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open1 Are you an idol worshipper? You may think that sounds silly to ask such a thing today. But the truth is, an idol is any one or any thing that people worship!

Some people today worship their money, social position or possessions just as devoutly as people in the ancient world worshipped an image made of gold or wood or stone. The difference, of course, is that most people don’t think of money (for example) as an idol, or as something they worship.

In reality, however, many people do; their whole lives are focused on money, and they serve it just as faithfully as other people serve an actual idol.

open2 In fact, money has become their master, and they have become its servants. In other words, money has taken the place of God in their lives. Jesus warned, “No one can serve two masters...You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)

The Bible gives us two important warnings about idols (whatever form they take). First, it warns us that they are false. Only God can meet our deepest moral and spiritual needs. Second, it warns us that nothing should take God’s place in our lives. The Bible says in Exodus 20:4, “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything.”

Are there any idols in your life? Any things that you have allowed to take God’s rightful place? Repent of them! And then make Christ alone the center of your life!

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 9.31. Live for God, on purpose, and worship Him – alone!

Visiting Day

He was looking forward to this moment all day long, after 6 days of labor and it finally arrived – Visiting Day! The man with the keys arrived to swing open the large, heavy doors. The cold gray hall springs to life in the warm glow of light. He could hardly control His emotions.

The families began to arrive. He peers from the corner of the room longing for the 1st glimpse of His loved ones. He lives for the weekends. He lives for these visits. As the cars arrive, He watches intently. Then, finally, they arrive, for whom He would do anything. They embrace, eat a light lunch and reminisce how things used to be. At one point, they break into singing, with interruptions of laughter and applause.

But all too soon it is over. A tear comes to His eyes as they depart. Then the man with the keys closes the heavy doors. He hears the key turn in the lock marking the end of a special day. There He stands, alone again.

He knows that most of His visitors will not contact Him again till next week. As the last car pulls away from the parking lot, Jesus retreats into loneliness as He waits until next Sunday – Visiting Day.

Is the time that we spend with Jesus an everyday thing, or do we just visit Him on Sunday? Think about it.

ten The Ten Commandments

Because of the importance of the Ten Commandments, it might be helpful to have a quick way to bring them to mind. The following method uses the first four words of Exodus 20:2: “I am the Lord.”

Idolatry... Don’t worship idols (:4-6)

Adultery... Don’t commit adultery (:14)
Murder... Don’t commit murder (v. 13)

Taking... Don’t steal (:15)
Honor... Obey your parents (:12)
Envy... Don’t covet what isn’t yours (:17)

Lying... Don’t give false testimony (:16)
Other... gods... Don’t worship other gods (:3)
Rest... Rest on the Sabbath (:8-11)
Disrespect... Don’t misuse God’s name (:7)

from the article “Loving Commands,” in the January-February 2009 issue of “Discipleship Journal,” p. 20. As seen in The Timothy Report, www.timothyreport.com, July 27, 2009

Keep Strife Out Of Your Life!

strife

Strife is defined as “conflict... struggle... rivalry,” and God’s Word says to avoid it at all cost: “Let nothing be done through strife... but in lowliness of mind let each esteem [the] other better than themselves.” (Philippians 2:3)

Strife is custom-designed to play havoc in marriages, churches, businesses and relationships. It stems from our self-centered ego and leads to comparing, competing and condemning. James 3:16 says, “Where envying and strife is, there is... every evil work.” Keeping strife out of your life means recognizing and uprooting it before it grows. Hebrews 12:15 says, “See... no root of bitterness springing up, causes trouble, and... many be defiled.” And Paul adds, “...Complete my joy by living in harmony... being of the same mind... having the same love...” (Philippians 2:2 AMP)

Enjoying God’s blessings requires doing all we can to live in harmony with one another. Is that easy to do? No, but the sooner you learn it, the better things will be.

When David saw Goliath, he didn’t stop to consider the odds or listen to the opinions of others. Instead, he “...ran quickly toward the battle... to meet him” (1 Samuel 17:48 NIV). Rapid response is required here. When God prompts you to turn the other cheek or take the short end of the stick, draw on His grace and do it. In fact, when you do it on your timetable you end up doing it in your own strength.

