21st Week - Acts 28 & Proverbs 10-13 (Click here for video Intro)

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Monday,  Acts  Chapter 28

Acts 28

Verses 10 & 28

Heather Williams

December 9, 2004

Verse 10:  They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed. 

Verse 28: "Therefore, I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" 

THOUGHT 

Okay, I heard two themes in this chapter that I wanted to mention. The first is on friendship. After being shipwrecked on a strange island, Paul managed to meet and make friends. God hereby made Paul remarkable among these people and so made way for the receiving of the gospel. The Lord raises up friends for His people in every place as He leads them, and makes them blessings to those in affliction. 

The second theme revolves around our mission to share the gospel. Paul persuaded the Jews concerning Jesus.  Some were softened by the Word, and others hardened.  Some received the light, and others shut their eyes against it. And the same has always been the effect of the gospel. Paul parted with them, observing that the Holy Ghost had well described their state. Let all that hear the gospel and do not use it, be frightened.  We should rejoice that the salvation of God is sent to others who will receive it. And if we are of that number, we should be thankful to Him. The apostle kept to his principle, to know and preach nothing but Christ and Him crucified. 

The apostle preached not himself, but Christ, and he was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.  Though Paul was placed in a very narrow opportunity for being useful, he was not disturbed in it.  We must stick to our mission as Paul did.  

BECOME A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST AND WITNESS TO OTHERS THE GOOD NEWS. 

PRAYER                                                                   

Lord, thank You for the friends You have placed in our lives.  Friendship is such an amazing gift.  We often are surprised where our alliances and relationships form from.  Thank You for those relationships that can outlast time and distance.  Lord, help us to become disciples of You.  Help us to desire to read Your Word and be in relationship with You.  Through this relationship teach us to be like You.  May each of us fulfill Your purpose for our lives, which is to share Your amazing love.  Thank You, Jesus, for the opportunity to know You and share You with the world.  AMEN

Tuesday, Proverbs Chapter 10

Proverbs 10

Verses 19-21, 31-32

Delores Little

July 13, 2005

Verses 19-21a:  When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver.

Verse 21:  The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.

Verses 31-32:  The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

THOUGHT

Well, I noticed in this chapter much is written about our tongues. I cannot answer for any of you, but God is my witness that I have sinned so much with my mouth. Before I accepted Jesus as my Lord at age 24, I used God’s Name in vain just something awful. That is what I heard at home, and after I married Willie, he tried to correct me on this.  I said to him, “Don’t tell me that when you were in the service you didn’t curse.”  He said that he had not. He was raised not to, and it was a choice.  He didn’t do it.  Not once in our years together did I ever hear him do so. Well, when I started reading the Word, I could hardly do so as Jesus and God’s name was all over the pages, and I felt such shame and guilt. His Word did a cleansing in my soul and heart.

But how else are we guilty?  We are guilty by putting people down, telling tales on them and lying. Let’s take a peek at James 3:5-6 where it says, “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and itself set on fire by hell.”  Then it goes on to say how animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With our tongue we praise God and curse men who are in God’s likeness.

WOW!!! Guess what everyone?  Jesus paid it all, and we can say daily as Psalm 19:14 says, ”May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.”

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, forgive us when we sin with our tongues. We want to speak life words to people and words from You through the power of Your Holy Spirit daily. Help us Father, every day to build the body of believers up by speaking words of wisdom and truth, in the loving ways of Christ.  Thank You for what You did for us. We praise and thank You, Father, Son & Holy Spirit. In Jesus Name.  AMEN

Wednesday, Proverbs Chapter 11

Proverbs 11

Verses 13 & 30

Delores Little

July 15, 2005

Verse 13:  A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

Verse 30:  The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

THOUGHT:  

This chapter deals with money and many other things.  I’m just going to share on the two above.  The first one on gossip really hit me years ago, as I “LOVED TO GOSSIP” before I accepted Jesus.  I didn’t even realize what I was doing. Satan really does cloud our sight and heart in these things.  I repented and with the help of God really do try my best to keep a secret when people share with me now.  That was such a blessing when Jeanie, my Stephen Minister, helped me walk through things the year after Willie died. I knew whatever I shared - stayed with her. I never shared with my children what I shared with her.  

