turn to God and say OK God refine me till You see Your reflection in me.  Allow this process to mold me into the person You want me to be spiritually.  Let Your reflection be seen in me for others to see.

  I believe Jesus said it best, “Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, `From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.”  It is the living water we seek which gives us the peace to our soul and brings us the comfort we need. 

  “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.”  Psalms 93:1

  Lord help us to turn to You in our afflictions.  Allow them to mold us into the person spiritually we need to be so we reflect You to others.  Amen

Blessings,

Mark Johnson

Psalm 34,94,96; Isaiah 57:14-21; Hebrews 12:1-6; John 7:37-46

Greetings, in Christ,

  Blind man’s bluff—how many remember the game?  Maybe it was before your time and you may not be aware of the game.  It was a game where one person was to be blind folded, run towards people trying to tag them so they would be the one who was blind folded.  The game could be played for hours on end, that is, if it was played safely.  The game is designed to be played in an open area where no obstacles could present a trip hazard for the blind folded person as they chased other people playing the game.  Now it was not easy to do being the blind folded person.  Someone eventually fell over something and they got hurt and it was the end of the game, but it was fun as long it lasted. 

  I can remember being blind folded walking to touch someone.  I remember walking slowly, but when I heard a voice I tried to move quickly to tag the person.  I remember tripping over obstacles while in the pursuit and falling only to get back up to try again.  I had to trust the other people in the game not to bring harm or put things in the way in the pursuit to tag them.  I do remember one individual who did this, and I did not want to play the game with them again.  My trust in them disappeared.  Without the trust I did not feel safe with this person playing the game.

  Playing the game of blind man’s bluff requires the trust of the other players to make the game safe and fun.  It is the basis of the game for it to be successful.  It is like walking in faith with God.  It is trust which makes it successful.

  We must put on the blind fold for our trust In God to work.  It is putting on the blind fold to this world can we look beyond this world into God’s world.  Our sight becomes possible through the trust we have in God while we are blind folded to this world.

  We too often want to take off the blind fold and trust our own thoughts and the things we see before us.  We too often want to rely on the material things in life we can see, touch, and feel.  We get tripped up in the pursuit of those things and by those things we can see. 

  For us to make it in this world we must put on the blind fold and trust God to lead us in the direction which is safe from all harm.  We must trust God not to let anything be in our path which will cause us harm.  We must trust God not to put anything in our way to trip us up.  We may never hear God’s voice while we put on the blind fold, but it is in our trusting God will be there to guide us through the things of life.  On the occasion when we do hear God’s voice, we must not hesitate to move quickly to be near Him or to obey His wishes.

  Paul attributes Abraham for doing just this in writing to the Romans.  “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.  For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified  for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation.  For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.  In hope against hope he believed, in order that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”  And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.  Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”

  May our faith in God as we walk blind folded to the world be our righteousness. 

  “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”  Psalms 145:18

  “The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?  Psalms 118:6

  “Open to me the gates of righteousness;  I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.”  Psalms 118:19

  “Thou art my God, and I give thanks to Thee; Thou art my God, I extol Thee.”  Psalms 118:28

  Lord help us to be faithful in our walk with You, and may our faith be our righteousness.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 118,145; 1 Samuel 10:1-16; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 21:23-32

Greetings in Christ,

  Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within!  Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that is greater than all our sin!

  What is grace?  Can we feel it, experience it, and share it.  Yes, but we first must understand what it really is.  Charis is the Greek word for grace.  The Greek definition of Charis goes like this—a manner of act; the divine influence on the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude. 

  We should count ourselves very fortunate to live in this time and not back in the Old Testament times.  The people of the Old Testament did not really know what grace was in their lives.  Under the law, grace did not have any effect in what they did.  Everything they did was a way to earn merit for their behavior.  They had to perform according to set of rules and observe certain festivals to point them to a righteous life.  The only grace they could experience was God granting them a good life due to the fact they lived according to the law.  It was a constant struggle to remain in God’s grace under the law.

  When Christ died on the cross grace became the norm for God to share His plan of salvation.  It was the complete opposite of what God had been doing prior to Christ’s life on earth.  People had to earn God’s grace, but now God was extending His grace. 

  Paul writes in Ephesians, “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”  It is through Christ God extended His grace to each and every one of us.  John records these words, “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.”  God’s grace is extended to us through Christ, and it is given to us in many ways.

