|
Recent Blog Posts on Dancing From Genesis:
| • | Hillary Clinton Secretary of State Background Checks ex President...
Rush Limbaugh made a great point today about the rumor that Barack Obama may select Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State, saying that Obama put her name out there, like he seriously wants her to serve him in that position, but all the while knowing that he will leave her high and dry, in saying that [...]
| | • | Noah’s Flood Deluge Sedimentary Geologic Rock Column Strata Radio...
A huge dirty secret among mainstream geologists is that carbon deposits, allegedly millions of years old, have easily measurable quantities of radioactive carbon 14 within their chemical makeups, proving that the deposits are only thousands of years old, rendering the lyellian thesis of gradual geologic processes over hundreds of millions of years senseless, particularly when even [...]
| | • | College University Archaeology Graduate Studies Submerged Underwa...
Mainstream archaeological sciencists are faced with two enigmas which render their classic darwinian timeline for ancient cultural development senseless, the first being the presence of hundreds of clearly bronze age megalithic structures now found on the seafloor, clearly inundated however by the end of the Ice Age’s sea level rise, which the mainstream archaeologists insist occured about 7,000 years [...]
| | • | Pastors Ministers Sermons Preaching Expository Apologetics Defend...
Have you ever heard a christian preacher speak of Noah’s Flood as an historical fact while stating scientific reasons to believe that it happened just as the book of Genesis says? Most preachers will say that the hebrew patriarch Abraham was an historical figure who lived circa 2000 B.C., but just ten generations before him, as [...]
| | • | American British Atheists Humanists Announce Bus Ad Campaign Slog...
I guess the so-called atheistic humanists are feeling leftout during the Christmas season, so the British Humanist Association and the America Humanist Association are running ads on buses in jolly old London and Washington D. C., effectively saying it’s ok to not believe, just be happy, but with this ad campaign, it’s backfiring, causing millions of people to now [...]
| | • | Barack H. Obama (aka Barry Soetoro) Ineligible Unqualified not Na...
Attorney Raymond S. Kraft, who has long and diligently studied Philip Berg’s case challenging Barack Obama’s claim that he’s a natural born citizen (a qualification to be president), says that when Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle sealed Obama’s birth records from the public, that sealed the deal for Kraft that Team Obama certainly has something to hide, [...]
| | • | Veterans’ Day 11/11/08 Celebration of Fighting Force Faith Joni S...
You can bet your bottom dollar that the christophobic left wing mainstream media will not be interviewing marine chaplain Patrick McLaughlin about his fascinating new book No Atheists in Foxholes, because McLauglin notes that there are very few soldiers in trouble in the battlefield who do not call on Jesus Christ in their moments of [...]
| | • | Judeophobic Christophobic Homosexuals Rachel Maddow Left Wing Rad...
Left wing liberals preach tolerance, yet they are blasting white Christians for opposing gay marriage with the passage of Prop 8 in California, their opposition to gay marriage rooted in the clear teachings in the Bible, the Bible which the liberals’ hero Barack Hussein Obama claims to embrace, so where’s the beef? Christophobic Rachel Maddow on [...]
| | • | Low Republican Voter Turnout Presidential Election 2008 for Weak ...
The voter turnout for the 2008 presidential general election, which Obama “won” increased only 1% from the turnout in 2004, so it’s obvious that millions of Republicans didn’t bother going to the polls to vote for McCain, rebelling against the fact that the crossover voting allowed in primaries is the only reason McCain got the nomination, and not liking his weak [...]
| | • | What Effect Will Barack Obama Presidency Have on Charitable Givin...
With Barack Obama promising to pay trillions to get people out of just about all of their financial woes, and with the stock market crash which started when it began to look like Obama would “win” the election, it could be that wealthy folks will just fold up the tent on their charitable giving to help the [...]
|
|
|
 |
|
| |
|
Brought to you by SeriousFaith.com the Bible teaching website of Brent Riggs
sending out a FREE daily Bible message to thousands of readers. |
|
Fat & Kicking
070402 Monday, April 02, 2007 Daily Message
By Brent Riggs
Print
Version | Send to a friend | Subscribe FREE
|
|
Deuteronomy 32:15 “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation. (NKJV)
Who is Jeshurun? In Hebrew it was a poetic title that meant "upright one" or "righteous one". At the end of Mose's life, God was revealing to him how the people of Israel would grow fat and happy on the blessings of God and then forsake the Lord. It is the age-old sinful nature of mankind to let prosperity and abundance choke out our love for God and our dependency on Him.
It is the natural tendency of righteous people
to allow the blessing to supplant the One who blesses.
Material blessings are a gift from God to be enjoyed (Ecc. 5.19-20). But the heart is to be guarded ever more closely as prosperity increases lest it wrestle your trust away from God (Matt 19.23). Prosperity is a gift... but better poor with God, than rich without Him (Prov 28.6).
In the last few chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses is dying and God is warning the people of the consequences of becoming prosperous, lazy and hedonistic. Wickedness is the result of forsaking God for wealth and comfort. It should serve as a stern warning at this point in human history when we enjoy the highest standard of living ever.
When prosperity results in complacency and laziness, our character suffers and obedience typically wanes. As our security is transferred to a bank account, our focus becomes the continuation of comfort and ease of living. This process is the natural tendency of a sinful heart.
What is the end result? We grow lazy and kick against God. This laziness speaks of both physical idleness and spiritual apathy. We don't need God anymore. We "kick" against God in the sense that we don't want to go back to depending on Him which is hard work; and we rebel against God's chastisement.
