Read the Bible in a Year (20JUL19)

DAILY REMINDER – Today, July 20’s Bible reading is Proverbs 22-23.

NEXT DAY REMINDER – Tomorrow, July 21’s Bible reading is Proverbs 24-26. May God bless you with the reading of His WORD.

PROVERBS MOMENT – (20JUL19) “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1). What is your reputation worth to you? Names are very important to have, and a good one is priceless. When we think of McDonald’s, we think of burgers and fries. When we think of Walmart, we think of rollback prices. When we think of Google, we think of search results. When we think of George Washington, we think of our first president. Our name is tied into who we are and oftentimes, what people think about us. Now, we cannot control what everyone thinks because there will always be someone who may not like you just because of their own personal issues. Nevertheless, we as Christians should always carry ourselves in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord, and not bring about shame on ourselves or Him. In today’s times, Christians have received a bad wrap due to many of the things that we have allowed to compromise the church. There are many people who no longer go to the four-walls because of the church’s bad name in how people live. Even if they do not go to the four-walls, they should not allow the sins of some to act as a reflection or endorsement by God. God’s name stands for Truth and He stands by His reputation.

Jesus’ name was exalted by the Father because of what He had done on the cross. The Bible says, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges^]; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11). God’s reputation was on the line because He had made a promise that He would send the Savior to free us from sin. Jesus came in fulfillment of that promise and because of what He did, the Father celebrated Him in exalting His NAME above all other names. That is why there is power in the Name of Jesus. Therefore, let us be mindful that we are representatives of that Name and that when we have a good reputation, it is not only reflective of ourselves, but of the One whom we serve. Something to ponder….

QUESTION OF THE DAY - (20JUL19) Have you ever been asked to sign a pledge at a church because they are working on a project where they need to receive funds? Although, there is nothing wrong with giving to the church, and it is pleasing to the Lord to give for the advancement of His kingdom, one should be careful with “signing” pledges. The Bible says, “Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you” (Proverbs 22:26-27). Many Christians are unaware that the pledges they fill out and sign at churches are actual CONTRACTS. That’s right! The church uses these contracts to take them to their banks in order to get loan guarantees when their members sign these pledges. While there’s nothing wrong with it, most church people are unaware that should they be in default of paying their pledge, the church can actually sue to get the money that was promised from their signed pledge. This is why churches have their members to sign pledges rather than just volunteering with the raising of hands, so that they can cover themselves. The question, however, is who is covering you should you not be able to honor the entire pledge? The answer to that is simple. Know what you are doing before you do it because you are not only making a pledge to the church, but you are also making one to GOD.

In Acts 5:1-11, the Bible tells the story of Ananias and Sapphira who were a married couple and conspired to lie to the Holy Spirit. The church, under the leadership of Peter, were selling their possessions to give to those who had a need among them. Ananias and Sapphira had “volunteered” to sell a piece of property to give the proceeds to the church as well. Unfortunately, they did not keep their pledge and kept back some of what they had promised to give. When Peter asked them separately about it, they both lied about what they had done. Therefore, they died as a result of them lying to the Holy Spirit. No one made them make the pledge to give, but once they did, the Lord expected them to honor it. The Bible says, “When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved” (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6). Therefore, we must never make a vow to God and not keep it, and we should never sign a document that would have us bound should our financial situation change. It is better to just give to a project than to commit to giving in writing, and be legally bound by it. Something to ponder….