The constant battle of the “good angel” on one shoulder vs. the “evil angel” on the other is portrayed as the battle each Christian faces in the midst of daily life. Choices arise every day testing our beliefs and some of those choices challenge us more than others.
How should we handle the choices of good and evil?
The answer is simple but the actions are hard.
We should all put the evil out of our lives in order to serve the Almighty God, but the practical application might not be an easy one. Each person has desires and emotions towards things we may know are wrong but we wish to hang onto those a little longer.
God, knowing the deeds and thoughts of man, instructed the Israelites in the Old Testament to purge the evil from the camp. Consider these verse in your study – Deuteronomy 13.5; Deuteronomy 17.7; Deuteronomy 17.12; Deuteronomy 19.13; Deuteronomy 19.19; Deuteronomy 21.9; Deuteronomy 21.21; Deuteronomy 21.22; Deuteronomy 22.24; Deuteronomy 24.7
At least 11 times in the book of Deuteronomy, God wants the Israelites to purge the evil from their midst.
Looking at the above from a historical point, one can see how the relationship the Israelites had with God grew powerful when they listened to His words, then grew apart when the Israelites did not heed the words of God.
As the creator and provider for mankind, God knows and has seen man struggle with the battle of good and evil on a daily basis, hence God’s words to mankind to “purge the evil” from the midst. God wants the best for man so He provided words to hear.
The apostle Paul understood the influence of one person on the congregation of the saints. When dealing with a continual immoral-living person, Paul speaks of their influence when he says, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Corinthians 5.6; ESV). Paul knew that even one person’s example affects the whole group.
As Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 5, he says the leaven must be cleansed. Each person reading this understands that the evil must be purged from the group, because of the influence which will rub off on one another.
While one today may think Paul’s statement to be harsh, the history of purging evil goes back to the Old Law.
When evil is not purged from our lives, we become calloused to the emotions we once felt. To give you a modern day example, several years ago the hit television show, “Leave it to Beaver” was censored for showing a bathroom. Have you seen something worse than a bathroom on television today? Has our viewing of television calloused us to the things of the world once thought of as being appalling?
What do you need to purge from your life? What influences are not what the Lord wants?
Just some thoughts,
Can you believe it is already March of 2019? It is hard to believe that we have already seen two months pass by this year. Time is sure moving faster. (By the way, time stays the same, we just miss it because we get so busy.)
How are you doing on your spiritual goals?
Some people set spiritual goals at the beginning of the year, were you one of them? If so, how much progress are you making towards your spiritual success?
Whether you are making progress or you simply need a reset, allow me to offer a few suggestions to get you back on track for this year. Below are a few simple suggestions to help you continue on the track of spiritual success. Take a moment and see which one will help you.
A Proverb a Day – Did you know that Proverbs has 31 chapters and several months have a total of 31 days? Take time and read a chapter of proverbs a day. (Example: on day 1 read Proverbs 1; day 2 read Proverbs 2)
Make Service A Priority – To really grow as a Christian, you will find that attending services will help you grow in two ways: (1) Closer to God and (2) closer to your brothers and sisters. The Hebrews writer says that brethren can “stir up one another.” (Hebrews 10:24)
Pray like Daniel – Reading through Daniel, you find that Daniel prayed three times a day (Daniel 6:10). As a result of his prayer life, you see the benefits of strength. Schedule sometime to pray at least twice a day and make it a goal to achieve at least three.
Teach the Young Ones – From the beginning, the Lord wants us to teach the young people about Him and the riches of His blessings. Teaching the young of the blessings, begins in our daily conversations. Take a moment and read Deuteronomy 6:1- 9. Make it a goal to mention God daily.
Remember to Teach Others – One of the goals for every Christians should be to teach others the lifestyle of Christ. Paul mentions to Titus that the younger should teach the older in Titus 2 and this is a great pattern to learn about the walk of a mature Christian.
