"Word of God Speak"

March 24, 2014 (Joshua 18-20; 1 Corinthians 9)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:25 NLT

Observation: Paul let the Corinthians know how easy it was to follow Christ. He told them all they had to do was believe in Christ and nothing more. He let them know nothing was expected from them and they could just repeat a prayer after him and relax. NOT, quite the opposite in fact! Paul told the Corinthian believers that they needed to train like an athlete trying to win a race. Self-discipline was not merely a suggestion; it was an absolute requirement if one really wanted to win. He instructed them to run with a purpose and to train with a personal intention to win. Even though this is a spiritual race, Paul said he disciplined his body like an athlete training it to do what it should. Paul knew that his physical body needed to produce the proper fruit, revealing that his spirit was being properly trained.

Application: Many books and speakers try to guide wandering souls to self-fulfillment, self-satisfaction, and self-awareness, but few tackle the subject of self-discipline. Self-discipline requires an honest look at your strengths and weaknesses, with an emphasis on the weaknesses part. Self-discipline trains and equips a person to say no when a powerful appetite from within screams yes! Self-discipline is a long steady course in learning attitudes that do not come naturally. Self-discipline causes us to conquer our natural appetites and submit to God’s will completely. The absence of self-discipline has led many people down roads of sin they never intended to travel. Those that are successful have paid the price of self-discipline and understand the great benefits it produces.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me! I desire to be self-disciplined, but fail often. Quicken my spirit and strengthen my soul to discipline myself for Your glory. Help me understand how to train. Show me how to begin today! Thank You for Your mercy, grace, and patience that provides, protects, and sustains me every day, in Jesus name, Amen!

March 22, 2014 (Joshua 12-14; 1 Corinthians 7)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you to live in peace.” 1 Corinthians 7:15 NLT

Observation: With all the sexual immorality that was taking place in Corinth Paul was forced to address the many problems it caused. No doubt sexual sin had led some folks into marriages that God never ordained. Unplanned pregnancy or simply the guilt of having sex out of wedlock led some people to enter into marriage unaware of how difficult it would become in the future. If God doesn’t put the relationship together it will be very difficult to ever make it work. Yet what God has joined together let not man put asunder. Paul was not encouraging divorce, he was warning of the difficulty marriage brings. A couple properly brought together by God will become an unstoppable team for His glory, yet a mismatched couple constantly fighting will tear each other down. When two Christians are bound together by God in the Holy bounds of matrimony they have a responsibility to submit to God and each other. This submission, in this order, will provide a stable foundation for a lasting marriage that pleases God.

Application: The Bible teaches us not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers; I believe this is true in marriage as well. If two people are not on the same page spiritually, they will hardly stay on the same page physically. Adultery is the leading cause of divorce in America. Amazingly, adultery is also the leading cause of divorce among church people. It seems far too many people are entering into marriage with a divorce in mind right from the start. This should not be so among Christians. Christians should earnestly pray and seek God for the mate He has chosen for them. Patiently wait on the Lord to provide you with the very best, don’t settle for less to fulfill a present pressing desire. If you’re single be happy in the Lord. Serve Him with all your might and He will give you the desires of your heart. Stop focusing on what you don’t have and look at all you do have. It’s better to serve God as a single person than to struggle with the hardships of an ungodly union that draws you away from His presence.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for the godly spouse You have given me. Thank You for the union You’ve created in Dawn and me. Truly You have ordained our marriage and have blessed us immensely. You have placed us together as help mates for one another and filled our hearts with love and desire for each other. Protect our marriage and keep our desire for each other strong. Use our marriage to glorify Your name, in Jesus name, Amen!

March 21, 2014 (Joshua 9-11; 1 Corinthians 6)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

Observation: It was necessary for Paul to address the issue of sexual sin with the Corinthian church because of all the sexual immorality that was being accepted by the culture around them. The temple of the love goddess Aphrodite was in Corinth and employed more than a thousand prostitutes used for sex during worship. Because this type worship was accepted by the culture it was creeping into the church. Paul clearly stated that Christians are to have no part in sexual immorality, even if it is acceptable and popular in the culture. Christians are to be “set apart” and separated from such twisted ideals. The temple of the Holy Spirit is the believer’s body. This is where God dwells and lives! A true Christian understands they do not belong to themselves and knows God paid a very high price for them.

