Beat by a Girl

 
Beat By a Girl

Bible Reading Judges 9:34-56
Memory verse: Matthew 23:12 "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Abimelech was the king.  He forced his way to the throne.  He and his hired men killed seventy brothers.  His plan worked and he was king.  He had a few good years until Gaal came into town saying bad things about Abimelech and his position.  Abimelech heard about it and it bothered him so much that he set out with four companies of men.  People were killed in the fighting and Gaal and his brothers fled the city.  The next day, the attack continued against the people in the city and many were killed.  Some people who were in the city fled into a tower.  Abimelech ordered his men to burn the tower and the people died.  The rampage continued to the next city of Thebez.  When they attacked, the people fled to the tower.  As Abimelech led the men to burn it, a woman dropped a millstone on Abimelech's head and cracked his skull.  Not wanting to be killed by a woman, he asked his armor-bearer to kill him. 

A lot of people died because of the selfishness of Abimelech and his ambition.  I never plotted to kill people in order to get to be king, but I know I have been selfish.  God doesn’t want us to selfishly knock people down in order to be at the top.  I remember when I was a kid, playing a game called “King of the mountain”.  We would have to try to be the one standing at the top of a hill of dirt.  It was just the right size mound that only one person could stand at the top.  If I ever was able to shove my way to the top, it wouldn’t last long because someone would shove me back.

Examine your life to see if you are shoving people around in order to be at the top.  Are you wanting to be a leader in your community or church?  If you talk bad about others in order to make yourself look better, is that right?  Abimelech got paid back for his crimes when a woman dropped the stone on him in self defense.  He was beat by a girl.  The Bible says that if you exalt yourself, you will be humbled.

by Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Building On The Rock

Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:24-29

Focus Verse: Matthew 7:24  “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.”

 

I love the ocean and the sand and the waves as well as fishing in the ocean.  We just got back from a family holiday at the beach.  This time when I explored the island, I noticed something unusual. Last year when we visited the beach there were big piles of sand in one area, and this year those piles of sand were gone.  The waves had washed it all away.  There’s another place I like to visit, and it’s a lake with mountains all around it.  And the shore line is rocky with very large rocks.  I’ve noticed that no matter how bad the storms get at that lake, those big rocks never move.  They stay right there securely.

If you were going to spend a lot of money and build a house, where would you build it?  On the sand or on the rock?  In our scripture reading, Jesus talked about a foolish man who built his house on the sand, and a wise man who built on the rock.  Notice that both of these men encountered a storm.  We will all face storms in life.  Only one house, the house on the rock, could stand against the storm. 

 

The foolish man is the man who puts all his hope and trust in the corruptible things of this world.  The wise man put his hope and trust in Jesus Christ and the things of eternal importance.  We all are building our lives on something, and that is the foundation of our lives.  1 Corinthians 3:11 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have in Jesus Christ.”  Ask yourself, "What is the foundation of my life?  Where do I place my trust?" 

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Living in the Light

Bible Reading: Ephesians 5:1-20

Focus verse: "For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!  For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true." Ephesians 5:8-9

This scripture is for those who are followers of Christ.  It tells us in our reading that we are to be like God in everything we do because we are His dear children.  Jesus Christ loved us, offered himself as a sacrifice for us and it was pleasing to the Father.  He lived a life of love and was our example.  We are not to live or talk in an obscene way with sexual immorality, impurity or greed.  We are not to worship or revere highly the things of this world or we become idolators. 

 Do you know those who are excusing sin?  Maybe they are saying that it isn't really a sin because of this or that.  Maybe they are saying that it is how God made them to be.  Maybe they are saying that it's natural and not really a big deal. Maybe they have said that God didn't really mean it in the scriptures the way that most people think.   That is the oldest lie in the book.  Remember how the serpent talked to Eve in Genesis 3 when he said, "Did God really say ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” and then continued with his twisted lies.  This is still done today.  Did God really say this was wrong?  Maybe not this time or maybe not for me.  Lies and deception are upon us quickly.

There's a warning to be cautious of those who may try to fool you with excuses for their sins, but don't fall for it and participate in these deeds of darkness.  There is a light inside you that is of the Lord.  Be careful to determine what pleases the Lord and do those things.  Expose the deeds of darkness and their evil intentions will be seen when light shines on them.

Live in the Light and follow the example of Christ.

Page Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Made Different Within a Minute

Made Different Within a Minute

Scripture: Mark 5:25-33
Focus verse Mark 5:28-29 – "because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering."

 The story of the woman with bleeding disease not only tells about the power of Jesus to heal diseases  but also how a minute spent with Jesus can change one’s life. The woman had spent all her time and money looking for solutions to her problem but all ended in vain. She decides to touch the cloak of Jesus and instantly He heals of her bleeding disease. Her life turns around instantly as she notices that blood has stopped and that she is not bleeding anymore. The minute she spent with the Lord changed her health condition.

How many times do we desire to see a change in our lives or our situations? We want to grow in the Lord but we don’t want to spend even a minute with Him. We at times become so busy looking for solutions yet God has offered a solution, Jesus Christ the Son God to us. Every minute spent with Jesus doesn’t leave our lives the same way. We may not see him physically or touch him physically as the woman did but there are other ways we can touch today. Reading His word (The Bible) and praying to Him are sure ways of getting connected to God. How often do we spend time in prayer and reading the word of God? Every minute spent in prayer or reading God’s word doesn’t leave one the same. We need to have the attitude that says, “if only I can spend some little time praying and reading the word of God, my life will never remain the same.” 

David says in Psalm 84:10 – "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." Faithful service to God does not leave our lives the same no matter how small the service may look. We don't spend a whole day working in the church in order to be called servants of God but the little time faithfully spent together with God can create a very big difference in our lives. 

God bless you,

Pastor/Director Eliazar Wambo, 

Bethesda Faith Ministries & Makira Baptist Church