So, forgive those who hurt you. Pray for them and bless them by speaking well of them and wanting only good things for them. Your commitment to walk each day in love and forgiveness (yes, it’s a daily commitment!) will open the door to God’s blessing in your life.

hearing Hearing God’s Voice

“Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” – 1 Samuel 3:7

Samuel was born to Hannah, a woman who had a deep commitment to God. She was barren, but she cried out to God for a son. The Lord gave her Samuel, whom she completely gave to the Lord for His service. After weaning him, she took him to the house of the Lord to be reared by the priests. Eli was the priest of Israel, but he was not a godly leader. He had allowed much corruption, including the sins of his sons, in God’s house. God was not pleased with Eli and later judged him and his household.

Samuel grew up in the temple serving God. He also grew up seeing the hypocrisy of Eli’s household, yet this did not change the young man. God was with him. We learn that even though young Samuel had a belief in God, he had not yet experienced a personal relationship with Him. God called to Samuel three times, but Samuel thought it was Eli, the priest, calling him. Finally, Eli told him to say, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:9b). This is what Samuel did, and God began telling Samuel important things to come.

Many of us grow up in religious environments. We go to church every week. We have a head knowledge of God, but we do not recognize God’s voice in our lives. There comes a time when we must recognize God’s voice for ourselves. God does not want us to have a religion; He wants us to have a two-way relationship with Him. Samuel was never the same after this encounter. He would know God’s voice and would respond to Him in obedience.

Do you know God’s voice? Can you recognize it when He speaks? In order to hear God’s voice, you must be clean before Him and listen. Listen to God’s voice today and follow His plans for you.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

by Jim Burns

There is a great promise in Matthew 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” If you hunger and thirst for righteousness you will be satisfied. In order to be satisfied you’ve got to pursue righteousness with everything you have.

God wants our 100-percent effort. Why is it that I’ll give my 100-percent effort on the tennis court or when planning a party, but when it comes to pursuing righteousness, sometimes I coast? When I’m not giving God my best, an empty feeling creeps into my life.

Today’s promise in Matthew 5:6 challenges me to pull out the stops, roll up my sleeves, and with reckless abandon dive into the arms of the Savior. If I pursue with all my heart and energy what God has placed on my heart, the result will be satisfaction.

I like what Charles Paul Conn wrote:

Whatever it is,
However impossible it seems,
Whatever the obstacle that lies between you and it,
If it is noble,
If it is consistent with God’s kingdom,
You must hunger after it
And stretch yourself to reach it.

as seen in “Today’s HomeWord,” a daily devotional with Jim Burns. Visit them online at www.homeword.com

What Are You Planting?

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” – Galatians 6:7

Ever plant a garden? Or maybe just a few flowers in a bed or a plant in a pot? Something makes it possible for the gardener to function, or a farmer to produce a crop is a “law” of nature. “Law” really isn’t a very good word, but because it really is just an observation of the consistency of nature. Whatever kind of seed is planted is the kind of plant that will be produced. A farmer can know that when he plants wheat, that wheat is the plant that will grow. It is not random or arbitrary. Wheat seed produces wheat plants and corn seed produces corn plants. Farmers and gardeners can count on it.

What is just as true, though not as readily recognized, is that this same “law” applies in all of life. Whatever a person sows, that is what they will reap. To think otherwise is not only ludicrous, it also mocks God.

We have two choices. We either sow to the flesh or the spirit. This same letter outlines the differences between living according to the flesh and according to the spirit (Galatians 5:16-18). Sowing to the flesh is involvement in the “deeds of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21). The consequence of involvement in these is corruption and exclusion from God’s kingdom (Galatians 5:21; 6:8). This is the harvest resulting from sowing those seeds. Just as surely as planting wheat seeds results in a harvest of wheat. We can count on it.

last The Last Impression

A minister delivered a sermon in ten minutes one Sunday morning, which was about half the usual length of his sermons. He explained, “I regret to inform you that my dog, who is very fond of eating paper, ate that portion of my sermon which I was unable to deliver this morning.”

After the service, a visitor from another church shook hands with the preacher and said, “Pastor, if that dog of yours has any pups, I want to get one to give to my minister.”

Just for clarification, my three golden retrievers don’t eat paper, and can never have puppies. Just saying...

July is all but wrapped up, and August is knocking at the door! One last month to enjoy all the great weather and activities of the summer months. One of the best things to do in the summer is to gather together with God’s people and worship Him! Jesus is Lord in the summer as well as every day of the year!