Training for Service

 Scripture Reading: Daniel 1

Focus Verse: Daniel 1:5  They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.

Training is important before entering service.  Even a blade of steel needs careful attention before it can slice through a piece of meat.  Just as the knife needs sharpening, our spiritual skills need to be sharpened before God can effectively use us.  Maybe you don't have the resources to attend Bible college or go to seminary, but you can gain a great deal of biblical knowledge through your church and personal Bible study.  It is wise to prepare, instead of rushing off unequipped to serve.

Daniel and his friends did not compromise their conviction in God.  Even as they trained under ungodly authority, they held to their Godly instruction from their youth.  God still worked His purposes in their lives.  Sometimes the training process is not always pleasant.  Hebrews 12:11 says, "No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening, it is painful.  But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way."

Most importantly stay in the training process so you can be a better servant for God.  He will see you through.  He is training you for the task He has planned for your life.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

True Riches

 True Riches

Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-21

Focus Verse: 1 Timothy 6:6  “True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.”

The books of the Bible, first and second Timothy, were written by Paul to Timothy.   Paul has some good advice about being wealthy.  Possessions can have a strong pull in someone's life.  It doesn’t really matter whether you are rich or poor.  What matters is the condition of your heart.  A desire to make money should not be put above our desire to know God.  Paul says if you love money it can bring all kinds of evil into your life.  We are to put our trust in God and not in our money.  Paul said God will give us all that we need.  We should also enjoy what God has given us.  Our focus verse says if we are content with what God has given us, that in itself is great wealth.  Someone that has a lot of money has a big responsibility to manage that money well. And Paul says that person should be generous and share with those in need.  You see some day you’re going to die, then what will happen to your money.

I was reading in the news just this week that one of the richest men in the UK was sailing on his big beautiful boat in Italy with his family and friends.  The boat was at anchor for the night and everyone was asleep when a storm suddenly arose and capsized the boat and sank.  This man lost his life along with five of his family and friends.  I’m sure this man had no idea he would lose his life this week.  It really didn’t matter how much money he had because he left it all behind.  I hope that he knew Jesus because that’s what matters most now.

Jesus talked a lot about money while He was on this earth because He knew how money can take control of our lives.  Money can be a wonderful servant because it can do a lot of good when used wisely and with humility.  However, money can also be a terrible master.  When money controls us, many bad things can happen.  Let’s remember how to experience the true riches of being content with all that God has given us to enjoy.  

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Trust and Choose God Always

Trust and Choose God Always

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 26:1-15

Focus Verse:  Isaiah 26:8  “Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws, our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.”

I read a quote by Vance Havner that says,   “You can’t break the law of God.  Nobody ever broke the law of God.  You break yourself against the law of God.”  That is true.  When we disobey God we are the loser, not God.  Our focus verse says, “we show our trust in God by obeying His laws.”  Yes we can choose to disobey God, but then things are not going to go so well for us.  Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!"   We have been given a choice between life and death, blessings and curses.  I don’t know why so many people in the world today are choosing death and curses.

I also think about 1Kings 11 where King Solomon was given a choice.  When a rich person has a heart to compromise, that's a dangerous combination.  That usually means they have the resources to get deeper into sin.  Solomon's spiritual compromise grew over time into a rampage of sinful behavior looking for pleasure.  Yes, he found some temporary pleasure.  He had so much money he could build any size home he wanted.  He could have any woman he wanted. He did not deny himself any pleasure.  When he came to the end of all that he said “it was all emptiness, like chasing after the wind.”  He wrote in Ecclesiastes “here now is my final conclusion, Fear God and obey His commands, for this is everyone’s duty.”  He went on to say, “Here’s what I’ve learned in life. Don’t fight against the laws of God.  They were given to us for a reason.”

Whether you are rich or poor, you have the choice to trust and obey or to follow your own desires.  Maybe you're saying to yourself, “I’d like to find this out for myself.”   Someone once said, “a wise man learns for the mistakes of others.”   Choose God and His ways for this is the path to a satisfied life of trusting God. 

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Sadness Turned To Joy

 Sadness Turned To Joy

Scripture Reading:  John 16:16-33

Focus Verse: John 16:33 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Jesus has just told His disciples about the suffering He will go through, but at the end of that suffering there will be great joy when they see what was accomplished.  We know that the whole world has an opportunity to be saved for all eternity because of Jesus' suffering.

Jesus tells us that we also will have suffering and problems on this earth.  We may go through sickness in our bodies.  Our houses have problems and need repair.  We may have broken relationships with our neighbor.  The list is long of the problems that we experience in this world.  Even though this world was created perfect with no problems, sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden then our problems started.  So we have nobody to blame but ourselves.   

 

It seems like every year that goes by the world is in a bigger mess than the year before.  This makes me look forward to heaven even more.  This world with all its problems is not my home.  This world will always disappoint us.  And there is no political government that can fix all these problems.  Only God can fix this world and He will do it one day.  But while we are still here God has a purpose for us to do, and that is to tell others to get ready for Jesus' return.  Jesus is coming back.  He made that promise to His disciples over two thousand years ago.  

 

Let us live in such a way that we will be ready for His return at any moment.  If you are not ready for His return, put your faith and trust in Him today.  We have God’s promise that our sadness will be turned to joy.

Bobby Johnson

Interlocking Ministries

Distraction of Contempt vs. Thanksgiving

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5

Focus verse: "Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt."  PSALM 123:3

 

What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. “Take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16). Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God. There are certain attitudes we should never dare to indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in God. Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what rules our lives.

Beware of “the cares of this world…” (Mark 4:19). They are the very things that produce the wrong attitudes in our soul. It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God. Refuse to be swamped by “the cares of this world.”

Another thing that distracts us is our passion for vindication. St. Augustine prayed, “O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.” Such a need for constant vindication destroys our soul’s faith in God. Don’t say, “I must explain myself,” or, “I must get people to understand.” Our Lord never explained anything— He left the misunderstandings or misconceptions of others to correct themselves.

When we discern that other people are not growing spiritually and allow that discernment to turn to criticism, we block our fellowship with God. God never gives us discernment so that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.

 

The above is written by Oswald Chambers in his book "My Utmost for His Highest".

 

I want to focus on Thanksgiving, the attitude that is the cure for contempt.

On this American holiday of Thanksgiving, we realize that being thankful is a good step away from contempt.  We must be aware of keeping our mind trained on heavenly attitudes as we go through life.  

 

We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.  "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."2 Corinthians 10:5

 

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

 

I will end this devotion with asking that you read again 1 Thessalonians 5.  We much give thanks in all things. 

 

~Page Johnson

Interlocking Ministries, Kenya