  We feel God’s grace through the gifts of talents we are given.  We all are equipped to do certain things in life.  We cannot do all things well, which means we must work together to accomplish the goals God has established through Christ in order for the church to work.  Paul writes in Ephesians, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”  The ultimate goal is to build each other up so the body of Christ is glorified.  It is through our talents we can work together to build up the body of Christ by combining the different talents we all possess so it unifies us as one body in Christ.  We can feel God’s grace extended to us through those talents as we work towards the goal of seeing the body of Christ glorified.     

  It is just not through our talents we are felling God’s grace, but we experience grace in our lives. 

  We experience God’s grace as it goes before us in all we do.  It is God’s grace keeping us safe as we walk with Him.  We no longer need to gain merit as we walk with God, but we must not allow ourselves to take it for granted.  God’s grace is given to us as a protection as long as we walk in righteousness.  It is through Christ forgiving us from our sins we are granted protection from death in the abyss.  We must remember we are imperfect, and we will stumble if we try to walk without Christ in our life, thus the removal of the law.  It was hard for people to live according to the law, just as it is for us to live by the law. 

   It is not the things we do as we walk with God, but it is in the actions of our heart making all the difference with God.  Our actions must reflect gratitude for what God has given us.  The divine influence given to us must be reflected in our lives.  We must act in love with each other knowing not all of us are equipped with the same talents.  We must not look at the negative, but focus on the positive of others and build up in people.  God certainly looks at the good in us, and He builds on this in every one of us.

  We experience God’s grace through our actions.  If we live our live full of the love God has given us, we will build on the positive.  It is searching out the positive in others and building up from those points we will build unity in Christ.

  We not only feel God’s grace we experience it, but we must share it with others.

  When we build on the positive in other people we begin to share God’s grace with others.  The hard part of getting to know other people is we see their flaws.  We begin to see the imperfections in their lives.  We have to remember God looks beyond our imperfections to see the positive in us.  If God did not do this, He would not have sent Jesus to die on the cross.  We cannot be better than the master, so we must also look to the positive in others.  It is through grace we see the good in others so we can build unity in the body of Christ.  All too often we allow the bad to dominate our thinking and we get off track.  We must always remember God accepts us with all our imperfections, and we must over look imperfections in others. 

  When people feel you genuinely love them, they will respond to you.  They will begin to see God’s grace in your life, and they will want to live out the grace which is given to them.  They will begin to experience their talents and allow God to work through those talents to unify the body of Christ.

  Webster’s Dictionary gives the best explanation of grace.  It is the spirit of God operating in humans.     Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within!  Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that is greater than all our sin!  Thank God for His grace so we can feel it, experience it, and share it.

  “He has made known to His people the power of His works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.”  Psalms 111:6

  “From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.”  Psalms 113:3

  “The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.”  Psalms 146:8

  Lord let us live out the grace You have given through Jesus Christ.  May we glorify you in all we do.  Amen.

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 111,112,113,146,147; Deuteronomy 11:1-12; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 1:1-18

Greetings in Christ,

  How many times have we heard someone refer to being in a state of bliss?  I wonder if the person really achieves the state of bliss.  The state of bliss means to be in supreme happiness; utter joy or contentment. 

  We chase this illusion here on earth by filling our lives with the things we think will make us happy.  We strive to obtain a better job.  We strive to buy nice things.  We strive to live in a nice home, town, and furnish the home with nice furniture.  We try to pick friends we think will be nice to us and not give us grief.  We search out churches we will feel comfortable attending.  We constantly search out things we think will bring comfort or the state of bliss in our physical lives here on earth.

  We look for the things we can look at, touch, eat, and makes us feel good.  We do not always look beyond the things which are right in front of us.  We are constantly bombarded by the never ending marketing schemes of the business world.  We must wear newest fashion of clothing; after all it is the rage in clothing.   We must but a new car for the old one is getting a few miles on it, and it really is not as shiny as the neighbor’s new Caddy.  The house needs to be painted or repairs need to be done.  We cannot entertain the whole neighborhood and all our friends so we must buy a bigger house with a huge backyard. 

  The need for the blissful state continues as we search for the state of mind given to us by the marketing world claiming we will find happiness in the things we purchase.  There has to be truth in what is being said, or they would not be saying it especially on television or the internet. (Haha)  The need to learn from man’s wisdom continues as the journey to find happiness leads to being distraught and burdened with the load of our decisions which have brought unhappiness.  Do we really find the state of bliss—supreme happiness—in our pursuit of being comfortable with our lives?

  Paul writes to the Corinthians and gives this advice to them.  “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”  Paul was advising the people to listen to the Holy Spirit in the wisdom He knew to find true wisdom which came from God. 

  It is easy to get caught up in the world and all it has to offer, but it is not going to allow us to be blissful in our lives.  We must sustain life here on earth, and having nice things here on earth are not a bad thing, but it should not be our focus or let it consume us. 

  The real reason we pursue things in life is to satisfy the spiritual longing which is empty and void.  If we could cross over in our minds and hearts and live in the spiritual sense all the time, we could actually see just what we are missing in our lives.  Unfortunately we cannot do this on our own, and we need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to open our minds and hearts to see the spiritual void.  It is only when we allow the Holy Spirit to show us our lacking can God shed His truth. 

  Jesus spoke to the people about the Holy Spirit in John’s account, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”  Jesus was reminding the people they will forget the truth unless they have the Holy Spirit to guide them into the truth.  Jesus knew they would not make it on the wisdom of man.

  Will we ever reach a true state of bliss—yes!  Isaiah records these words, “And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them.  Also the cow and the bear will graze; their young will lie down together; and the lion will eat straw like the ox.  And the nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.  They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  Then it will come about in that day that the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who will stand as a signal for the peoples; and His resting place will be glorious.”

  The true state of bliss resides in the truth of God.  It will be the only place true harmony can exist.  The knowledge of the truth of God has power beyond our imagination.  It unlocks the other side of our being so we can see the spiritual side of our lives.  It is in the living in our spiritual side of our lives can we find true happiness.  It is the only side of our lives which will make perfect sense. 

  Imagine one day setting alongside a lion as we look upon the face of Jesus.  We look across the way and we see others we know as they set amongst other creatures God has created.  We are all in perfect harmony as we sing Holy Holy is God almighty.  Now to me this is true bliss.

  “The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”  Psalms 118:6

  “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation.”  Psalms 118:14

  “Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.”  Psalms 145:3

  “The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His deeds.”  Psalms 145:17

  Lord help us to allow the Holy Spirit to be our guide.  Open our eyes to our spiritual side so we can see Your truth.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 118,145; Isaiah 11:1-9; 1 Corinthians 2:1-13; John 14:21-29

Greetings in Christ,

  What kind of image do you project to other people?  If you had to stand before a panel of people and based upon your life history of actions, words, and deeds would you be considered a Christ like example?  Would your defense be able to hold up against the scrutiny of others?  Do you really exemplify Christ in your actions on a daily basis?

  I have often wondered what it would be like to walk with Christ on earth.  I imagine He would be a very outgoing person.  As I look upon His face, I would see encouragement in His eyes, and once I looked upon His face I would be drawn to Him knowing down deep inside me this person is the person I want to imitate.

  Jesus has a personality is one which is hard to resist.  The words He speaks are just what people need to hear and are very positive in their delivery.  The way He walks He stands tall, and He is not ashamed of whom He is.  He speaks His mind when He is asked a question, but it is answered with love as the root of its response.     

  When He brings words of correction, they have a tone to them making people listen so they will not want to make the same mistake again.  His answer makes sense because the words are filled with encouragement as He points out the poor choice of the decisions which were made.   He gives better advice to the problem eliminating downfalls and setbacks.

  When He talks of His Father and the wonderful things He has seen, people are at the edge of their seats drinking in every word spoken.  His words ring in people’s ears with truth and confidence, and they know He is sure about what He is saying because they have authority to them as they listen to Him speak. 

  The passion He has for the sick makes people tear up as He embraces them with love, and then to they have been healed by His touch brings joy to their heart.  People who were once considered outcasts are welcomed in His presence, and they are embraced by His loving arms. People gather so thick around Him He is lost in the crowd.

  The other side of Jesus is very quiet, and He wants to be by Himself.  He wanders off to a secluded place to kneel as He looks towards the heaven.  His words are a slight muffle, but you know He is in a conversation with His Father.  Tears can be seen trickling down His face as He prays for the people He is teaching, healing, and directing.

  There is another side to His speech.  He speaks with sincerity and a heavy heart.  He mentions He will be killed one day, and He must face this death head on.  His words are received with sadness as people can feel the sincerity in His delivery.  It is a heavy burden He carries, but it does not deter Him from His quest to carry out the mission which is before Him.  He stills has a positive outlook on the things He has before Him. 

  In all the things witnessed by the people His actions are genuine and real.  There are no misconceptions of what He stands for or who He is.  His actions convict Him of being truly the Son of God.

