DAILY BIBLE VERSES AND PRAYER THOUGHTS

MONDAY - VERSES: Genesis 18:18-19	PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask for help to teach the younger generations to follow God's will.

TUESDAY - VERSES: Exodus 16:26-30 PRAYER THOUGHT: Pray that you never stubbornly refuse to obey.

WEDNESDAY - VERSES: Exodus 20:4-6; Acts 15:19-20 PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank God for His mercy and ask for strength to be faithful to Him alone.

THURSDAY - VERSES: Leviticus 26:3-6	PRAYER THOUGHT: Pray that Christians and our nation as a whole turn to God whole heartedly so that we may continue to enjoy His blessings.

FRIDAY - VERSES: John 15:7-10	PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask for courage to continue in Jesus' words and to continue keeping his commandments so you can continue in His love.

SATURDAY - VERSES: 1 John 2:3-5	PRAYER THOUGHT: Pray for wisdom to distinguish those who are keeping His commandments from those who are not.

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One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons. - Bonhoeffer

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Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God. - Benjamin Franklin

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The bottom line in the Christian life is obedience and most people don't even like the word. - Charles Stanley (This is a surprising quote.)

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Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character. -

Robert E. Lee

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ASSIGNMENTS

1. Daily read over this material and read or sing the song.

2. Place the scripture where you will see it each day.

3. Think of how you have been obedient to God in the past.

4. Write down ways you have been obedient to God.

5. Be ready to tell the class about a time you obeyed God even though it was difficult, or tell about how you should have obeyed God and didn't.

SPIRITUAL HEALTH REGIMEN - WEEK 40

OBEDIENCE - 4-21-13 to 4-27-13

SCRIPTURE - Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

COMMENT – Judgment day is coming. And in the final analysis as we stand before God in judgment, all that will be important is whether we had a fear and respect for God that caused us to have a strong desire to do his will, and carried through on that desire in obedience.

SONG – TRUST AND OBEY

1. When we walk with the Lord In the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, Not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt nor a fear, Not a sigh nor a tear, Can a bide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, Not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief nor a loss, Not a frown nor a cross, But is blest if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove The delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, And the joy He bestows, Are for those who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet, We will sit at His feet, Or we'll walk by His side in the way; What He says we will do, Where He sends we will go Never fear, only trust and obey.

REFRAIN: Trust and obey, for there's no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

THOUGHTS

Men strive to succeed only to find their achievement crumble about them. When will we learn that true power and success only comes when we surrender our lives in obedience to God?

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PRAYER FOR OBEDIENCE

The Master's will, for this I pray, Whatever it may be!

I do not want to miss Your best; Reveal it, Lord, to me.

My own desires may lead me wrong, I must consult my God;

His counsel will be justified, When all the way I've trod.

O soul of mine, delight in Him! His Word discern, obey!

The plan you seek to know will then unfold from day to day.

We do not live our lives alone: If I am in God's will,

The lives of others will be helped, His purpose to fulfill!

My all, O Lord, I give to You, My body, mind and soul;

May all the days that lie ahead, be under Your control.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

STUDY OR OBEY?

To make the value of obedience just as practical as possible, let's play "Let's pretend." Let's pretend that you work for me. In fact, you are my executive assistant in a company that is growing rapidly. I'm the owner and I'm interested in expanding overseas. To pull this off, I make plans to travel abroad and stay there until the new branch office gets established. I make all the arrangements to take my family in the move to Europe for six to eight months, and I leave you in charge of the busy stateside organization. I tell you that I will write you regularly and give you direction and instructions.

I leave and you stay. Months pass. A flow of letters are mailed from Europe and received by you at the national headquarters. I spell out all my expectations. Finally, I return. Soon after my arrival I drive down to the office. I am stunned! Grass and weeds have grown up high. A few windows along the street are broken. I walk into the receptionist's room and she is doing her nails, chewing gum, and listening to her favorite radio station. I look around and notice the waste baskets are overflowing, the carpet hasn't been vacuumed for weeks, and nobody seems concerned that the owner has returned. I ask about your whereabouts and someone in the crowded lounge area points down the hall and yells, "I think he's down there." Disturbed, I move in that direction and bump into you as you are finishing a chess game with our sales manager. I ask you to step into my office (which has been temporarily turned into a television room for watching afternoon soap operas).

"What in the world is going on, man?"

"What do ya' mean, Chuck?"

"Well, look at this place! Didn't you get any of my letters?"

