God Brings Purpose to Life

God Brings Purpose to Life

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

The next several weeks we are going to look into the book of Ecclesiastes. If you have ever read Ecclesiastes you know there is a theme that is talked about throughout the whole book.  Life is so empty when we seek happiness in riches, power, popularity, prestige, pleasure, and security.  

We think all these things will give us what we want, but in reality none of these things can bring lasting fulfillment in our lives.  How do I know this?  Because Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, had all of these things.  He had a temporary happiness.  He had money, and lots of it.  It is believed he had much more wealth than the richest person on earth today. He also had power because he was the king of Israel.  He had pleasures. He could have any beautiful woman he wanted. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived, yet gives us the contrast between a self-centered life of indulgence, with a life that is God-centered. 

Solomon comes to this conclusion at the end of his life; Life is empty and without purpose if you travel this life without God as the center.  God created you with a void in your life that cannot be filled with the things of this world.  That void can only be filled with God Himself.  Don’t come to the end of your life and say, “all is vanity, all of life is meaningless.  God can and will bring meaning and purpose into your life if you will let Him.  Next week we will continue to look into the book of Ecclesiastes and the life of King Solomon.  Hopefully we can learn from the life of Solomon and not make some of the same mistakes he did.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

God Will Triumph Over Evil

God Will Triumph Over Evil

Scripture Reading: Psalm 10:1-7

Focus Verse: 

Romans 8:28  says, “For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

It’s a question that I, and millions of people have asked.  Why doesn’t God do something when evil people prosper, and righteous people suffer?  We have all seen situations like this.  Perhaps where someone steals something and it looks like they never get caught.  We have also seen situations where a good upstanding Christian has gone through great suffering with no end in sight.   And we think, "Where is God in all of this?  Does God even care what is going on?  What is God thinking?"

The heart of an evil doer will one day be exposed.  A liter of paint will not be able to hide the evil heart.  It will come to light one day.  When God is silent He is giving opportunity for repentance, but the opportunity will pass and one day come to a close.  That is when judgment will come.   The Lord will say, “depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity." Luke 13:27   

Even those who have suffered for righteousness sake have been on the side of evil at one point in their lives.  The Bible says, “all have sinned.”  We were all guilty but now are cleansed in the blood of Jesus.  When going through suffering ultimately we must trust that God is sovereign and know that He is doing what is best.  “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.  God has a plan He is working out.  We can’t always see the end of that plan, but we must trust that it is good.  Jesus triumphed over our sin at the cross.

God always triumphs over evil in the end.  

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

 

Additional reading:

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10

My Determined Purpose

Scripture Reading: Romans 12

Focus Verses: Romans 12: 1-2 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

This past March we saw more than 800 people proclaim their new faith in Christ during a trip to Kenya.  We praise the Lord for touching their hearts.  News like this is a light in a very dark world.  I think Satan knows that his days are numbered, and he is doing everything he can to keep God's Kingdom from growing.  I believe there is only one way to live the Christian life during these times, and that is to be 100% sold out for Jesus, no turning back.  There are to many people living a half-way Christian life.  I was that way for 11 years after I got saved.  I took my faith for granted.  Then God showed me what I had been doing.  I committed my life to Him 100%.

If you continue living the Christian life half-way, please don't tell anyone that you are a Christian.  You heard me right, "please don't tell anyone you're a Christian".  Because if you call yourself a Christian and live like the world, then unsaved people will look at you and wonder why they would need Salvation.  There is no difference between you and the world.

The apostle Paul said that his determined purpose is to know Christ (see Philippians 3:10-14).  What is your determined purpose in life?  When you get up in the morning, what do you live for?  I know you may have your job to provide for your family, you may go to school, or you may take care of your children all day.  But you can do all those things with a Christlike attitude, and live in such a way that people will see Christ in you.  The only Jesus that most people in this world will ever see is the Jesus that is lived out in our lives.  Can you say with Paul, "My determined purpose in life is to know Him"?  I hope so.  Think of how God used Paul: many people were saved, many churches were started, he wrote a lot of the New Testament that we hold as the very inspired Word of God.  Yet Paul realized he had so much more to learn.  It's hard to believe that Paul had the same struggles and temptations that we face, but he did.  Therefore, how much more should we be saying  "I want to be more like Christ this year."  Read Romans 12 again.  Paul gives us some good advice on how to be more like Christ.  As we seek to know Him, we will be transformed. (changed)

Let it be our goal to have someone look at our life and say "if that's a Christian, then I want to follow Christ too."