How often have your children kicked against you when it is time for chores instead of watching TV? How often have you kicked against God when He convicts you to study the Bible and that means giving up recreation time? How frequently do you kick against the Lord when prayer or the pursuit of money are your two options?
Ultimately, without extreme diligence, prosperity will lead to forsaking God and "scornfully esteeming" the Rock of your salvation, Jesus Christ. To scorn is to have an open disrespect or to intensely dislike something. Esteem, as a verb, means to "look on and consider". Taken together, to "scornfully esteem" means to look on and consider with an obvious disrespect and intense dislike.
Prosperity can lead to an open
disrespect and dislike of Jesus Christ.
Why? For the person who has transferred his trust and desire to material blessing, Jesus Christ represents the Person who is asking you to give up your riches. This could mean a physical release of wealth, but more importantly, a spiritual change in what you trust: money or God.
Matthew 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (NKJV)
The young rich man who asked Jesus for eternal life had put his trust in material blessings instead of the God who had provided them. Now Jesus was asking him to give it all up because the Lord knew what stood between the young man and God.
The natural sinful tendency of man is to disdain anyone who takes away what is "ours". If you have grown fat (lazy and lethargic) in prosperity and are kicking (rebellion or disobedience) against God, you face the dilemma of scornfully esteeming your Savior who is calling you to forsake all and take up the cross.
Wealth, prosperity, material blessing, abundance, riches, comfort, luxury... whatever name it goes by - is a gift from God to be enjoyed and used in service to Him. It is never to become your hope. It's comfort is never to become your focus. Your faith and trust are never to be in the gift instead the Giver.
Be careful you don't become "fat and kicking" lest you forsake God and scornfully esteem the Rock of your salvation.
Readers, what are some ways we can be on guard against "materialism"? Share your thoughts on the message boards. Go here...
Heavenly Father, every good gift comes from You and we thank You that You have seen fit to bless people so unworthy as us. We pray for Your discernment and discipline that we may never become fat and rebellious and scornfully esteem Your Blessed Son in whose name we pray. Amen
Contemplation: Are you rich? In the Bible the idea of being rich was having more than was needed for one day's living. In light of that, are you rich? How much of your focus and devotion is on the accumulation of material blessing? Does your pursuit of God come anywhere close to your pursuit of wealth, comfort and prosperity?
Application: Material blessings are a gift from God to be enjoyed and used for Him. But because of our sinful hearts, prosperity can quickly consume us and become our god, resulting in the "scornful esteem" of our Savior. We are VERY good at deceiving ourselves on this issue. Pray to God that He would reveal where your heart is today concerning this.
- What is the most obvious Bible truth you have learned today?
- What change in your life needs to be made concerning this truth?
- What specific thing will you do today to begin that change?
Has
this teaching helped you or been a blessing?
Then other people would probably be blessed by it too. |
|
|
NOTICE OF USE:
This content may be PRINTED or EMAILED
for personal use
and non-commercial distribution. Posting, copying or distributing this complete content
(excerpts are okay)
ELECTRONICALLY on another websites,
blogs,
forums or message boards is strictly forbiddenwithout express permission
from the author (duplicate content on the Internet adversely affects our website rankings in major search engines).
Copyright 2007 • All Right Reserved. TO MENTION THIS DEVOTIONAL ON YOUR WEBSITE, IN AN EMAIL OR ON A BLOG, PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING:
|
| SeriousFaith.com Messages about: Fat & Kicking (click
title to message) |
Fat & Kicking
070402 Monday, April 02, 2007 Daily Message
-
Deuteronomy 32:15
Spanish
version available
|
 |
Material blessings are a gift from God to be enjoyed (Ecc. 5.19-20). But the heart is to be guarded ever more closely as prosperity increases lest it wrestle your trust away from God (Matt 19.23). Prosperity is a gift... but better poor with God, than rich without Him (Prov 28.6). |
|
A Few Bible Verses that contain "GIFT":
Revelation 11:10 And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth.
1 Peter 4:10 according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God;
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, God bearing witness in respect of his gifts: and through it he being dead yet speaketh.
Hebrews 9:9 which `is' a figure for the time present; according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices that cannot, as touching the conscience, make the worshipper perfect,
Hebrews 8:4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, seeing there are those who offer the gifts according to the law;
Hebrews 8:3 For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary that this `high priest' also have somewhat to offer.
Hebrews 6:4 For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Hebrews 5:1 For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
Hebrews 2:4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.
2 Timothy 1:6 For which cause I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of my hands.
1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
Philippians 4:17 Not that I seek for the gift; but I seek for the fruit that increaseth to your account.
Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, And gave gifts unto men.
Ephesians 4:7 But unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Ephesians 3:7 whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.
Ephesians 2:8 for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, `it is' the gift of God;
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.
2 Corinthians 1:11 ye also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift bestowed upon us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf.
1 Corinthians 14:12 So also ye, since ye are zealous of spiritual `gifts', seek that ye may abound unto the edifying of the church.
1 Corinthians 14:1 Follow after love; yet desire earnestly spiritual `gifts', but rather that ye may prophesy.
1 Corinthians 13:2 And if I have `the gift of' prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 12:31 But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you.
1 Corinthians 12:30 have all gifts of healings? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, `divers' kinds of tongues.
|
|
|
|
BIBLE-GIFT.COM
