Bible Notes 2

Bible Notes 2 Faith: “Faith is holding on to the faithfulness of God and, as long as you do that, you cannot go wrong. Faith does not look at the difficulties. . . . Faith does not look at itself or at the person who is exercising it. Faith looks at God . . . . Faith is interested in God only, and it talks about God and it praises God and it extols the virtues of God. The measure of the strength of a man’s faith, always, is ultimately the measure of his knowledge of God. . . . He knows God so well that he can rest on the knowledge. And it is the prayers of such a man that are answered.” “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations” (Ps. 119:89-90). Live Christlike: Ephesians 5:1-14 The Bible instructs us: “Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us” (Eph. 5:2) and “Walk in wisdom” (Col. 4:5). I ask myself, “Does my walk reflect God’s love and wisdom?” Am I “pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy”? (James 3:17).For a Christlike walk, keep in step with Jesus. Do I have love, joy, and peace? Am I tranquil and strong? What do others see as I walk by? Is your life making a difference in the lives around you? Do others see Jesus in what you say and do? Ephesians 5:2 Walk in love, as Christ also had loved us. God's forgiveness: Luke 23:32-38 Because of our sin, we all played a part in putting Jesus to death. The good news is that God is gracious. He will forgive and remove the stain of sin and give us a second chance through His Son. Wisdom: 1 Kings 3:4-14 Keeping our love for Christ and His wisdom preeminent is a primary objective for those of us who want to live to satisfy God throughout the course of our life. A commitment to following the riches of God’s wisdom will enable us to avoid the drift that destroyed Solomon. Keep your heart in tune with God’s wisdom and obey His voice. That’s the way to finish well. Monitor your heart daily to avoid wandering from God's wisdom. God is Our Shepherd: John 10:1-4 “He Knows My Name,” reminds us that God knows our every thought, sees each tear that falls, and hears us when we call. We read in the gospel of John, “The sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name . . . . I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep” (John 10:3,14). For the One who made heaven and earth, knowing a few billion people is not a problem. God loves you immensely (John 3:16), He thinks about you all the time (Ps. 139:17-18), and He knows your name (John 10:3). God's Word:

2 Chronicles 34:14-21 In the Old Testament, we read of Judah’s epidemic of idolatry and its accompanying moral sickness. When the Word of God was rediscovered, King Josiah exclaimed, “Great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the Word of the Lord” (2 Chron. 34:21). Josiah understood the Scripture’s preventive cure for moral sickness. He began to apply its spiritual truths, and soon a revival swept the land that restored the nation’s spiritual health. When we neglect the reading of God’s Word, we invite spiritual illness. Let’s be sure to set aside time to absorb its life-giving message. The Bible is God’s prescription for the health of our soul. Sowing and Reaping Some mistakes you never stop paying for. Paul, in the bible said, “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). Our choices often have a reach and impact that we could never imagine. Thus the apostle’s words remind us to choose wisely. The choices we make today produce the consequences we reap tomorrow. It’s far better to avoid sin in the first place than to struggle to overcome its consequences. Lord, we need Your wisdom to help us make good choices, and forgiveness when we make bad choices. —Bill Crowder Surer than autumn’s harvests Are harvests of thought and deed; Like those that our hands have planted, The yield will be like the seed. One good reason for doing the right thing today is tomorrow. Looking Out For Others Philippians 2:3-8 In giving of ourselves, we manifest the essence of Jesus’ character, for it has always been His nature to think more about others than He thinks of Himself. Why else would He humble Himself and become “obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). Think of the best interests of others—their wants, their concerns, their needs. And so we must ask ourselves: Do we consider others’ interests more important than our own? Do we get as excited about what God is doing in and through them as we do about what He is doing in and through us? Do we long to see others grow in grace and gain recognition, though it may have been our efforts that made them successful? Do we find satisfaction in seeing our spiritual children surpass us in the work they are called to do? If so, such is the measurement of greatness. We are most like our Lord when our thoughts for ourselves are lost in our thoughts for others. There is no greater love than that (John 15:13). The more you love the Lord, the more you will love others. Rely on God Ephesians 3:14-21 “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (v.16). Instead of self-effort, Paul urged believers to find strength in “Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (v.20). We can do whatever God wants us to do if we depend on His power to do it. Jesus Died For Our Sins John 14:1-12 All of us are guilty before God. We are sinners and cannot help ourselves. Our sin had to be dealt with. Jesus, as God in the flesh, died to pay the penalty for our

sins and then rose from the dead. No other religious leader offers what Jesus provides in His victory over sin and death. The gospel of Christ is offensive to some, but it is the wonderful truth that God loves us enough to come and take care of our biggest problem—sin. And as long as sin is the problem, the world needs Jesus! Believe in Jesus Romans 10:1-13 Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Jesus is sinless and perfect in every way. Pilate said of Him, "I have found no fault in this Man" (Luke 23:14). And Jesus did what no one else could do—He suffered death on a cross to provide salvation for all who believe in Him. That makes it tough for someone to say, "I’m not going to become a Christian because I don’t like what Jesus did." Romans 10:13 "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved". Don’t get sidetracked by looking at the faults of others. Look to Jesus. He alone is the way to heaven. There is no excuse for saying "No" to Christ. He is the Way, the Truth, the Life— That One whose name is Jesus;There is no other name on earth That has the power to save us. Growing in Jesus Philippians 3:20–4:1 David said: "I have been young, and now am old" (Ps. 37:25). No matter where we are on the heavenward pilgrimage, if we are walking with Jesus we can rejoice. And since we know that our faithful Father will abide with us till our journey on earth is over, we can actually be thankful for the lengthening shadows and the setting sun. To live is Christ; to die is gain - The apostle Paul. The Winning Side Colossians 2:6-15 The Bible clearly acknowledges the presence of invisible but veryreal spiritual beings, or powers. In Ephesians 6:11-12, Paul declaredthat our primary warfare is against an army of rebellious angels headedby Satan. The bad news is that they are more intelligent and powerfulthan we are. The good news is that Jesus defeated them by His death onthe cross: "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a publicspectacle of them, triumphing over them" (Col. 2:15). There are many things beyond our control, but we need not fear. We who have placed our trust in Jesus are on the winning side.