Do you accurately teach and obey the Bible to please God?

 22 May 26

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One


Readings:

1 Chronicles 6

1 Chronicles 7

John 8:21-36


This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17). 


Do you accurately teach and obey the Bible to please God?


Jesus is the greatest Bible teacher who ever lived. Even those from His hometown of Nazareth acknowledge His ability. Luke records, “So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words” (Luke 4:22). After Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount comes another stellar report. Matthew shares, “that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29). Unlike the scribes who quoted from other so-called authorities when they teach, Jesus speaks the very Word of God. He Himself claims, “But as My Father taught Me, I speak these things” (John 8:28). He derives His Bible lessons from the Father. Jesus then adds, “For I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29). 


Employment Point: Please God by accurately teaching and obeying His Word.

——————-

Reflections

“So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” Even as he spoke, many believed in him.”John‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • Jesus has implicitly said that He comes with authority, the authority from on high and the Father is with Him all the time. 
  • Just imagine having Jesus just next to us (which is a reality by the way), and that He will always guide us and loves us, never leaving us nor forsaking us. We already have the direct access to the Father. 


“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”John‬ ‭8‬:‭36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  • I believe this is not about slavery literally. But we are free from our sins because Jesus saved us with His blood. The Son sets us free and therefore we are free. If we are not a believer of the Truth, we will still be slave under sin (devil’s) and lead the aimless life. Jesus came and become our beacon of light. He guides us through the Holy Spirit on the right paths for His name sake.

——————-

Now This Explains It

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

May 22


. . . that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us.— John 17:21


If you are walking a lonely path just now, read John 17. It explains exactly why you are where you are: Jesus has prayed that you may be one with him, as he is one with the Father. Jesus isn’t leaving you all alone; he is getting you alone with him, so that his prayer for oneness might be answered. Are you helping God to answer Jesus’s prayer? Or do you have some other goal for your life? Since you became a disciple, you cannot be as independent as you used to be.


Some of us think God’s entire purpose is to answer our prayers. But there is only one prayer that God must answer, and that is the prayer of Jesus: “. . . that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” Are you this intimate with Jesus?


God isn’t concerned about our plans. He doesn’t say, “Do you want to go through this trial? Do you want to suffer this loss?” He allows things to happen to us for his own purposes. Either the things we go through make us sweeter, better, and nobler, or they make us more critical and fault-finding, more insistent on having our own way. Either trials and difficulties make us fiends, or they make us saints; it depends entirely on our relationship with God. If our relationship to him is one in which we always say, “Your will be done,” then we will have the consolation of John 17. We will know that our Father is working according to his wisdom and toward his ends, and this will prevent us from becoming mean and cynical.


Jesus has prayed for nothing less than absolute oneness with him. Some of us are far from this state of oneness, but we can be sure that, because Jesus has prayed that it may be so, God won’t leave us alone until it is.


1 Chronicles 16-18; John 7:28-53


WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The fiery furnaces are there by God’s direct permission. It is misleading to imagine that we are developed in spite of our circumstances; we are developed because of them. It is mastery in circumstances that is needed, not mastery over them.

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Reflections

The thought of oneness with Jesus is an amazing one. Just imagine because Jesus and the Father are one, He knows all things and is thus willing to do all things as commanded by the Father. He no longer doubt or ask if it should be done. Because if it came from the Father, it is a must-do. No need to second guess.


For me, I believe that if we are one with Jesus, we are in Him and He is in us, the relationship will be the same as that of Jesus and the Father. The life we live will no longer be the same anymore for we only seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. We hear only God’s words and commands and not the worldly ones. Our direction will be crystal clear and we will also have no problems obeying, because we know that it came from Him. There will be no confusion, just obedience and trust.


So maybe the question we need to ask ourselves is how far are we from this state of living in Christ? Are we still striving to survive in the world, chasing after deadlines or people or things that do not give us eternal treasure? Perhaps this is the question we ought to ask whenever we want to embark on something new. And also to ask the Lord, is this Your will?


We ought to be super sure if we want to run forward, else we risk having run ahead of Jesus and that is going to cause problems. The usual step is the Lord goes ahead of us to prepare. If we run too fast, we lack that preparation that we don’t know we needed. So we also need patience and self-control as we wait. Like the Israelites who waited till the cloud was lifted in order to move so we too, should wait for His command before we move any where else. If He didn’t say anything, then it should be status quo.


Let’s pray:


Father thank You that You and us are one, and that You will come after even the one that strays, that You leave no one behind, giving everyone chances to come to know You personally. Lord I pray for all of our friends and family members who have yet to know You. May You help open their hearts to You and be ready to receive You into their lives as their eternal saviour and Lord. All praise and thanks be to You Father! In Jesus’s name, Amen 🙏🏻 

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