November 17 – He is the Only One

“Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord.  How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count.” - Psalm 40:4-5 (NASB)

 

Many promises can be found in our verses today. One which we may not often think of as a promise because it is a result of one action is “How blessed is…”  True followers of God remember times when God has shown how great He is and how He takes care of our needs. Notice the word ‘trust’ used as a verb (in the last line of v. 3) “And will trust in the Lord.” Then the word ‘trust’ as a noun; “who has made the LORD his trust,” The verb and noun forms connote a faith of commitment in the right object, God alone. As we read our Bibles we know that God has been demonstrating His greatness and His love to people for many centuries. When the psalmist David wrote the words we read in today's verse He was thinking of what God had done already many centuries before. God has never ceased to show Himself in the same way and has done so all the time throughout the centuries. The promise we carry today is that no other person or entity can compare. Our God is the only true and living God.

 

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October 28 – Who To Not Follow

“And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.” – 2 Peter 2:2 (ESV)

The trends abound around us and like a tidal wave about to break, we may wonder what we can do. False teaching encroaches the Seminaries and Universities. The clergy, overseers, and leaders adopt doctrines which are contrary to Biblical teaching. Yet the rational necessary to normalize false teaching makes its way until good dominations become corrupted and endorse what God clearly has said is wrong. The effect of this subversion by the enemy on the Christian community is detrimental, for “many will follow” these false teachers. In spite of apostolic teaching and admonition, numerous Christians are swayed by “cleverly invented stories” (2 Peter 1:16). Many people who profess to be Christians actually deny Christ’s lordship over their lives, refusing to live as obedient servants to Christ and His Word. Instead of following God’s Word they succumb to lusts of the flesh, the world, and the devil. Such nominal Christians tragically will be included in the Lord’s condemnation of hypocrites at the judgment. Instead of shunning evil practices, gullible Christians “follow their shameful ways.”  What are these shameful ways? Peter uses the expression again when he describes the sexually immoral residents of Sodom and Gomorrah (2 Peter 2:7).

 

Simon J. Kistemaker and William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Epistles of Peter and the Epistle of Jude, New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 16:283.

 John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible., (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), 2 Pe 2:2.

 

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May 26 –Hears, Knows, Follows

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;” John 10:27 (NASB)

One of the many things Jesus spoke of Himself to help people understand His mission was that He was the Good Shepherd. It was very common in that day and people knew how important a shepherd's job was. Today's verse are words spoken by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of John. We believe that everyone who believes in Jesus as Savior enters into the relationship pictured in this verse. What we mean is that by believing in Jesus we become one of his flocks and we can think of Him as our shepherd. Jesus said in our verse that His sheep listen to His voice. This means that He is speaking to us. He is not just up in heaven and far away. He knows us and is talking to us right now. It also reminds us that we should be listening to hear our Lord speaking to us and following what He is telling us.  This is a wonderful provision.  Jesus has thoughts to share with us. We don't have to go through a day without hearing His voice in our spirit. Let's be sure we're within hearing range so that we can hear Him today.

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October 28 – Following the Light out of Darkness

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12 (ESV)

In the Old Testament the coming age of Messiah was prophesied to be a time when the Lord God would be a light for His people (Isaiah 60:19–22) as well as for the whole earth (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6). This is the second “I am” statement. Previously Jesus declared Himself “I am the Bread of Life.” John used the “light” metaphor for Jesus in John 1:4; “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” The promise is for those who will follow the Light of the World. Follow Jesus and we will not walk in darkness. Follow Jesus and we will have the Light of Life because that is what Jesus is. Follow Jesus and have Jesus himself as our light in this life. We follow by knowing and understanding the Bible and what it teaches us about life. The promises of God come to life in the light of the world, Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord. Some choose to ignore this lite and remain in darkness because in truth, without Christ in our lives, there is only spiritual darkness. Let’s walk in the Light by choosing in faith to follow the Light of Life, Jesus our Savior. 

