Full Obedience in Faith

Bible reading:  Judges 1:19-36

Focus verse:   Hebrews 13:20-21  "Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—may he equip you with all you need for doing his will.  May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.  All glory to him forever and ever! Amen."

Back in Exodus 23: 23-33,  God gave the rules for entering and living in the promised land.  He said clearly that were not to make any agreements with the enemy or even allow them to live in the land or else they would cause them to sin and their worship of other gods would be a snare to them.  Now we read in Judges that they went into the land, but did not complete the command to totally drive out the people.  They lived with them.  They kept some as slaves.  The Danites (Dan line of the Israelites) never entered their land, but lived on the rugged edges of it.  There were consequences for this partial obedience.  They began to weaken and began serving Baal.

Obedience is also the evidence of faith.  It takes faith to obey things we don't fully understand. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6  Obedience flows from this faith that pleases God and it proves that we love Jesus.   Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commands." John 14:15  

The Bible clearly tells us the things that we should do.  We may try to think in our own minds why we would not obey God completely, but only part of it.  We become an enemy of our own selves when we talk ourselves out of obeying God.   We miss out on His blessings and suffer consequences.  If you have disobeyed, then you should repent and begin obeying Him.

What is God telling you?  Obey it completely.  Even if you feel like you are alone in your obedience to God, continue in your trust in Him and obey.  He promises to equip you with all you need to do His will. 

Quote:  “Satan's cause is never more in danger than when a human being..., intending to do God's will, looks around upon a world from which every trace of God seems to have vanished and asks why he has been forsaken, yet still obeys.”  ~C. S. Lewis

Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Self or Spirit Led

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

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

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

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

Jesus Knows About Your Suffering

Scripture Reading: John 11: 1-16

Focus Verses John 11: 3-4 “Lord, the one you love is sick.  When He heard this, Jesus said, this sickness will not end in death.  No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

For most of us we don’t need to look very far to see someone that is ill.  Maybe it’s your parent, child, or even a close friend, or maybe yourself.  Sickness is something that happens in our lives because we are human.  Often it is the source of our fears and anxiety. 

As a believer in Christ we are invited to take our pain, sickness, and suffering to Jesus.  Many people have taken this path before you did.  And many have endured more sever suffering than you.  In fact no one knows about your suffering more than Jesus.  He suffered too, but we must remember that His suffering led to an empty tomb.  The suffering you are going through today is not the end.  As believers in Jesus we have so much more to look forward to.  Do you believe this?  John 11:35 says “Jesus wept.”  He was with his friends, Mary and Martha, who were weeping and it's possible that His weeping was compassion for their suffering.  (A demonstration of Romans 12:15) He knows our suffering.

As we look at the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, God is saying “do you trust Me?”  We are never forgotten or left alone in our suffering.  We can trust that in our suffering God is able to bring about our healing if He chooses.  You may feel abandoned or forgotten.  Maybe you think there is no end in sight.  God knows what you are going through.  He suffered too, even to the point of death.  It is a mystery of our faith how Jesus died, and then was raised to life, but we also know He is coming again, and we will be raised with Him.  Let us rejoice in Him, no matter what suffering we are going through right now.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

The Intimacy of Waiting

Bible Reading Genesis 40
Focus Verse: "Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you;
And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
Blessed are all those who wait for Him." Isaiah 30:18

"Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him." Genesis 40:23  This feels like a very disappointing verse in the Bible.  Does it seem like God is failing to save Joseph?  I'm glad this isn't the end of Joseph's story.  Did you ever wait for God?  Are you waiting now?  If we are seeking God, why does He make us wait when we pray to him?  Waiting is biblical and a few examples are these:
Noah waited for the waters to go down before coming out of the ark.  He was on the ark 370 days.
David waited 15 years to be king.
Job waited for God to heal him.
Abraham waited 25 years for his son.
Moses waited 40 years in the wilderness.
and there are more.

Biblical waiting is seeking intimacy with God.  Humble yourself to Him and acknowledge your need of Him.  Persistently seek His will in all that you do, being careful not to rely on yourself and lead God like Abraham did when he made for himself a son with a handmaiden, but to wait on God. (Gen. 16:1)  Acknowledge God's sovereignty and power and that He has the power and the right to give and take away for reasons that we may not understand.  Paul waited and prayed about his thorn in the flesh and was given grace.  This was not what he expected, but God knows what is best for our lives.

Why must we sometimes wait?  Every delay and trial on this side of the waiting is being used to shape you.  God does not waste this time, so make sure you get up early and spend some time with Him.  There can be many ways God wants to shape us.  First, waiting reveals our true motives. (James 4:3)  It gives us time to examine if what we have been praying for fits into God's will for our lives.  We need to give God time to teach us His priorities.  Secondly, the delay can build patience, perseverance and hope.  (Romans 5:4-5 "And patience produces character, and character produces hope.  And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.")   Third, waiting builds intimacy with God.  Our needs and desires will drive us toward God as we seek Him.  We will focus on what God has asked of us today and respond with obedience as Joseph did.  If we don't see results, we accept the hope and grace that God gives and press on.  God is always faithful even in the waiting. We hold on to him as our anchor.  Our relationship with God is more important than anything that we are waiting for.

Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries