“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” James 4:17
Author: Wayne Johnson (Page 2 of 23)
In 2013, someone I was trying to study with mentioned Ecclesiastes 7 and how they could not grasp how going to a funeral is better than going to a party, or that the day of death is better than the day of birth. At the time, I was unfamiliar with these verses, so I went home, researched, studied, and wrote a short synopsis, which we later reviewed together.
This effort was one of the best exercises I could’ve done. Why? Because this study helped us both understand the verses in chapter 7 more fully, and studying draws us closer to God.
Since this experience, I’ve studied Ecclesiastes several times and have found it to be full of good food for thought. Most scholars attribute the book of Ecclesiastes to Solomon’s wisdom. As noted in my synopsis, in these verses, Solomon seems focused on what is good for the soul.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV.
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 ESV
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:8 ESV
God First!
Jesus walked this earth and walked the walk of doing God’s will.
- Jesus: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” (in Matt. 26:39)
- Jesus: “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done.” (in Matt. 26:42)
In agony, Jesus prayed so fervently that His sweat became like blood, yet doing His Father’s will was more important to Jesus than his own wants. Jesus was determined to do God’s will above His own. (see Luke 22:39-46)
In these passages, we get to see into the heart of God. We get a glimpse of love beyond our imagination. We get to see Jesus’s incredible love for us and for God (His Father). Jesus, while on earth, demonstrated the love for God and mankind that we should all strive to mimic. To acquire the love of Jesus, we must fervently strive to do everything according to God’s will, not ours. We must seek never to add to or take away from God-Breathed Scripture. In (John 1:1-14) we find Jesus was with God from the beginning, from the creation… “all things were made through Him.” Jesus’s life on earth, His death, and resurrection gives us every reason to believe, every reason to have hope, and every reason to follow Jesus in obedient faith. Doing God’s will according to God’s will is the difference between knowing you are saved and hoping you are saved.
Yep, it’s serious! We don’t want to be part of the many mentioned in Matthew 7:22 because we did things our way and decided it would be ok with God, that’s not what Jesus did:
” Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:22-24
- 1 John 5:13
- John 14:15
- Romans 1:5
- Hebrews 11:8
- Luke 6:46
God First!
Sometimes, when we try to do good and help others, people will take advantage of our kindness and abuse our love. As a result, we can become disappointed and discouraged; we can feel knocked down and ridiculed, and start questioning our efforts. Don’t. When this happens, shake the dust from your feet and move forward. Many appreciate and need your efforts. The best “Good” we can do is to represent and share Christ’s message through our words, example, and efforts, so that others may see Christ in us and want to know how they can obtain the peace and confidence of eternal salvation we have found through following Christ and keeping His commandments.
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10)
- Colossians 1:27
- Hebrews 11:1
- James 5:20
- Matthew 10:14
- Matthew 5:16
- 1 Timothy 4:12
- 1 Corinthians 11:1
God First!
The Bible is the Christian’s training ground, our means of staying the course. In it, we find the power of God, hope beyond measure, our daily armor, our weapon of truth, our shield of faith, our protection from Satan, and our only pathway to eternal life with our creator; the Bible is our connection to God’s will for us, our strength for endurance, and our means for sharing the message of Christ with everyone.
The study of God’s Word is our preparation, sharing God’s Word is our exercise, and the ability to defend God’s Word is our duty as soldiers of Christ.
The Marines’ motto is Semper Fidelis, which means “always faithful” or “always loyal.” Let’s be Marines for God; let us always be faithful and always be loyal. In “ALL” circumstances, let us take up the shield of faith. (Ephesians 6:16)
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. “Put on the whole armor of God”
Ephesians 6:10-20
If God is with us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)
1 Peter 3:15
God First!
When good hearts and minds succumb to lies and deceit, guilt arises, and it weighs heavily on the heart and mind. Choosing to hide truths rather than addressing them honestly places unnecessary burdens on us. Burdens of sin that allow Satan to set up residence and dwell in our minds. For example, if we lie or deceive someone (like a spouse), we carry that unresolved lie in our hearts daily. Rather than confess, we may tell ourselves more lies, like:
- • No real harm done
- • It’s better if they don’t know.
- • Why hurt them with the truth?
However, in doing so, we seal that burden of guilt within our hearts, we entrap our minds and souls with the lie. God knows the deception we carry, and if we cover up rather than confess to our loved ones, asking their forgiveness as well as God’s, we may carry that burden to our death and, maybe, add to our deceit by telling multiple lies over many years in our attempt to keep it hidden. I hope no one carries such a burden, but know some do. We may fear our loved ones’ response, but do we really think living with the lie or lies is better? Is our relationship with our loved ones and God all it can be when we carry these lies in our hearts and minds? Do we not know we will be held accountable by God?