  We will never be able to be the Son of God, but we are the children of God.  Would we be convicted of being the children of God?

  “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”  Psalms 19:1

  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  Psalms 46:1

  “Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, nor His lovingkindness from me.”  Psalms 66:20

  “God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us  Selah.  That Thy way may be known on the earth, Thy salvation among all nations.”  Psalms 67:1-2

  Lord God let Your grace go before us as we try to be the best example of Your love.  Give us the help we need to bring You glory in all we do.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson   

  Psalm 19, 46, 66, 67; Ezekiel 3:16-27; Ephesians 2:1-10; Matthew 10:24-33, 40-42

Greetings in Christ,

  “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”  Many of us have heard this phrase and many of us know just what it means—Don’t be ungrateful when you receive a gift.  John Heywood coined this phrase back in 1546, and it still applies to this day.  This phrase can be applied to the selected scripture readings for this devotional.

  1 Timothy discloses Paul writing to the people about their actions and behavior as a Christian.  “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.”  Paul writes these words to combat the false teachings Christians do not marry and do not eat certain foods.  Paul contends both are a gift from God and there is nothing wrong with both. 

  It was the contention at the time for one to live a holy life one must abstain from marriage.  To give into sexual relationship was contrary to living a holy life, and it led to a sinful life.  Paul was declaring God had established marriage was the normal thing in human society, and the teachings of the time were going against God’s way of life for mankind.  God had given His blessing for marriage, and encouraged for it to take place under His guidelines.   

  Paul goes on to further state God had also given Noah the blessing to eat meat after the flood and Jesus had freed them from the law concerning certain foods which could not be eaten.   It is in this rebuttal Paul stands on what he states as fact, but also puts into effect there should be appreciation for the food as it is a gift from God. 

  Paul is reminding the people all things given by God are a gift, and they should always give thanks for the gifts they received.  He was indicating they should say a word of thanks before each meal giving God the glory for the gift of food they have to eat.  They should embrace marriage and honor God by abiding by the guidelines established by Him for marriage.

  Joshua was calling out to the people of Israel asking them if they were going to serve their fathers gods or the Lord God.  During his speech, Joshua reminded them of what God had done for them.  He reminded them of how God went before them and drove out the inhabitants of the promised land.  He reminded them of how they occupied houses which were not built by their own hands.  He reminded them they were reaping from the vineyards and fields they did not plant.  He reminded them it was a gift from God, but they had to make a choice of whether or not they would accept or reject the gift.

  Their accepting or rejecting the gift was determined by their answer to serve God.  Joshua gave them this warning.  “Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins.  If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done well for you.  The people spoke in a clear voice declaring we will serve the Lord.

  Joshua knew these people and he knew they still hung onto their past.  “And Joshua said to the people, you are witnesses against yourselves you have chosen for yourselves the Lord, to serve Him.  And they said, we are witnesses.  Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

  Joshua was reminding the people God was jealous and demanded their service to Him for the gift they were receiving.  As a sign of their thankfulness of receiving their gift God wanted their complete and undivided attention.  God wanted the people to share their gift and declare what God had done for them to all the people they came in contact with outside of their own families or friends.  God wanted to receive all the glory for the things which had taken place so all would know it was by His hand the people of Israel occupied the promised land.

  Matthew records Jesus speaking in parables about the tares and the wheat, the mustard seed, and the leaven.  Jesus compared the items to the kingdom of heaven.  All it took was just a little appreciation on the part of the people and the kingdom could grow quickly.  It was up to the recipient how far the kingdom of heaven would reach by how much they appreciated the gift of salvation.   

  God has blessed us with many things, more than we deserve.  Let’s not forget to give thanks for the many blessings we have received from God and give Him the glory.  We should also take the time to acknowledge Him and Jesus for our salvation and the freedom it give us.  We are truly blessed to have a Heavenly Father who cares for us.

  With this upcoming weekend recognizing Memorial Day, let’s not forget those who died for our freedom so we can serve the Living God here in the United States.

  “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”  Psalms 34:4

  “The Lord redeems the soul of His servants; and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.”  Psalms 34:22

  “Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.”  Psalms 96:3

  Lord let us give You thanks for all You have done for us.  Let us never forget the gift of life You have given us and may we never stop giving You the thanks for the gift.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 34, 93, 96; Joshua 24:1-28; 1 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Matthew 13:24-34a

Greetings in Christ,

  “When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou dost take thought of him?   And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him?  Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, and dost crown him with glory and majesty!  Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet.”