Verse 30 is great. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. I will break this down a little.  In John 15:4 it says, “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.”  Unless we are in Christ and remain in Him we cannot bear the fruit of His Word with others. Let’s take righteousness and read 2 Corinthians 5:21.  “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” We are righteous because He covers His righteousness around us. He is the Tree of Life. Rev. 22:14 says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and go through the gates into the city.”

How can we win souls to Christ?  I hear a lot of people say I saved this person by sharing Jesus with them.  In John 6:44 we find, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.”  John 6 went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled him.”  John 14:6 declares, Jesus answered, “I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  The reason we can go out and share with others is because God is drawing them to Him, but they still have the choice to accept Him or not.  It is our job to bring the Good News to others by asking God daily to put them in our path and also to make us ready to answer to them with the hope that is in us. We are the vessels He uses in this world to share with others.  Now go forth by the power of the Holy Spirit and do it.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, forgive us of gossip and let us learn to keep things others share to our self and You. Help us to share Your Gospel with the unbelievers in our everyday life which can be hard to do. Use us as direction for Your Glory.  AMEN

Thursday, Proverbs Chapter 12

Proverbs 12 

Verse 1 

Bart Strayer

July 17, 2005

Verse 1:  (The Message) If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it, how shortsighted to refuse correction.

THOUGHT “The Perpetual Pursuit of Knowledge”

This verse has been my life from about age 5. It seems like I have gone from one educational experience to the next all my life. Looking back, I can see that life experiences and schooling have helped shape me into the disciple I am today. God has plans for each of us, and in those plans are

growth of knowledge and wisdom. We must examine why it is that we pursue experiences and degrees. If not for the glory and honor to God, all else is futility. Are we striving to learn and pass tests for ourselves, or are we doing it for God? If we are doing it for ourselves, I can tell you first hand, we will want to quit long before it is finished. God gives us the strength, concentration, and most important, the reason to learn.

As you all know, one year ago God called me into the CFA Program. Entering into the program was something that took a lot of prayer and guidance from God.  God told me, (I will paraphrase) “Bart, I want to use you to do great things, but frankly, you’re ignorant.” It’s hard to serve God ignorant.

However, after a year of studying 16 textbooks, I am not comfortable with the knowledge of the material, thus do not expect to pass the exam I took.  So, starting the week following the exam, I started with my studies once again. God called me to this program to increase my knowledge and the size of my ‘tool chest’, not to pass exams. The secondary benefit of increased knowledge will be passing the exam, the primary benefit being - Serving God More Effectively.

PRAYER

Dear God in Heaven, we thank You for this weekend of rest and relaxation.  Help bring us back into service this day and be our guiding light throughout the week. Speak to us through the reading of Your Word. We ask that You help mold us into the people You want us to be through the disciplined learning of Your Word. Help us to be obedient in Your Ways.  In Jesus Name. AMEN

Friday, Proverbs Chapter 13

Proverbs 13

Verse 13

Bart Strayer

July 18, 2005

Verse 13:  (The Message) He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded.

THOUGHT “Sorry, God, I would, but I am kind of busy.”

Remember, God wants to do wonderful things with us and through us. It only makes sense then that we listen to Him for guidance. Through God’s guidance and the gifts He gives us we can do amazing things with the time we are given here on Earth. Be forewarned, the devil is afraid of what we might become when we are disciplined and obedient in the ways of our Lord.  The road will at times be difficult. When it seems all hope is lost, and the goodness of God seems far out of reach, we will have but one reason to go on, because it is God’s instruction. 

As many of you know, it has been a very difficult past few months with the project I am working. It is easy to become frustrated and want to quit. But there would be no victory for God in that - only the devil’s rejoicing. There have been several occasions where it has been hard to get out of bed in the morning and pursue the high expectations that God has for me. God has looked down at me during those moments and said, “Bart, you’re going to get up, and keep going because I said so.” And that’s all the instruction we need.

PRAYER

Dear God in Heaven, we want to thank You for all of your guidance in our lives.  We pray that You would continue to guide us in every aspect of our daily living.  Put on our hearts the relationships You want us to pursue, the work You want us to accomplish, and what You want us to do with our finances. Guide us in every moment and help us to trust You more each day.  In Jesus Name. AMEN