God Does Not Overlook Our Good Work - 2 Timothy 3-4

2 Timothy 4:19-21 (ESV)

Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.

What must have it been like to have your name mentioned in one of Paul’s letters.   Men today look for fame and recognition.   Paul is not listing these names for that purpose, but it does show how honor those in the faith that do the work of the faith was important to Paul.  Proverbs tells us to give honor where honor is due:

Proverbs 3:27 (ESV)

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.

We are to recognize those who do the work in the ministry.  If fact, we are to submit to them. Note what Paul tells the Corinthian believers when he writes to them:

1 Corinthians 16:15-16 (ESV)

Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer.

God honors those who serve Him well. It may not be a name in book of the Bible. But God notices:

Hebrews 6:10 (ESV)

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.

John 12:26 (ESV)

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Producing Fruit Is Natural - John 13-15

 John 15:5-6 (ESV)

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

In John 15 the word abide is used eleven times.  The word is used in the New Testament 120 times.  It is translated as abide 61, remain 16, dwell 15, continue 11, tarry 9, endure 3, and 5 miscellaneous ways.   The point of Jesus words in the above text is that our abiding is directly related to our producing fruit and in particular the fruit of love.   In fact, it is this thought of abiding that produces much fruit in our lives.   In the above passage Jesus gives us a major point about abiding, by telling us that our abiding is the only way to produce fruit.  He tells us that if we do not abide in Him we will not only fail to produce fruit, we will also be thrown in the fire, and burned.  That is an exceptional motivational instruction.   Jesus is telling us that the sign of our abiding is the sign of our relationship with Him.   We ought not take this abiding lightly.  The sign that we are abiding is the production of fruit.    We certainly can see the correlation between this passage on the fruit of the Spirit. As we walk in the Spirit we produce fruit.  So abiding in Jesus is the same thing as walking in the Spirit.  As we walk in obedience to His Word, we walk in the Spirit and abide in Jesus and produce much fruit.   Failure to do live in this way demonstrates our lack of relationship with Jesus.  Those in a relationship with Him will produce much fruit. It is not an option to produce fruit, it is a natural result. 

Fasting - Joel

Joel 1:14 (ESV)

Consecrate a fast;

call a solemn assembly.

Gather the elders

and all the inhabitants of the land

to the house of the LORD your God,

and cry out to the LORD.

God’s solution for the discipline due Israel for their disobedience was to fast.   The fast was a time of self-discipline to deny ones-self something for the purpose of focusing on God.   Although traditionally it was centered around food, it is not limited to food.  One can fast by giving up anything for the purpose of renewing their commitment, focus and/or duty toward God.  In this case Joel told the nation to fast because the Day of the Lord had come and with it, discipline.  He wanted the nation to repent and fasting was the beginning of that repentance.   This fast, however, was not to be done out of compulsion and/or tradition, in a legalistic manner.  Note what Joel will write in next chapter:

Joel 2:12-14 (ESV)

“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,

“return to me with all your heart,

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

and rend your hearts and not your garments.”

Return to the LORD your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;

and he relents over disaster.

Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,

and leave a blessing behind him,

a grain offering and a drink offering

for the LORD your God?

When God declares a fast or we choose to fast it is to be a fast of our hearts, not the outer showing of faith.  It is the inner faith toward God that is to be renewed.  Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 6:16-18 (ESV)

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

We are to fast.  But the fast is not a simply act of compliance. It is an act of worship to declare our allegiance toward God and to focus on our walk and fellowship with God.  

Strive To Be The King’s Friend- Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22:11 (ESV)

He who loves purity of heart,

and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.

Leadership loves those who promote Godliness in their life.   Even if the leader is not a Godly man or women themselves, most leaders value a follower who has gracious speech and pure motives from the heart.   Leaders (Kings) make friends with such people.   At least they should.   Leadership, good, moral leadership, surrounds themselves with quality people.   You can often, if not always, spot great leaders based upon the people that are around them ... the people they surround themselves with.   Immoral leaders don't care who they listen to.   The story of Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12 is a good example of this.  He surrounded himself with his friends from his youth and failed to see the value of listening to those who love purity and speak graciously.   We ought to strive to be like Daniel.   King Nebuchadnezzar was a friend to Daniel.   That's because Daniel was a walking example of this proverb.   Pharaoh was a friend of Joseph because Joseph was a friend of God and fulfilled this proverb.   The king is the friend to the one who acts like a king.  

This is my prayer in the final years of Hulings and Associates: To be a friend of kings because of gracious speech and a heart pure.

Remember What God Has Done - Psalms 105-107

Psalms 105:1-6 (ESV)

Tell of All His Wondrous Works

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;

make known his deeds among the peoples!

Sing to him, sing praises to him;

tell of all his wondrous works!

Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

Seek the LORD and his strength;

seek his presence continually!

Remember the wondrous works that he has done,

his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,

O offspring of Abraham, his servant,

children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

There are many things to recall and remember in life.  We can look in the rearview mirror of our life travels and find many things to look at. Some things in the past are hard to see again. Some are not worthy to visit again.  But, as the above verses tells us, there are many things that God has done that should be recalled, celebrated and giving back to God for His glory.  These three psalms (105-107) are recollection songs.  They are songs about the past victories given to the nation of Israel by God’s hand and power.   This is like a journal of the greatest hits by God for them.   It does contain, regretfully, the failures of Israel, as well.   The theme of the three books seems to be to rejoice in God, but remember, even when God blesses, man does stupid things and becomes caught in his own sin.  But even then, God redeems him.    God does good things for us before we sin.  God does good things for us by rescuing us from sin.   He then does good things as we are restored in communion with Him.  As it reads in the above lines:

Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered

God Honors Organization - 1 Chronicles 20-24

1 Chronicles 23:6 (ESV)

And David organized them in divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

1 Chronicles 24:4 (ESV)

Since more chief men were found among the sons of Eleazar than among the sons of Ithamar, they organized them under sixteen heads of fathers’ houses of the sons of Eleazar, and eight of the sons of Ithamar.

1 Chronicles 24:5 (ESV)

They divided them by lot, all alike, for there were sacred officers and officers of God among both the sons of Eleazar and the sons of Ithamar.

When David was told by God that he would not be allowed to build the Temple for God, he could have stewed and simply sat on his hands.   Instead, David began to organize everything for his son Solomon.  This is not telling us that Solomon lacked organization skills.  In fact, Solomon did his own structuring of the Temple (see 1 Kings 1-8).   If something is ever accomplished in life, it has to be organized.   God puts organization skills into mankind.  God designs and organizes.  He designed the universe.  God designed the original Tabernacle and made it exactly how it should be.   It was to be a pattern for how we approach God.   Organizational skills are seen throughout the Bible.   We read in the New Testament that our worship services are to be organized and spiritual gifts are to be used in an organizational manner because God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14).   God organized and He put in David’s heart that same desire, even though he could not build the Temple himself.  Sometimes we are not the one who does the work, but we can be the one who organizes the work for others.   

Mankind Needs Reminders - Numbers 13-17

Numbers 15:37-41 (ESV)

The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”

Mankind is forgetful.  We need reminders.  We have an entire app calendar system to keep us on track with what we are supposed to do each day, week, month and year.  We have reminders going off on our phones.  We have people in our lives who remind us.  We can’t live without these electronic and personal bots in our lives.   God knew that long ago.    For the nation of Israel He had them sew blue tassels on the corners of their garments.  Those tassels would remind them about the word of God in their lives.   Having a visual reminder is a way to keep us on task with what we are obligated to do.   The phrase tie a string around your finger, is a similar thought process and gets its origin from this teaching.   Notice what we will read soon in Deuteronomy, that has a similar thought:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV)

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

The Pharisees took this concept to an extreme and put verses from the Torah on little pieces of paper and put them in a box, that they tied to their wrist.   Today we call those things wristbands.  I wear three, with different Bible verses/thoughts on my wrist.  Why?  I am forgetful.  Do whatever you can to remember God’s Word. It might not be a string. It might not be a tassel on your garment. It might not be a wristband.   It might not be a daily reminder that goes off on your phone via an app each day.   Whatever you need, however, use it because mankind is forgetful and God knew it.