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May 15 – Listen, Know, Follow

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV)

The life and work of a shepherd was a well known occupation from Old Testament times. When Jesus was on this earth walking among the people he used familiar words to describe Himself – one of them was to described Himself as the Good Shepherd. Those who followed Him were His sheep. Like the sheep cared for by their shepherd, followers of Jesus know and listen to His voice. That means, of course, that Jesus speaks to His followers. We hear his voice as we read the Bible or as we listen to others reading from it. He has so much to tell us. When we read in the Old Testament we can sense Him speaking to us. He speaks to us in the New Testament too.  We can hear Him in His teaching to the disciples and the people as recorded by the Gospel writers. We also hear his voice in the letters written to the churches. Jesus also speaks to us in our hearts through our consciences and He uses the Bible to confirm what he says. Jesus often said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Let's be sure we're listening.

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June 30 – Follow. Believe. Become

“And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” – Mark 1:17 -  (ESV)

It was a pretty dramatic way to switch careers for Simon and Andrew.  So it was for James and John.  It had to seem like a crazy decision for their families.  Simon and Andrew are casting their net into the Sea of Galilee and James with his brother John were mending the nets that had torn during their fishing excursion.  For two families, all the members and for the many who bought their fish at the market a major disruption must have been what came their way.  We can imagine that others in the same line of work were perhaps glad for it opened their fish market to more customers.  But Jesus had a greater calling, a strategic plan.  He wanted them to continue “fishing” but for their catch to be the souls of men and women. Fishers of men, not of fish.  They didn’t know yet and would not fully understand until after Jesus would leave them in about three years.  But they would stick with him. Their training would take them through a great transformation and Jesus would fulfill His promise and He would make them into fishers of men.” In many ways we are called to this.

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May 11 – Listen. Hear. Know His Voice

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;” John 10:27 (NASB)

Perhaps you have had the opportunity to see a modern day shepherd, or sheep farmer, in action.  In the video link below one gives others the opportunity to call his flock of sheep together. As each one tries, the sheep ignore every attempt. Then the sheep farmer steps up and begins to call and the sheep perk up their ears, listen and come running.  Sheep  know the voice of their shepherd.  That is what Jesus was illustrating here by telling the people that those who are known by Jesus because of their faith in Him also know His voice when He calls us.  That is why, when we are willing to listen, we will hear Jesus call us. It may be through the tug in our heart or the stirring of our thoughts and our conscience by the Holy Spirit.  If we know the Lord Jesus, we will recognize the call and we will know know that God is prodding us to move this way or that and to follow Him by observing His words of instruction.  Following Jesus means we are listening for His voice and hearing its we are seeking His direction for the decisions that direct our steps and make our path straight.  

Watch how sheep listen, hear and respond to the shepherd's voice. 2:00 

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November 25 – Being Close

“ If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”  John 12:26 (NASB)

When Jesus spoke these words to the people living and following Him when He was here on earth, He was not thinking exclusively about His 12 disciples who had followed him for almost 3 years.  He was not thinking only of the crowds that physically followed Him when he came through their town or village.  He was talking about people who would follow Him spiritually after He died on the cross and rose from the grave.  He was talking about us today who claim to be following Him.  Jesus said that His followers would be where He would be.  Yes, if we are His followers we need to stay close to Him.  But we're here on earth and He is in heaven so how can we stay close to Him?  Of course, we know that He is near us as He promised to be.   We stay close to the Lord by keeping our thoughts on Him by listening to His words in the Bible and by praying and having a prayerful attitude at all times.  

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November 3 – Hear, Know, Follow

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;”  John 10:27 (NASB)

While on this earth and during his ministry Jesus spoke of Himself as the good shepherd who would lead His followers on the right way.  In the Gospel of John he makes the statement in our verse.  We believe that Jesus was not speaking only about the disciples who were following Him during His three years of ministry here on earth. We believe that He included all those who have followed Him and obeyed His teaching during the centuries since He returned to Heaven, and will in the future.  This includes us today.  What we're thinking of today is that Jesus expects us to listen, to know His voice and to follow Him.  He is still speaking to us today.  He continues to call to us and we continue to hear His voice as the Life and the Truth and the Way.  We recognize His voice as we read the Bible and as His Spirit guides us.  Let's be sure we are listening for His voice and to what He is calling us to do – that's the following part.  