Application: The thought of prostitutes being used during a temple worship service baffles me. Even more baffling is the temple employing them! How could a culture become so corrupt that this type behavior would be tolerated, must less accepted and practiced! Yet, when we step back and take a look at our culture today we see a similarly corrupted reality. Who would have ever imagined the church employing homosexual pastors? Who would have ever thought the church would openly accept what God is disgusted by? Who would have thought that sexual sin would be tolerated by the church and even encouraged in a lot of ways? Yet here we are. And the consequences are extremely harmful and deadly. Because sexual sins have been allowed to thrive in the church many lives have been harmed and many souls dammed to an eternal hell. The Christians body was not made for sexual immorality; God bought the Christian and paid the ultimate price.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for Your mercy and grace that provide and protect me every day. Thank You for Your great patience with us! Deliver us from ourselves! Teach us who we belong too. Keep us from anything not pleasing to You, in Jesus name, Amen!

March 20, 2014 (Joshua 7-8; Psalm 69; 1 Corinthians 5)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man in the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 5:3-4 NLT

Observation: Paul could hardly believe the report he was hearing about the sin taking place in the Corinthian church. A member was having an affair with his stepmother and this behavior was being openly accepted and tolerated! Paul wasted no time passing a righteous judgment on this man, and the church people, addressing the issue of sin head on. He reprimanded the people and told them their pride should be turned into sorrow and shame, and this man should be removed from the church. He was not to be removed out of revenge or hate, but rather because of the great love for his soul. He needed the people of the congregation to serve him in a manner that would lead him to repentance, not acceptance. Notice also that the church people did not rebuke Paul and tell him “he was not their judge” or “Only God can judge me”. No they submitted to the authority given Paul by the Lord Jesus Christ and removed this shame from His assembly.

Application: We live in a society that firmly believes no one can judge them. There is no longer a clear right and wrong, only gray. If it is openly accepted by the culture then it should be tolerated by the church is the prevailing thought. In the world these things may be, but let it not be so in the church. The Assembly of God’s people should be separated from the world and be different. The church submits to the authority of Christ and operates according to His righteous standards. The church is no place for sin to reign; it is a place where sins are washed away. Imagine what rebuke Paul would administer to the church world today! My friends it would be the same rebuke he administered to the Corinthian church. Paul would pass a righteous judgment on these detestable sins and demand they be removed from the fellowship. People desperately need the church to serve them in this righteous way in our day. The only hope for people that openly sin and refuse to repent is for them to be handed over to satan so that their sinful nature will be exposed, realized and destroyed. The eternal destiny of their soul is at risk and our acceptance and tolerance of their sin only catapults them toward an eternal hell.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us! Too many churches have accepted and tolerated sin openly. Help us understand the importance of purity in Your church. Teach us to be strong and courageous and stand up for what You say is right. Clear the clutter of our minds and empower us to live in a manner that pleases You. In Jesus name, Amen!

March 16, 2014 (Deuteronomy 30-31; Psalm 40; 1 Corinthians 1)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for The Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT

Observation: Moses gave God’s rebellious people final instructions before they crossed over the Jordan River to occupy the land God was giving them. Moses made his instructions clear and carefully repeated how important it was to keep God’s commands. He clearly told the people there would be blessings galore if they kept God’s commands and there would also come curses if they rebelled against Him. He encouraged the people to remain faithful and obedient and assured them if they did God would personally go ahead of them, be with them and would not fail nor abandon them. The key to receiving this wonderful promise of God’s continual presence was their faithfulness and obedience. Moses told the people what they needed to hear in-spite of knowing how rebellious and stubborn they were. Moses knew while he was alive they had rebelled against God and that they would surely forget God’s commands and rebel once again once they tasted victory in the Promised Land.

Application: “God will never leave you nor forsake you” one of the most quoted scriptures of all time. Yet I’m afraid we’ve taken what we like from that passage and left the truth behind. Moses told the children of Israel that God would never leave them nor forsake them as long as they kept His word. As long as they were walking in the beauty of His light they could be confident that God would surely be with them and fight for them. Yet God Himself told Moses (Deuteronomy 31:17) He “would” forsake them and turn His face from them because of their rebellion against Him. God Himself would not only abandon them and turn His face from them, but He would cause them to be consumed and devoured! He would bring on them terrible trouble so that their sins of disobedience would be revealed to them. When they experienced terrible troubles they would understand God was no longer with them and would understand why. In God’s mercy He gave Moses a song to give them that would lead them back to repentance.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your wonderful word that is just and true. I’m so thankful Your actions are righteous and Your ways are amazing. No matter the storm we may face if we walk in Your ways You will never leave us nor forsake us. Help me Lord; keep my feet firmly planted along the path You have chosen for me to walk. In Jesus name, Amen!

