Live By The Book
SUNDAY
Jesus Came To Fulfill The Law
In the Old Testament people were under the law and had to offer up sacrifices to pay for their sin in not wholly following the law. Jesus came to offer Himself for our sacrifice. We don’t have to kill a lamb to pay for our sin, because Jesus is the true Lamb of God. And while we are not required to live under the law, we are to “Live By The Book” and follow God’s Word.
“16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:16-19)
MONDAY
The Greatest Commandment
As we begin our daily scriptures to “Live By The Book”, what better place to start than with the greatest commandments!
“28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:28-33)
Jesus was giving the commandment found in Deuteronomy 6. The Israelites were to talk of this throughout the day teaching their children and post it in signs where it could be read often and remembered and practiced. How different this world would be if we put God above everything and loved our neighbors.
“4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
TUESDAY
“The Just Shall Live By Faith”
Charlie Kirk touched a lot of lives as he lived by his faith in God. It is quite evident that his faith has continued to touch thousands since his assassination. He died for his faith, but it is great that he also lived by his faith. I used to hear people say that they would die for the Lord, but it is of great importance that we live for the Lord. We began this series on “Live By The Book”, but as I have watched stories of lives that were changed because one man dared to live by faith, it has challenged me to do all I can to live by my faith. Pastor Rick Byerly preached Sunday on faith and one thing in particular stuck in my mind. He said, “Faith honors God, and God honors faith.” “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11) Philippians 1:21 is another great scripture on living and dying for Christ. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
"Out Of The Mouth Of Babes"
WEDNESDAY
Andrew Found A Little Lad With His Lunch
We know quite a bit about Simon Peter from the gospels. But, what do we know about his brother, Andrew? We know that they were fishermen. (Mark 1:16) And from the first chapter of John, we see that Andrew brought his brother to Jesus.
40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” (John 1:40-42)
In John 6 we find that Andrew brought someone else to Jesus. We know how Jesus broke the five loaves and two small fish to feed the multitudes, but do you know where they got the loaves and fishes? There was a lad there who had a small lunch. Maybe his mother bagged it up for him before he left that morning. Jesus used what the little boy had to feed 5,000 men, plus women and children. What we have may seem so small, but God can use what we have for His glory and honor when we give it all to Him.
“8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.” (John 6:8-13)
Once more in the book of John we find Andrew taking someone to Jesus. Are we leading others to Jesus?
“20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.” (John 12:20-22)
THURSDAY
Jesus Blessed The Little Children
When people brought children to Jesus, the disciples tried to turn them away. But Jesus loves little children. “And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.”
“13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” (Mark 10:13-16)
Jesus had more to say about little children.
“1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:1-5)
FRIDAY
Letters To A Young Preacher
The Apostle Paul wrote two letters to a young preacher named Timothy. He gave him instructions, including “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” (I Timothy 4:12-13) In his second letter Paul speaks of Timothy’s faith. He speaks of the faith of his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice. We must pray and live for God in the presence of our children. These times are tough. Our children need to see our faith in action.
“1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (II Timothy 1:1-7)
SATURDAY
Children Of God
In finishing our devotional series on children in the Bible, I want to look at a verse about “the children of God.” Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) There are so many wars across the world; I want to be a peacemaker. There is so much unrest in our nation; I want to be a peacemaker. Can we bring this a little closer to home? There is so much discord in some churches; I want to be a peacemaker. Even closer… there is so much dissension in our families and homes; I want to be a peacemaker. David said, “<<A Song of degrees of David.>> Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) Paul said,
“2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
9 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” (verses from Ephesians 4)
Jesus said, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15) Do you want to be a peacemaker?