~Bobby Johnson

Obeying God and Doing His Purpose

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 7:23-26

Focus Verse: Jeremiah 6:16  "This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

God's chosen people, Israel, had a challenge with being obedient.  We also have a hard time with our obedience to God.  We know the good path, but do not always take it.

I believe that every Christian has been given a purpose and a mission by God.  God has given us talent and gifts to fulfill that purpose.  Through our obedience in all areas of our lives we can fulfill that purpose and mission.  If we are disobedient we run the risk of the mission being given to someone else to fulfill.  If we repent, then God may choose to show mercy and give another chance, but we are not guaranteed a second chance at the mission.  God's work will be done, either by us or by someone else.  There have been people, churches, ministries, and nations that have missed out on a blessing because of disobedience. There are many Christians that will come to the end of life and say "I wonder what God could have done through me had I been obedient to Him?  That is a tragedy.

When I am standing at the crossroads and given the choice to do right or wrong, God can give me the strength to do what is right and follow the ancient path every time!  I pray that I remain faithful.  Our faithfulness is to the Glory of God.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

Jesus Cleans From The Inside

Jesus Cleans From The Inside

Scripture Reading:  Mark 7:1-23

Focus Verse: Jeremiah 17:9-10   "The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is?  But I know!  I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives.  I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve."

Most of us never think about how bad our heart is until we've done something wrong.  Jesus teaches us in Mark 7 that our defilement comes from within.  The Pharisees always talked about how righteous they were.  But Jesus could see right through them and knew how wicked their hearts were.  God sees our hearts too.  He knows the deepest secret motives of our hearts.  You can be sure that the sins listed in our passage, anyone of us are capable of committing.  Don't ever follow your heart.  It will take you down the wrong path every time. You must lead your heart.  Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do."

We must ask God to show us any wicked thing in our hearts and to cleans us.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us from all unrighteousness."  So today take a look at your heart.  Make things right with God and then teach others how to have a clean heart as well.

Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

The First Earthly Authority

Scripture reading:  Exodus 20:1-17

Focus verses: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: ³ “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”  Ephesians 6:1-3

We read in Exodus that God has given the ten commandments because the people needed to know what God requires.  It is impossible to live a perfect life, but it is good for Christians to strive to walk in righteousness.

God sets up the lines of authority.  God is to be our only god.  We are to have no other things that come before him.  He is our first authority.  He also tells us that our parents are the earthly authority for their children.  We are to obey our parents and honor them.  Parents have had more years of experience and wisdom.  This is increased greatly if the parents follow Christ and Godly wisdom.

Notice that the command to honor your parents doesn't end after you become an adult.  Notice also that the command doesn't say to honor them only if they believe in Christ.  Celebrate that this is for our own good, that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.  If you are a parent, you should not abuse your authority.  God warns, " And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." in Ephesians 6:4

What can you do today to show honor to your parents if they are still living?

~Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries

The Perfect Authority

Bible Reading: Genesis 3:1-5

Focus verse: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. "  Genesis 1:1

What do you think when you hear the word "Authority"?
There are police, Chiefs, Managers, Presidents, teachers, parents, and if you work, you might have a boss.  It is necessary that we have authority and follow it or else there would be chaos.  We don't always agree with them, we may not have voted for them, but we accept it.

When you are under someone's authority, you may feel like you struggle with your attitude toward their them.  You may even feel like rebelling.  But, how does it feel if you are the one in authority?  Suddenly, you want everyone to listen and follow you.  Which do you prefer?  We think that we have less freedom when we are under someone else's authority. 

Really?  That's what Eve thought in the Garden of Eden.  She was interested in getting out from under authority, but she had the best authority... God.  He was perfect, gave Adam and Eve everything they needed and allowed them to have such freedom in the Garden.  They were only forbidden to eat of the fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Lots of freedom.

Did Adam and Eve find more freedom or less freedom by disobeying their authority?  In looking for freedom, Eve found a burden of sin.  We all are under authority of someone, and the perfect authority is God.   We must choose to give ourselves over to God's authority if we want to be FREE.  Truly free.

Additional reading:

The authority of God 1) the one triune God . You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. - Nehemiah 9:6 NIV

"But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men." Acts 5:29

"Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ."  Colossians 2:8

 

Page Johnson
Interlocking Ministries