Seeing The Invisible

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

Focus Verse: 2 Corinthians 4:18 "So we don’t spend all our time looking at what we can see. Instead, we look at what we can’t see. What can be seen lasts only a short time. But what can’t be seen will last forever."

We have all come to points in our lives where we feel like giving up and quitting.  I think it is during those times that we get too focused on the things that are seen.  Maybe our job is not going well, or you are having trouble with your grades in school.  Maybe there are issues in your marriage. In 2 Corinthians, Paul talks a lot about an inner strength that we can call on from the Holy Spirit.  Remember it is only through our weakness that God can be made strong in our lives.

Our ultimate hope during times of trouble or discouragement is the realization that this life is not all that there is.  We have life after death. Knowing that we will live in a place with God forever where there is no more sin, no more trouble, no more problems should give us great encouragement.  So let us not forget all that is waiting for us that we cannot see right now.  It is "earning for us a glory that will last forever."

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Someone's Watching You

Someone's Watching You

Scripture Reading:  Psalm 139

Focus Verse: Psalm 139:1  "O Lord You have examined my heart and know everything about me."

Recently governments around the world have been accused of keeping too much personal information on computers about its citizens.  People are saying this is an invasion of privacy.  We should not forget that God is keeping detailed information on each one of us.  He is keeping much more information about us than any government could keep.  God knows more about you than you know about yourself.

Hebrews 4:13 says,  "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight .  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."  It amazes me that God knows all my shortcoming, my weaknesses, my sins, and all the things I thought were hidden from everyone, yet He loves me.  God desires to forgive me and help me overcome them in order to live a life more like His Son, Jesus.

Those of us who have repented and follow Christ have reason to rejoice.  Jesus has removed all these things from us just as if we never did them.  2 Corinthians 5:19 says, "For God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them."  This is the wonderful message He has given us to tell others.  We have hope today because the One that is watching us is also the One forgiving us, as we place our trust in Him.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Who Will Teach Them?

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Focus Verses:  “Samuel continued as judge over Israel all the days of his life. From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places” (1 Samuel 7:15–16). “But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice” (1Samuel 8:3).

Samuel was a judge over Israel and kept busy traveling and working.  The work he did was good.  Although he served God, he neglected his sons.  When he appointed them to be judges too, they weren't ready to withstand the temptations.  In the end, they were a shame unto him and caused the people to reject God as King.

It will be especially easy for those in ministry to be obsessed with their work and even with what God is doing.  Please, when you are home, be a father or be a mother.  Invest in your kids' lives and minister to them.  They need to know you care about them.  They need to know that they can trust God.  They need to know why they should obey God.

Deut. 6:7 says, "You shall teach them (God's commands) diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Near to God

Bible Reading: Psalm 34:17-22

Focus verse: Psalm 34:18  "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite (or crushed) spirit."

Did you ever wonder if God is near or far?  If you are struggling in your life, you need to understand that everyone struggles.  Even if you do good and right, you will still have troubles in this world. 

The key is to know that you don't have to struggle alone.  God hears those who call out to Him.  He is close to those whose hearts have been broken.  He saves those who's spirits are crushed.  If you serve the Lord, he will set you free.  Run to God and He will be near to you.

~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Partial Obedience

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.

The Bible clearly tells us the things that we should do.  We may try to think in our own minds why we should not obey God completely, but only part of it.  You become an enemy of your own self when you talk yourself out of obeying God.   You 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 no longer desiring, but still 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

Fear God With a Fear that Keeps You Close

Bible Reading: Psalm 76

Memory verse: Psalm 111:10  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and they who live by it grow in understanding..."
 
Fear God.  Some people struggle with that, but knowing His power, I fear.   Fear is what brings us to understand that we need a Savior.

Romans 3:23 tells us that we have fallen short of God's standard with our sin.
Romans 6:23 says that God's price for our sin is death.
Jesus paid that price (Romans 5:8) with His death on the cross and resurrection.
John 3:16 tells us that God loved us enough to send His Son Jesus so that if you CHOOSE to believe and follow Him then your soul will not perish, but have eternal life after the earthly death.   What will you choose?

Those who never choose to follow Him, should fear for their eternal judgement. But knowing His love, I have joined Him, love Him, accepted Jesus as my Savior and will follow Him.   Fear... respect... adore... worship... reverence... honor... glory... fear.  Yes, fear. Not a fear that keeps me away, but a fear that keeps me CLOSE to Him in obedience and trust.   I have begun to appreciate the kindness of God, but the also the fact that He is Just and He will rebuke and discipline when we sin.  There comes an earthly consequence to sin even as there is still eternal life for the believer.  We will strive to please Him, and when we fail, we should quickly return to Him in repentance.  Do not give up or lose heart.

~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

More verses to meditate on today:
Prov 8:13 (NIV) "To fear the Lord is to hate evil."
Prov 19:23 (NEB) "The fear of the Lord is life; he who is full of it will rest untouched by evil."
Prov 16:6 (NEB) ...the fear of the Lord makes men turn from evil.
Job 28:28 (NEB) ..."The fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to turn from evil is understanding."

Our Last Test

Scripture Reading: Titus 2:11-15

Focus Verses: Mark 13:32-33
 "No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son Himself. Only the Father knows.  And since you don't know when they will happen, stay alert and keep watch."

When you were in school you had to take test.  Tests were given so that the teacher could see how well you studied the material.  Many times I knew well in advance when the test would be, but I would wait until the last day to study.  Our human nature is to put off until tomorrow what we should prepare for today.

The Bible tells us there is a test coming that all humanity will face.  Hebrews 9:27 says, "And it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment."  One day Jesus is coming back to the earth to judge, and to set up His earthly kingdom. Many people have heard that this event will happen one day, but have delayed in preparing for it.  The Bible says "broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many will go that way.  There are also many Christians that will be unprepared for that day.  They are failing to live in such a way that will result in rewards for their faithfulness.

If you have never accepted Christ as Lord and Savior in your life, so do today.  You don't want to be unprepared on that final day.  This is one test you want to make sure you are prepared for.  If you are prepared, let's give a warning to as many people as we can that there is still time today to prepare for this final test.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries