Scripture Reading: Galatians 5:13-26
Focus verse: "As for you, my friends, you were called to be free. But do not let this
freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires control you.
Instead, let love make you serve one another." Galatians 5:13
Jesus called me to Him. I began to follow Him and was set free from my sins. And the Spirit comes into my life and gives me desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. I
find the fruits of the Spirit nature coming in my life. Sometimes, however, the
human nature creeps in and I fail. This can happen when I am focused on myself, my desires and even if I am focused on my failures.
Though God set me free, in my freedom, I should not give excuses for following my own selfish
desires. My human nature will lie to me and so will the enemy. My
human nature will lead me astray and that way will destroy myself and others. My human
nature will lead me to anger, jealousy, selfish ambition, fighting and
separation from other believers. If I follow my human nature long
enough, I can become blinded by it and fall even deeper into sin. In my pride, I will
blame others and make excuses for my decisions and actions. I may not
even see the pit that I am in, until suddenly, I feel lost and God makes it clear through conviction of the Holy Spirit.
I need to decide every day to focus on the Spirit. Plan each step with God to walk with Him and allow Him to lead you. This is
what the Spirit produces: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Is this what my life
looks like? You can not follow selfish human desires and the Spirit at
the same time. If you are sensitive to God's Spirit, you will know when you have strayed and can make a correction.
Today is a good day to examine your life. Do you see the fruits of
human nature or the fruits of Spirit nature? Commit to spend some time
in prayer today about anything that you need God to change in your life.
Ask God to open your eyes to see truth. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Additional scripture:
Matthew 6:24
Friday, May 25, 2018
Friday, May 18, 2018
How To Know You Are Saved
Scripture Reading: Romans 4:13-25
Focus Verses: Romans 4:24-25 “God will credit righteousness for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
How are we saved? How do we become a Christian? It is not a complicated process. First we recognize that we can not save ourselves. There is nothing we can do that is good enough. Verse 15 says that we still get punishment if we rely on the law. You may have done a lot of good things in your life, but I can assure you, you have also done a lot of bad things also. I sure have. The good news is in verse 24 that says, " for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." We need to tell God we are sorry for our sins. We are sorry for the things we have done wrong. You must believe that Jesus died on a cross to pay for your sins, and that three days later the power of God raised Jesus from the dead. He came out of the grave just as He said. We were not there to see these things happen with our own eyes, so we must demonstrate faith and believe that this happened. The Bible is trustworthy and true, so what the Bible says you can believe. We turn and walk a new life with God.
I attended the funeral of a five year old girl today. We mourned with her family, but we also celebrated her life today, because we have the hope that we will see her again one day. We heard testimony that she had a childlike faith, but also she perhaps had not reached the age of accountability. Where does this faith start? The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith.
Preaching without the cross and the power of the resurrection leaves out the most important thing: If Christ did not raise from the dead, then we have no hope after the grave. It’s all because Jesus was raised from the grave that we have hope! Have you settled in your heart the reality of Jesus’ resurrection? If not, accept it today. Don’t be swayed by the beliefs of this world. There will always be those out there who try to justify their conduct. They will say Christ is not who he claimed to be. But we know better, because He has changed our lives. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, “And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Focus Verses: Romans 4:24-25 “God will credit righteousness for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”
How are we saved? How do we become a Christian? It is not a complicated process. First we recognize that we can not save ourselves. There is nothing we can do that is good enough. Verse 15 says that we still get punishment if we rely on the law. You may have done a lot of good things in your life, but I can assure you, you have also done a lot of bad things also. I sure have. The good news is in verse 24 that says, " for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." We need to tell God we are sorry for our sins. We are sorry for the things we have done wrong. You must believe that Jesus died on a cross to pay for your sins, and that three days later the power of God raised Jesus from the dead. He came out of the grave just as He said. We were not there to see these things happen with our own eyes, so we must demonstrate faith and believe that this happened. The Bible is trustworthy and true, so what the Bible says you can believe. We turn and walk a new life with God.
I attended the funeral of a five year old girl today. We mourned with her family, but we also celebrated her life today, because we have the hope that we will see her again one day. We heard testimony that she had a childlike faith, but also she perhaps had not reached the age of accountability. Where does this faith start? The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith.
Preaching without the cross and the power of the resurrection leaves out the most important thing: If Christ did not raise from the dead, then we have no hope after the grave. It’s all because Jesus was raised from the grave that we have hope! Have you settled in your heart the reality of Jesus’ resurrection? If not, accept it today. Don’t be swayed by the beliefs of this world. There will always be those out there who try to justify their conduct. They will say Christ is not who he claimed to be. But we know better, because He has changed our lives. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, “And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Saturday, May 12, 2018
Being Humble in God’s Eyes
Bible Reading Isaiah 66:1-6
Focus Verse: "I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word." Isaiah 66:2b
Have you ever heard the expression “It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.”? I remember the first time I heard it. I was slightly shocked because it didn’t seem like it was moral. I came to realize that it could be tempting if your parents or your boss was very forgiving. You could really get into a habit of taking advantage of that forgiveness. You could do things your way with your ideas and it will be much easier. The attitude behind that thought process is not humility, but pride. You are putting your own selfish desires above your authority. You are using a position of pride and selfishness to do what you want.