View the YouTube video HERE that demonstrates how sheep know their shepherd's voice.

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October 8 – Seek It. Obey It. Trust It.

"Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:8 (ESV)

This is the kind of prayer which pleases God.  Our God is ready and desires to guide His children, and to not only show us the way but to prepare our path before us.  He know what is best for us. He knows which decisions will bring us the very best results in the end.  And, He is glad to show us the way to go as the psalmist David says in today's verse.  God promises to do this for us but we have to know that His guidance depends on our willingness to seek it and to obey it.  Notice how, the psalmist opens himself up to follow God's guidance.  He does it with his whole being.  He says, “I lift up my soul.”  Doesn't that sound like he's ready with his whole being to follow God'[s guidance?  Well that the attitude we need to show when we pray to God asking for guidance and direction.  

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July 26 – Follow the Leader

“This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:  “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”  Isaiah 48:17 (NIV)

As we often reflect, we are so glad that our God has spoken to His people through prophets who could record His statements.  And, we are thankful that the words they recorded have been preserved and passed on to us in a form we can read and learn. The Lord tells us in today's verse that He has our welfare in mind in all His dealings with us.  He knows what is best for us.  He knows also how we should live and how we should act in order to arrive at what is best for us.  Not only does God know what is best for us. He is involved in showing us how to get where we need to be and to arrive at what is best for us.  He is also involved in showing us how to pay attention to His leading through what He is teaching us.  He promises to be our guide so let's let him lead and let's follow. 

May 26 – Hearing. Knowing. Following.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;” John 10:27 (NASB)

One of the many things Jesus spoke of Himself to help people understand His mission was that He was the Good Shepherd. It was very common in that day and people knew how important a shepherd's job was. Today's verse are words spoken by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of John. We believe that everyone who believes in Jesus as Savior enters into the relationship pictured in this verse. What we mean is that by believing in Jesus we become one of his flock and we can think of Him as our shepherd. Jesus said in our verse that His sheep listen to His voice. This means that He is speaking to us. He is not just up in heaven and far away. He knows us and is talking to us right now. It also reminds us that we should be listening to hear our Lord speaking to us and following what He is telling us.  This is a wonderful provision.  Jesus has thoughts to share with us. We don't have to go through a day without hearing His voice in our spirit. Let's be sure we're within hearing range so that we can hear Him today.

April 27 – Imitators of Love

“ Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)

Is it not true that children often imitate their parents? This is a good thing and why it is important that parents set a good example their children can follow. Those who believe in Jesus as their Savior have God as their Father who sets the example for us follow.  As children of God, we should be imitating our Father in heaven. Maybe some would wonder if it is really possible to imitate God.  He is so great, immensely greater than any of us. Can we truly follow His example? Our verse tells us how we can – by living a life of love.  God does love us, His children. He loves people who don't respond to His love. He love everybody and He wants us to do the same. He also enables us to love. We can love others with the ability God gives us.

November 17 – He is the Only One

“Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.” Psalm 40:5 (NIV) 

Those of us who are true followers of God can remember times when God has shown how great He is and how He takes care of our needs. We know too that He has shown His greatness and His care to others who believe and follow Him. As we read our Bibles we know that God has been demonstrating His greatness and His love to people for many many centuries. When the psalmist David wrote the words we read in today's verse He was thinking of what God had done already and that was many centuries ago. God has never ceased to show Himself in the same way and does so all the time throughout the centuries. The promise we carry today is that no other person or entity can compare. Our God is the only One.

November 11- Great Delight

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) 

Zephaniah was a prophet of God who wrote these words as he received them from God. He was in the royal line of Judah, a decedent of King Hezekiah. These words were intended to encourage God's people after a time of judgment. They are also for our encouragement. These are God's feelings about those who follow Him. We can be sure that our God is with us and that He loves us. Our verse says that He takes great delight in those who follow Him. When we put our trust in Him He is not only pleased, He also rejoices over us and sings about us. It is not a system set up to reward us for being good but it is what happens when we choose to follow and trust in God – it is the natural outcome.  Our trusting in God brings joy to our Lord. That's a promise.

September 17 – Providing Rest

“I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.” Ezekiel 34:15 (NIV)

Shepherds were very common in the world during the days that these words of the Bible were written. God often spoke of Himself as our Shepherd. As the sheep followed their Shepherd, God wants us to follow Him and trust Him to provide what we need – even the times of rest. We can picture a flock of sheep relaxing in a nice cool place after feeding on the grass and drinking from the cool stream. With all their needs supplied the sheep can enjoy a good rest. This is what our Lords wants to do for us. He wants us to pause and relax trusting that all our needs are taken care of by Him for He is our shepherd, our Good Shepherd.

May 16 – Friend and Teacher

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15 (NIV)

Yes, Jesus calls us friends and He teaches us divine truth – truth from God in heaven. We believe that these words from Gospel of John  are for us if we are followers of Jesus. As we follow Him from day to day He teaches us what we need to know. We may not yet understand all things about God but through Jesus Christ, we are told and taught what our Father wants us to know.  We are His friends because He guides and teaches us through the Holy Spirit what we need to know. As we read the Bible our Lord shares with us His truth. As we turn to Him in prayer he makes His truth real to us. How wonderful to have a friend like Jesus and to know we can depend on Him to share heavenly truth with us. 

May 14 – Love That Will Not Fail

“His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” Psalm 147:10-11 (NIV)

If we are true followers of the Lord God we want to please Him. We read in today's verse how we can do that. Sometimes we put our hope and trust in things that we can see and that in our estimation are strong enough to do the job. But what God wants is our faith in Him, not our “stuff”.  There is a way of not just pleasing God but of giving Him delight. Two ways are mentioned in this verse, even three. 

• First it would be by respecting Him, by giving Him the honor He deserves. That is what is meant by fearing God. 
• Second, we give God delight by living consistently in expectation that He will show us His love which never, ever fails – that is where we put our hope. 
• A third way is to NOT act as if it is up to us to come up with the necessary strategy and depend on our own way or strength. 

Let's remember today to give our Lord delight through having awesome respect and hope in Him.

May 11 – Listen, Know, Follow

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV)

When Jesus was on this earth walking among the people he used familiar words to describe Himself – one of them was when he described Himself as the Good Shepherd. He called His followers His sheep. Here we read that followers of Jesus listen to His voice. That means, of course, that Jesus is speaking to His followers. We believe that He does this in various ways. We hear his voice as we read the Bible or as we listen to others reading from it. He has so much to tell us. When we read in the Old Testament we can sense Him speaking to us. He speaks to us in the New Testament too.  We can hear Him in the record of His teaching to the disciples and the people. We can hear his voice in the letters written to the churches. Jesus also speaks to us in our hearts through our consciences and He uses the Bible to confirm what he says. Let's be sure we're listening, and when we hear his voice, let's follow.

May 5 – Moved to Follow

“And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:27 (NIV)

Those of us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ have experienced a great change in our lives. The prophet Ezekiel was used by God to explain in part when he wrote these words. God's plan and promise is that when we believe in Jesus, God's Holy Spirit is sent to live in us. When Jesus was still on earth He also  made this promise and He mentioned several functions which He would fill. One of these promised functions is in today's verse.  The Holy Spirit is living in the hearts of believers to move us to obey the Lord. As we trust in Him, we learn to sense the impulse in us often to do what is pleasing to God. It may be through reading the Bible or hearing the Word preached that our hearts are stirred with the desire to do what God says He wants us to do in His Word. The stirring is the work of the Holy Spirit moving us to follow God's will.