  What enters your mind when you read these words?  What is the psalmist really trying to say in these words?  Is he wondering why God did what He did, or does he have it figured out God has done it for a reason?  I believe the psalmist does have a handle on the situation, but he is mindful of the limitations existing with mankind.  The scriptures give us some insights to the psalmist’s understanding.

  In Joshua, Joshua is dividing up the land amongst the tribes of Israel.  In the scripture, he is giving a portion of the land to the tribe of Joseph.  They are complaining their portion is too small.  Joshua tells them to clear the cedars in the hill country to expand their territory.  They complain the land is occupied by Canaanites who have chariots of iron and are very powerful.  Joshua gives them no recourse but to follow his commands if they want more land.    

  The tribe of Joseph have already forgotten all the miracles God has performed, and they fallen back into their doubting, and feel they are not capable of accomplishing the things which have been dealt to them.  They have witnessed the mighty hand of God in action, but yet they stood trembling over the Canaanites and their chariots of iron.  They had forgotten in a short time they have been given this land by the hand of God, and He does care for them.  They have forgotten the God they are supposed to serve, the power He has, and for them to call upon Him for their needs.

  Paul writes to the Thessalonians calling for them to stand firm in their beliefs.  “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.” 

  The principles and understanding they have received must not be allowed to simply be just words, but words of action on a daily basis.  They must apply the words of advice and understanding in their approach to life in their daily living.  It would be a waste not to act on God’s plan of salvation, Jesus and His propitiation, and to not let His sacrifice be in vain.  They must hold onto those words and traditions and remain unmovable in their approach.

  Matthew records the words of Jesus, “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.”  Jesus is building on the premise everyone should be tenacious in their approach to the Father.  There should have an understanding of the power available to them is in the asking and understanding it will be given to them. 

  It is easy to fall prey to doubt, and this is where the devil wants us.  This is where he does his best work on us, and we must not let doubt get the best of us.

  I am sure most of you have read the Bible and know the devil is thrown into the abyss in the end—right?  We must not let doubt rule our hearts and minds.  We must hold onto the traditions we know and follow the truth.  We must never forget God is in control, and He will be victorious over all evil.   

  God is dependent on us to act on His word.  We must trust and believe He is faithful, and He will live up to His promises.  We must walk with our heads high, and put into action the words of truth we know.

  “The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.”  Psalms 24:1

  “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”  Psalms 84:11

  “Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.  Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in holy array.”  Psalms 29:1-2

  Lord help us to not let fear and doubt rule our hearts or thoughts, but to solely lean on Your truth and put into action Your truth.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson

  Psalm 8, 24,29, 84; Joshua 17:14-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17; Matthew 7:7-14

Greetings in Christ,

  Why do we need to be reminded about being humble in our approach to life, and the decisions we make?  Do we get to a point in our lives we forget just how much we should depend on God, or do we feel like we make all the decisions and deserve what we work to achieve in our lives?  Do we really take the time to fully consider how much God does bless us with the right directions and the resources we enjoy?    The scripture readings lean towards the reminder of just humble we should be.

  In Joshua, God calls Joshua to make knives out of flint in order to circumcise the men of Israel.  They have just inhabited the promised land, and they have overcome the people who inhabited it, and now God calls for the men of Israel to be circumcised.  As the scripture reads, the men were compliant to the call, and as a result this obedience a time of rest was needed for their healing. 

  All of this is contrary after going to battle with the enemy.  You would think the men of Israel would be on alert for retaliation from the previous inhabitants to reclaim their land, but fear had gripped the previous land owners and they knew they could not overcome the Israelites because of what they witnessed and heard.  They heard of the drying of the Jordan so the people of Israel could cross the river into the promised land.  This very act put the fear of God into the previous inhabitant’s hearts which gave the circumcised men of Israel a break so they could heal.  The men of Israel humbled themselves before God so they could be obedient to His call.  They trusted God to have their best interest at heart, and they were not anxious about anything.

  Peter calls to the people to humble themselves, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” 

  Peter is calling the people to be under God’s mighty hand which is the symbol of discipline and deliverance.  Peter is calling to the people to remember God has the control in all situations, and He will discipline and deliver them so His glory will be revealed, but calling them to cast their cares on God who really does care for them. 

  Peter is trying to remind the people living a godly life here on earth will have its difficulties, and those difficulties must be submitted to God prayerfully and within the guidelines Jesus had established about being anxious. 

  Peter was trying to establish with the people it was through the humbleness to believe God did have control and cared for them, they would be victorious over the evil of the world, and they would someday see the results of their obedience.  “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

  Matthew records the words of Jesus as He calls for people to build on the rock foundation.  “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.”