A pastor, John Piper, once said that he needed prayers of the church people that God would help him to be humble. This is what he prays for himself, "[God,]Before I give way to any kind of proud misuse of this influence for my ego, kill me. Take me before I ruin this church, this ministry, and these books. If I have to end on a note that would cast a pall over an entire life of effort, please take me before that happens." Wow, that is commitment to God's calling. He is also realizing that we all have the capacity to have sinful pride that can lead to ruin of ourselves and our ministry. It sounds like Piper trembles before God's authority.
The scripture reading today reminded me of this, because the Lord our God is the ultimate boss. He is big and mighty. He lives in heaven and puts his feet on earth. If we know what is wrong and we do it anyway, we are living in pride. Even if we come asking for forgiveness, it is does not honor God. It reminds me of 1 Samuel 15:22 that says,
“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
God says that He looks on us with favor when we are humble and recognize the authority of God. When we hear His Word and tremble at His Word we are blessed. Do you know what God expects from you? Will you take advantage of his grace by pridefully sinning more or will you submit yourself to Him and humbly do His will?
It is better to ask for permission than forgiveness.
~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Focus Verse: "I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word." Isaiah 66:2b
Have you ever heard the expression “It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.”? I remember the first time I heard it. I was slightly shocked because it didn’t seem like it was moral. I came to realize that it could be tempting if your parents or your boss was very forgiving. You could really get into a habit of taking advantage of that forgiveness. You could do things your way with your ideas and it will be much easier. The attitude behind that thought process is not humility, but pride. You are putting your own selfish desires above your authority. You are using a position of pride and selfishness to do what you want.
A pastor, John Piper, once said that he needed prayers of the church people that God would help him to be humble. This is what he prays for himself, "[God,]Before I give way to any kind of proud misuse of this influence for my ego, kill me. Take me before I ruin this church, this ministry, and these books. If I have to end on a note that would cast a pall over an entire life of effort, please take me before that happens." Wow, that is commitment to God's calling. He is also realizing that we all have the capacity to have sinful pride that can lead to ruin of ourselves and our ministry. It sounds like Piper trembles before God's authority.
The scripture reading today reminded me of this, because the Lord our God is the ultimate boss. He is big and mighty. He lives in heaven and puts his feet on earth. If we know what is wrong and we do it anyway, we are living in pride. Even if we come asking for forgiveness, it is does not honor God. It reminds me of 1 Samuel 15:22 that says,
“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
God says that He looks on us with favor when we are humble and recognize the authority of God. When we hear His Word and tremble at His Word we are blessed. Do you know what God expects from you? Will you take advantage of his grace by pridefully sinning more or will you submit yourself to Him and humbly do His will?
It is better to ask for permission than forgiveness.
~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Friday, May 4, 2018
Accomplish Infinitely More
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21
Focus Verse: Ephesians 3:20 “Now all glory to God who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
Our focus verse is a very powerful promise in God’s Word, but to have this power at work within us Paul says that as Christians "we need to be filled with all the fullness of God.” How do we do that? I think there are a number of things we should do to be filled with the fullness of God. We can start by kneeling humbly before God with a heart of faith. Then become rooted in and obey His Word. We seek to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind.
We can also answer “the call” he has placed on our lives. I believe that no matter what your profession is, God has called you to make disciples for His Kingdom. This is one area where God will "accomplish infinitely” more than we might ask or think. When a soul is won for Christ, that person will live forever in heaven. No end! Eternity is difficult to imagine.
God really does want to use us to spread the Gospel... that Jesus died for our sins, and invites us to repent and live in heaven with Him for all eternity. We could have no greater task in this world. Proverbs 11:30 says, “He who wins souls is wise.” I want to be doing something that will have lasting results for eternity, not for my glory, but for His Glory. How about you?
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Focus Verse: Ephesians 3:20 “Now all glory to God who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
Our focus verse is a very powerful promise in God’s Word, but to have this power at work within us Paul says that as Christians "we need to be filled with all the fullness of God.” How do we do that? I think there are a number of things we should do to be filled with the fullness of God. We can start by kneeling humbly before God with a heart of faith. Then become rooted in and obey His Word. We seek to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind.
We can also answer “the call” he has placed on our lives. I believe that no matter what your profession is, God has called you to make disciples for His Kingdom. This is one area where God will "accomplish infinitely” more than we might ask or think. When a soul is won for Christ, that person will live forever in heaven. No end! Eternity is difficult to imagine.
God really does want to use us to spread the Gospel... that Jesus died for our sins, and invites us to repent and live in heaven with Him for all eternity. We could have no greater task in this world. Proverbs 11:30 says, “He who wins souls is wise.” I want to be doing something that will have lasting results for eternity, not for my glory, but for His Glory. How about you?
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
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