PersistFaithfully...Getting Through Wednesday
Depending on who you believe, some researchers say that Wednesday is the most difficult day of the week. So here we are, Wednesday, hump day, the middle of most of our working week, and possibly your most difficult day and a good time to remember how important it is to persist faithfully in your Christian walk.
It is possible that the effects of Monday and Tuesday have made the boost you received on Sunday feel like a distant memory at this point in your week.
Traditionally, Wednesday is a time that many churches return for a service, a rejuvenation, to make it through the remainder of the week.
If your church, as with many others, no longer provides a Wednesday night service this is a great time to spend time with other believers so that you can become iron sharpened.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17”
This is a perfect time to spend time in a small group, a men’s or women’s group, with your spouse, or maybe with just God alone.
It is easy to fall prey to the temptations of this world, and even easier if you allow yourself to be pushed further and further away from that Sunday feeling.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9”
LoveHonestly...The Definition
The 4th definition in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary for love is probably the best usage for biblical love for one another.
It states love is…
unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another: such as (1): the fatherly concern of God for humankind (2) : brotherly concern for others
Unselfish and benevolent concern for the good of another or the desire for the best for someone else.
The most benevolent concern a Christian can have for another is the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ, therefore, the love of another from a Christian must balance with biblical truth.
Secular society through moral relativism has forced the idea that to love someone you must agree and confirm everything they are about.
This kind of love cannot coexist with biblically based love because there are times people do things that do not meet biblical morals.
That doesn’t mean that love is not present.
In John 13:34-35 Jesus said…
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Throughout the Gospels Jesus points to the morals of the Old Testament and commanded us to follow them.
In Matthew 4:17, He commanded us to repent, in Matthew 4:19, He commanded us to follow Him, in Matthew 5:27-30, He commanded us not to lust, and in Matthew 28:19-20, He commanded us to make disciples.
He commanded us to love, but to do it honestly and we cannot love honestly if we justify sin.
TheVeracity...Literal Days
In Genesis 1:1 through Genesis 2:3 God creates the world in 6 days, on the 7th He rested.
Over the years secular beliefs and supposed scientific discovery has worked its way into how Christians read these verses and have affected the veracity of the Bible.
Is it six literal 24-hour days or is it allegorical? Are those days actually a thousand years each?
In Gen 1:3 it says…
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
In these verses God established what a 24 hours day is. The Hebrew word Yowm is used to show this first established 24-hour day.
The word Yowm is used through Genesis 1 as each day of creation is described which means the intent was six literal 24-hour days.
For some reason people look at this literal six day creation and find it illogical.
First of all, if God can create everything from nothing He doesn’t need a lot of time to accomplish this goal. And, He didn’t have to wait on the approval of permits that take time due to government bureaucracy and He didn’t have to take the time to search Angie’s list to find a good contractor. He spoke it and it was. Thinking that God would need long periods of time to accomplish His goal lessens His power. It is a small God view rather than a big God view.
The veracity of the Bible must be protected by Christians and we cannot try to adjust to meet a naturalistic old earth paradigm created by secular man.
We need to think big God.