Be Thankful – As the Lord blesses us each day, let us thank Him for His continual blessings. The blessings we have come from the Father (James 1.5). Remember to thank God daily in everything He has provided. (Colossians 3:17)
What other suggestions would you add to the list?
Just some thoughts,
The poem below was discovered in the collections of Fannie Crosby. You may know Fannie Crosby through various songs in many songbooks, but here is a poem she wrote regarding an “Unanswered Prayer.”
“For What His Love Denies.”
God does not give me all I ask,
Nor answer as I pray;
But, O, my cup is brimming o’er
With blessings day by day.
How oft the joy I thought withheld
Delights my longing eyes,
And so I thank Him from my heart
For what His love denies.
Sometimes I miss a treasured link
In friendship’s hallowed chain,
And yet His smile is my reward
For every throb of pain.
I look beyond, where purer joys
Delight my longing eyes;
And so I thank Him from my heart
For what His love denies.
How tenderly He leadeth me
When earthly hopes are dim;
And when I falter by the way,
He bids me lean on Him.
He lifts my soul above the clouds
Where friendship never dies;
And so I thank Him from my heart
For what His love denies.
—Fanny Crosby, Jan. 6, 1899
Just some thoughts,
Moving is a mixed bag of emotions. When you begin to move, you begin taking an inventory of everything you own as you pack them into boxes. If you have ever moved once, you understand what it is like to find things you forgot you owned and find things you never knew you had.
Beyond the boxes, are the small, but important technical details like changing phone services, hooking up utilities, changing insurance and a variety of other things. Throughout the moving process one of those things you cannot forget is to leave a forwarding address.
A forwarding address makes sure that your mail will arrive at the right house, but it also is for others to know where to contact you. Leaving a forwarding address is a key for many people because they want to be sure people know where they are so they will be able to have them visit and stay in contact.
While we are packing, moving and settling in to our home, the preaching mind I have could not let it pass without thinking, “Where is our spiritual forwarding address?”
Do your family and friends know where you are going?
The Bible speaks of our citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3:20). I believe it is this reason that Paul encourages Christians to set their minds on things above and not on this Earth (Colossians 3:2).
Even Jesus left his followers a forwarding address of sorts,
“Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe on God, believe also on me. In my Father’s house there are many abodes; were it not so, I had told you: for I go to prepare you a place; and if I go and shall prepare you a place, I am coming again and shall receive you to myself, that where I am ye also may be.
“And ye know where I go, and ye know the way. Thomas says to him, Lord, we know not where thou goest, and how can we know the way? Jesus says to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father unless by me.”
(John 14:1-6; ESV)
Does your family know your spiritual forwarding address?
How about your friends?
Just some thoughts,
Alzheimer’s has robbed Michael Joyce of his memory, so he forgot he’s married to his wife of 38 years.
Uniquely, he knows he loves her, so he asked her to marry him. Linda agreed, thinking he would soon forget, but he didn’t. The next morning the 68-year-old Michael asked, “When are we doing this?” That question began the process of putting together a plan for the married couple which live together in Frankton, New Zealand, to once again wed.
Michael woke up on their wedding day and proclaimed, “Today’s the day!”
They exchanged vows at a scenic lake near their home on January 20, 2018 with friends and family gathered to support them. The 64-year-old wife/bride wrote, “Amidst the often sad and frustrating times living with Alzheimer’s… there is joy!”* The resilience of love has a way of pleasantly surprising us.
Love is more than just a feeling, it is actions founded upon the commitment one has for another. The original language of the Bible uses different words for love. Each word has their own meaning and their own purpose.
In the marriage relationship, the commitment one has for the others is shown, not just in the word, “love” but in the actions shown. Those actions consist of honor, respect, commitment, protection and grace. Take a moment and read through Ephesians 5.21-33 and notices the actions of love between husbands and wives.
Further, notice how the love of a husband and wife is compared to Christ and the church.
Just a thought,
*Source: Beaumont Enterprise, 1/26/18
