Tags
1 Peter 2:19-25, 1 Timothy 4:16, 2 Peter 1:19, A Battle For Our Homes, Choose You This Day!, Ephesians 5:25-27, Following God's Order, Genesis 22:14, Genesis 22:7-13, God's Instructions for HOMES, God's plan for the HOME, John 13:34, John 3:14-19, Joshua 24:14-15, Psalm 100:3, Psalm 119:10-12, Psalm 37:23-24
Bible Ballistics: Vol. 17 No. 04 Ignoring The Manufacturer???
We all buy things these days, and most of the things that we purchase come with a manufacturer’s instructions and usually a warranty (Some even call virtually every day to remind you of your car warranty! Ha ha ha), but the warranty is usually dependent on the fact that we have followed the instructions for the item. We have a personal, human manufacturer who has also given us perfect instructions for ‘operation’; but the choice is ours—will we follow HIS instructions and heed to HIS warnings for prime operation, or will we choose to go our own way without regard to HIS instructions but choose wisely there will be a test.
“Now therefore
fear the LORD,
and serve him
in sincerity
and in truth:
and put away the gods
which your fathers served
on the other side of the flood,
and in Egypt;
and serve ye the LORD.
15 And if it seem evil unto you
to serve the LORD,
choose you this day whom ye will serve;
whether the gods which your fathers served
that were on the other side of the flood,
or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land ye dwell:
but as for me and my house,
we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:14-15
When we choose to “serve the LORD”, we have aligned ourselves with The One who loves us more than anyone else in this world!
“A new commandment I give unto you,
That ye love one another;
as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know
that ye are my disciples,
if ye have love
one to another.” John 13:34
And what does God’s love look like? That’s clearly stated in God’s Word.
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of man
be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him
should not perish,
but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son
into the world
to condemn the world;
but that the world through him
might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him
is not condemned:
but he that believeth not
is condemned already,
because he hath not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation,
that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness
rather than light,
because their deeds
were evil.” John 3:14-19
God loved us so much that HIS plan was always that HE would pay for our sins through HIS own Son, The “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”!
He painted a most amazing picture of this for Abraham in Genesis 22.
“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said,
Behold the fire and the wood:
but where is the lamb
for a burnt offering?
8 And Abraham said,
My son,
God will provide himself
a lamb for a burnt offering:
so they went both of them together…
…. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him
out of heaven, and said,
Abraham, Abraham:
and he said,
Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand
upon the lad,
neither do thou any thing
unto him:
for now I know that thou fearest God,
seeing thou hast not withheld thy son,
thine only son from me.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked,
and behold behind him a ram
caught in a thicket by his horns:
and Abraham went
and took the ram,
and offered him up for a burnt offering
in the stead of his son.” Portions of Genesis 22:7-13
And Abraham went on, I think, to let us know that he caught a glimpse of what God was promising:
“And Abraham called the name of that place
Jehovahjireh:
as it is said to this day,
In the mount of the LORD
it shall be seen.” Genesis 22:14
Historians say that the mountain where God took Abraham and Isaac is the same mountain where God offered “HIS only begotten son” to pay the price for our sin with HIS own blood!
“Husbands,
love your wives,
even as Christ also loved the church,
and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water
by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself
a glorious church,
not having spot,
or wrinkle,
or any such thing;
but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27
And one of the most beautiful pictures of what Jesus did for us out of “His great love”, is painted by Peter in his first letter to believers.
“For this is thankworthy,
if a man for conscience toward God
endure grief,
suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it,
if, when ye be buffeted for your faults,
ye shall take it patiently?
but if, when ye do well,
and suffer for it,
ye take it patiently,
this is acceptable with God.
21 For even hereunto
were ye called:
because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example,
that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin,
neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled,
reviled not again;
when he suffered,
he threatened not;
but committed himself
to him that judgeth righteously:
24 Who his own self
bare our sins
in his own body
on the tree,
that we,
being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness:
by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray;
but are now returned
unto the Shepherd
and Bishop of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:19-25
So, my question for today is, are we willing to follow the life-warranty instructions that God gave us for passing the baton to those who follow behind us—especially our own children. For if we lose those we love the most, how grieved we will be. But let me also add this caveat, we can only lead our children to see and recognize truth; they must choose for themselves to follow or not; but when we fail to live truth and pass it on by our life and our words, we will always regret our failure! Here’s the passage that defines the HOME’s job! (not the church’s, or the school’s or the government’s job—but the parents!).
May God speak to our hearts and may we hear and heed The Word of God, The Great Manufacturer!
“Know ye that
the LORD he is God:
it is he that hath made us,
and not we ourselves;
we are his people,
and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3
Be sure not to invalidate the warranty—God won’t call on your cell phone; but HIS WORD is calling us to HIS truth continually—and it’s never a wrong number! It’s what the Psalmist was referring to:
“With my whole heart
have I sought thee:
O let me not wander
from thy commandments.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou,
O LORD:
teach me thy statutes.” Psalm 119:10-12
“Take heed unto thyself,
and unto the doctrine;
continue in them:
for in doing this
thou shalt both save thyself,
and them that hear thee.” 1 Timothy 4:16
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy;
whereunto ye do well
that ye take heed,
as unto a light that shineth
in a dark place,
until the day dawn,
and the day star arise
in your hearts:” 2 Peter 1:19
And one of the warrants HE has promised:
“The steps of a good man
are ordered by the LORD:
and he delighteth
in his way.
24 Though he fall,
he shall not be utterly cast down:
for the LORD upholdeth him
with his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24
May it ever be so in our lives!
Amen and Amen!!!