March 14, 2014 (Deuteronomy 25-27; Galatians 5)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,  idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

Observation: False teachers had crept in and were leading the Galatians astray. Paul had to courageously stand up against these false teachers because he loved the Galatians far too much to see them be so easily deceived. Yet he didn’t change his message to them, or soften his approach. He plainly instructed the Galatians in the ways of the Lord. Paul drew an obvious and distinct line in the sand clearly showing the difference between how folks that are saved conduct themselves, versus those that clearly had not been transformed. Any person could easily recognize a child of God by the fruit they were producing. Paul was obviously not trying to win the people’s approval when he said, “that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” He did not excuse, or justify, their sins. In fact he told them that those that belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to the cross of Christ and crucified them there. He fully expected a “Christian” to be different than the world.

Application: Where are the men of God like Paul in our day? Why have we allowed false doctrine to creep into the church and distort the views of so many? How can we claim to love our brothers and sisters and then stand by and watch them travel a path that leads to hell and never say a word to them? Could it be because the one we care most about is us? The word of God clearly teaches us that all who live lives of sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Yet the church is full of lives being lived in this sinful manner with not so much as even a verbal warning being given! Because Pastoring has become a labor of income, rather than a labor of love, we cowardly say nothing and allow the sin to rein openly! This should not be! Surely God is not well pleased with this! It’s time we begin to preach repentance and the crucifying of the sinful nature once again because of our great love for the souls of men!

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for the opportunity to serve in Your Kingdom. Let the ministry You’ve given me always be a labor of love and never become centered on my wants, needs, or desires. Empower me to preach Your word with boldness from a heart filled with love for others. Teach me to courageously stand up for what Your word proclaims regardless of the consequences I may face. In Jesus name, Amen!

March 13, 2014 (Deuteronomy 22-24; Galatians 4)

From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:

Scripture: “The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of His promise.” Galatians 4:23 NLT

Observation: Paul is using the example of Sarah and Hagar to show the Galatians the difference between faith in Christ and the Law. Though the Law was given by God it was never intended to be our salvation. The sinfulness of mankind has always been exposed to God’s eyes, but the Law was given so that mankind could understand their own sinful state. The fact that humans struggle to keep the Law of God and fail, is just more proof of our sinful condition. Many well intended people in Paul’s day insisted that the Law of Moses must be followed and could not be ignored. While that is somewhat true they took it a step too far. They were teaching the Galatians that they could earn their salvation by keeping the Law instead of using the Law to reveal man’s sinful condition and reveal our great need for Christ. Only through faith in Christ will we be reconciled to God. Our great works, nor our keeping of the Law will ever save us. We must accept and receive the salvation that comes from God’s fulfillment of His promise.

Application: Have you ever grew tired of waiting on God to fulfill His promise? Have you ever taken steps to “help” God out? Sarah and Abraham experienced this type situation long ago. God had promised to bless Abraham’s seed and make his people as numerous as the stars in the sky, yet God wasn’t moving fast enough for Abraham and Sarah. So Sarah decides to help God out by giving Abraham a slave named Hagar to sleep with to produce a son. Well her plan worked, partly. Abraham did have a son with Hagar, but then along came the promise of God and the real problems started. Once the promise of God was fulfilled Sarah’s decision to give Hagar to Abraham wasn’t settling too well. Jealousy reared its ugly head and Hagar and Isaac had to go! It would have been much better for many people if Abraham and Sarah had waited patiently on the Lord to fulfill His promise. If you find yourself in a situation where you know God has promised, but He has not yet fulfilled His promise, wait patiently on Him, He will not disappoint.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your promises. Thank You for keeping Your promise to send a deliverer for all mankind. Help me to patiently wait on You to fulfill Your promises You’ve made to me. Protect me from myself. Keep me from “helping” you and teach me to accept Your help. In Jesus name, Amen!