Our cover-up gives Satan permanent residence in our minds, and as just stated
It’s not hidden from God!
God knows the truth and has always told us to speak it. God hates lies!
When we fess up, confess, ask forgiveness, and repent, we simultaneously kick Satan to the curb, kicking him out of that permanent dwelling we’ve furnished him in our mind.
Don’t let Satan settle in; save yourself with honesty, pray, tell the truth, face the consequences, and stop Satan from building a mansion in your mind as one lie leads to two, then three, then four, and many more. No matter how difficult it is, tell the truth that God may purify, heal, and forgive. Don’t carry the weight of those lies, sins, and burdens into judgment; they squelch the joy in this life and endanger the soul.
- John 8:34 – slave to sin
- James 5:16 – confess.
- Matthew 12:43-45 unclean spirits
- Philippians 4:8-9 rethink
- Romans 1:28-32
- John 8:32 – truth
- Matthew 5:23-24 – Reconcile
God First!
One thing is certain: when you’re on the right side, you are simply on the Right side. No matter how long it takes, no matter how many lies are told, truth eventually shines through. Let the light in your heart shine, and it will overcome darkness.
“Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” John 14:5-7
- John 1:5
- John 8:12
- Psalm 18:28
God First!
“Without expectation of reciprocation,” for me, this is the best attitude we can have toward helping others; it’s also my definition of agape love. If we see an opportunity and jump into action and help, we should expect nothing, not even a thank you. Being able to help is reward enough.
Personally, I have found that NOT expecting any reciprocation helps me avoid the pitfalls of disappointment or frustration that Satan may stir in our minds in his efforts to encourage bitterness should I think someone owes me but is ghosting me.
Should my mind start down such a path, when I want help, and it’s not available, I remind myself, “I asked for nothing and am owed nothing,” which helps stop those thoughts from propagating. Instead, I trust God will provide if I truly need help and let those thoughts go, dismissing Satan’s attempts to inflame my mind in his efforts to jeopardize my soul..
Freely giving of myself or my means helps guard my heart against harboring any animosity if someone can’t or won’t reciprocate in kind. One thing is for sure: I have never regretted time spent helping others. It’s always a win for me; A blessing from God.
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:9-10 ESV
- Proverbs 4:23-27
- Hebrews 13:6
- Matthew 6:4
- Proverbs 28:27
- Ephesians 4:1-16
God First!
A question for thought: If someone were to offer you $100 for every individual who came to a worship service based on your invitation (with no limit), how many people would you invite? 1, 10, 100, more?
If your answer is more than you would invite with NO monetary incentive, then the real question to ponder is: Why would we not be this zealous for the Lord without immediate personal gain?
May the seeds of Truth that lead to eternal life in Heaven be planted and watered; God will provide the growth.
- Matthew 28:19–20
- Matthew 19:21
- 1st Corinthians 3:6-7
- Mark 16:15
To God be the glory!
God First!
Have you noticed? The Bible contradicts a lot of popular opinion. Many people become offended when someone or something contradicts their understanding or belief, while others find it challenging. There are so many misunderstandings and false teachings about what God’s Word says on various topics; however, in God’s infinite wisdom, He gave us His Word and freedom of choice. We can hear and study God’s Word independently to see if what we are told is true, or we can accept, believe, and practice what others tell us is true, but I ask: How smart is that?
The Bible is God’s Word, and it should be our foundation for discernment.
- The Bible spans thousands of years and has many different contributors.
- It does so without contradiction.
- The prophecies and science we find in Scripture are now known facts.
The Bible was written over about 1,500 years by approximately 40 authors from widely different backgrounds, cultures, and languages, yet it maintains a cohesive story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation. It’s hard to explain all this unity apart from divine inspiration.
Of course, it does take an open mind to replace what we’ve been told with what we will discover through an intuitive investigation. With our freedom of choice comes accountability for our actions or lack thereof.
Rather than choosing to be offended, why not choose to accept the challenge and pursue the truth? We can search and trust God’s Word, or we can accept man’s ideas; the choice is ours, but one we will be held accountable for.
- “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
- “knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21
John 17:17
Psalm 119:160
Proverbs 30:5
Deuteronomy 30:19
Joshua 24:15
Galatians 6:7
2 Timothy 2:15
Acts 17:11
Job 26:7
Isaiah 40:22
Hebrews 11:3
God First!
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