"Letters? Oh, yeah -- sure, got every one of them. As a matter of fact, Chuck, we have had letter study every Friday night since you left. We have even divided all the personnel into small groups and discussed many of the things you wrote. Some of those things were really interesting. You'll be pleased to know that a few of us have actually committed to memory some of your sentences and paragraphs. One or two memorized an entire letter or two! Great stuff in those letters!"

"Okay, okay -- you got my letters, you studied them and meditated on them, discussed and even memorized them. But what did you do about them?"

"Do? Uh -- we didn't do anything about them." - Improving Your Serve, by Charles Swindoll, p. 170-171

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PRAY, PAY OR OBEY

In Joshua 7, when Joshua was lying on his face praying after Israel's defeat at Ai, God told him to stop praying and start doing. There was sin in the camp that needed to be rooted out and praying would not do it.

In 1 Samuel 15, when Saul brought animals back for sacrifice after the defeat of the Amelekites, God through Samuel condemned him for trying to buy God's favor instead of obeying. Samuel concluded by saying "obedience is better than sacrifice".

Both these as well as other occasions in scripture make me think of what Theodore Roosevelt said, "Obedience of the law is demanded; not asked as a favor" and I believe that is God's attitude of His law.

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___________ GOD & ___________ HIS COMMANDMENTS

INTRODUCTION - ECCLESIASTES ____:11-14

I. _______ GOD - _______________ 3:14-15; 5:1-7; 7:13-18; 8:10-13

II. _________ HIS COMMANDMENTS - ECCLESIASTES

___:10-12, 14-17; ___:1-6; __:25-29; ___:9-___:1

CONCLUSION - THE DEVIL'S CONVENTION - ECCL. 12:13-14

FEAR GOD & KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS

SCRIPTURE - (Eccl 12:11-14) The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. {12} And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. {13} Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. {14} For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

INTRODUCTION

A. Both the Old & New Testaments tell us that we will have to answer to God for the way we live our lives here

1. (Eccl 12:14) For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

2. (2 Cor 5:9-10) Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. {10} For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

B. Ecclesiastes deals with the vanity of life on this earth and concludes with what's really important – fear of God and obedience to Him.

I. FEAR GOD

A. (Eccl 3:14-15) I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. {15} That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past.

B. (Eccl 5:1-7) Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. {2} Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few. {3} For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool's voice is known by his many words. {4} When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed; {5} Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. {6} Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? {7} For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.

C. (Eccl 7:13-18) Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked? {14} In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him. {15} I have seen everything in my days of vanity: There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness. {16} Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself? {17} Do not be overly wicked, Nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time? {18} It is good that you grasp this, And also not remove your hand from the other; For he who fears God will escape them all.

D. (Eccl 8:10-13) Then I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of holiness, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This also is vanity. {11} Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. {12} Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. {13} But it will not be well with the wicked; nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

E. (Eccl 12:13-14) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. {14} For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

II. KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS

A. (Eccl 3:10-12) I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. {11} He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. {12} I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,

B. (Eccl 3:14-17) I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. {15} That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past. {16} Moreover I saw under the sun: In the place of judgment, Wickedness was there; And in the place of righteousness, Iniquity was there. {17} I said in my heart, "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."

C. (Eccl 5:1-6) Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. {2} Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few. {3} For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool's voice is known by his many words. {4} When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed; {5} Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. {6} Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?

D. (Eccl 7:25-29) I applied my heart to know, To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, To know the wickedness of folly, Even of foolishness and madness. {26} And I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets, Whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, But the sinner shall be trapped by her. {27} "Here is what I have found," says the Preacher, "Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason, {28} Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find: One man among a thousand I have found, But a woman among all these I have not found. {29} Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes."

E. (Eccl 11:9-12:1) Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. {10} Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and youth are vanity. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them":

CONCLUSION

A. The Devil's Convention:

Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles

and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from

gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?", shouted his angels. "Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6 or 7 days a week, 10 - 12 hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work."

"Over stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical, contradicting music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

"Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail,

sweepstakes, mail order catalogs, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services, and false hopes."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to Amusement parks, sporting events, concerts, and movies instead. "And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion."

"Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."

It was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.

Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge.

How about this definition of Busy:

B-- being

U-- under

S-- Satan's

Y-- yoke

Wow huh, makes one think..... Satan's goal is to take our minds and hearts off Christ then steer us toward the cares of the world. God wants us to enjoy life but He must be first.

If we are too busy for God, then we are too busy!!!B. (Eccl 12:13-14) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. {14} For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

C. PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR - (1 John 4:17-18) Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. {18} There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.