  Jesus was calling the people to humble themselves to Him and to His word despite their feelings or thoughts on His direction.  They must trust Him at His word because it was better than the alternative.  It was a different way of thinking for them, and it was going to take some readjustment on their part to accept Jesus at His words. 

  We have our own ideas and thoughts on the directions we are given and make judgments on the basis of information we have.  We sometimes make those judgments, and at times those judgments may not have all the information for us to correctly make decisions.  We forget the directions came from someone who has more information, more experience, or more authority than we do.  We spend more time fussing over those directions than what it takes to simply do what has been asked of us to do.  We must trust the One who gives the directions, and He is making the best choice for us.

  God calls us to follow Him with humbleness.  We must take into consideration God has more information, more experience, and more authority than we do.  God has the ultimate control in all things, and He has our interest in mind when He asks us to follow His directions.  We have to remind ourselves it is not about us, but about bringing glory to God.  God wants us to give Him praise for all things He does for us.  God really does want to bless us with His wisdom and His resources.

 “Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise Thee.”  Psalms 63:3

  “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.”  Psalms 98:4

  “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.”  Psalms 103:8

  Lord help us to humble ourselves before You so we may bring You glory in all we do.  Amen

Blessings,

Mark Johnson    

Psalm 63, 98, 103; Joshua 4:19-24, 5:1-9; 1 Peter 5:1-11; Matthew 7:15-29

Greetings in Christ,

  “And Elijah took his mantle and folded it together and struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.”  2 Kings 2:8 This verse has always been a sign of faith for me.  To think Elijah had enough faith in God to do the things for him on demand has been mind boggling for me.  Elijah lived a life so close to God he did not have to think about what he was doing he just trusted God to help him in all situations.  Elijah knew God would provide for him just what he needed when he needed it.

  The selected scriptures give us situations people had to learn to trust in God for Him to work and provide in their lives.  Joshua was trying to get the people of Israel to be faithful to enter and inhabit the new promised land.  Paul is speaking to the Thessalonians telling them to hold fast and trust in God’s plan of salvation.  Jesus is telling the people they must ask before they will receive and to trust God will provide.

  Joshua was trying to get the people to overcome their fear of the people who inhabited the new land.  They feared the people for they had better weapons of war.  They also had dense forests which needed to be cleared to make room for the large number of Israelites.  Joshua is telling them although their enemies have weapons they do not outnumber the people of Israel, and they will be able to overpower their enemies.  Then land could be cleared afterwards for the people to inhabit the land.  Joshua is trying to get them to have faith in God to provide for their strength and abilities to get the job done.

  Paul is writing to the Thessalonians to hold onto their knowledge of the gospel, their traditions, and stand firm in their faith.  Even though they might not always see the victory of their Christian walk they must not give up in what they believe.  They must give God and Jesus the praise they deserve because God has chosen them to be part of His salvation.  Paul was praying God would give them comfort and hope so their hearts would be strengthened.

  Matthew records the words of Jesus as He was teaching the people to ask God for the things they need.  Jesus is comparing God to a good earthly father who provides for his children.  The earthly father would not give a stone in place of a loaf of bread, so why would they think God would treat them badly.  God wants to give more good things than the earthly father can ever provide, but they must ask before it will be given.

  We must never forget just how mighty our God is.  He is the owner of the world and the universe.  There is not a single thing we can imagine, observe, or possess which was not God’s to begin with.  God has blessed us with His possessions for us to manage here on earth.  God can work in ways we cannot see, and deliver right on time the things we need to live a life for Him.  “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”  Matthew7:11

  Elijah lived a life full of faith in God to provide for his needs.  The same God who supplied Elijah’s needs is still the same God Who will provide for our needs.  We just need to be faithful and ask.

  “When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou dost take thought of him?  And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him?  Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, and dost crown him with glory and majesty!”  Psalms 8:3-5

  “How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts!  My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.  The bird also has found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even Thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.  How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house! They are ever praising Thee. Selah.”  Psalms 84:1-4

  “O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah.  Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Thine anointed.  For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside.  I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness.  For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.  O Lord of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in Thee!”  Psalms 84:8-12

  Lord may we be blessed by having faith in asking for You to provide our needs.  We will give You the praise for all You provide.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Mark Johnson  

  Psalm 8,24,29,84: Joshua 17:14-18; 2 Thessalonians: Matthew 7:7-14