July 20
2 Chron 1:1-3:17 | PS 16:1-11 | Prov 19:20-21 | Rom 6:1-23
A question that I frequently ask believers is, "What are you reading?" This is not intended to shame anyone, but is intended to bring forth fellowship in the conversation as opposed to discussing other things. Even within the church, many will focus on their ministries rather than the Word of God, which should be at the center of true fellowship. It was this question which I asked around the church and often the lack of response, as many were not regularly reading God's actual Word (daily devotionals which focus on the comments of a person alongside a verse or two are not a substitute), which brought forth this ministry, The One Year Bible Plan. The purpose of which is to encourage people to go through God's Word from cover to cover annually, to get God's full counsel. Everything else, including these commentaries are of much lesser importance, as they are simply aides to the more important focus on God's Word. It is only by being in His Word that you can be more aware of his presence. The lyrics to the song "Holy Spirit" contain "Let us become more aware of Your presence". Our bodies are now His temple, as those in Christ have the Holy Spirit residing within us. So we don't need to go anywhere, we only need to be more aware of His presence and who we are in Him. God's Word is crucial to this awareness.
We read in 2 Chronicles 2:5-6, "And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?" The task before Solomon was truly humbling as it was being made for God to be present in and to interact with his people. But that was then. In those days people needed to travel in order to come into His presence. But now we simply need to be more aware of His presence wherever we might be. We in Christ need to remember who we now are, as we read in Romans 6:3-4, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Who we were no longer exists as we are reminded in 6:6-7, "knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin." So, as we become aware of our true identity, and more aware of his presence within us, we should take to heart the words in 6:11-13, " Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."
This is who we are. Unfortunately all too often we choose to forget this and live like this is not our new reality. For the believer even going a day without the counsel of God's actual word, is too much. We need to be aware of his presence continuously. David was aware of this as he wrote in Psalm 16:8, "I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved." If we wonder why we stumble, why we backslide, why we feel so distant, ask yourself the question, "What are you reading?" If you can't answer that question immediately then start anew today. Jump into this reading plan today. If not this plan, then pick up the Bible, and read. But please don't cherry pick favorite verses or sections. Read a book of the Bible, as the writers through the power of the Holy Spirit conveyed their messages through the entirety of their book, not limited to portions. May we all be more aware of His presence. Being more aware of Him will allow all of us to become less focused on the world we find ourselves living in and more focused on Him, the only real solution.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: